Could be me...?

"What are the thoughts and habits not conducive to the work?"
— Rick Rubin

This is a question I return to often. Rick Rubin shares his thoughts on the question in his book The Creative Act. But even before encountering that question in print, I’ve always believed in the importance of naming the areas where we can do better.

“How can it be better?”
That’s a question every artist knows intimately.

The goal is often to express something precise—an emotion, an idea, an energy, a moment—with honesty and intention. And the refining process can feel infinite.

That’s where the parallel lies—between the process of making art and the pursuit of an artistic career.

Because while so much is outside of our control—funding, trends, audience reactions, algorithms, longevity—there’s so much within our control, too.

But more critical still is the attention we give to the things we control that are actually sabotaging the work.

At any given moment, I think most of us could name 3–5 thoughts or behaviors that get in the way. Maybe it’s procrastination. Over-analyzing. Shrinking ourselves. Comparing. Self-doubt.

They aren’t easy to dismiss… I actually don’t think we are able to fully dismiss them.
In some twisted way, they sometimes serve a function. Seemingly protecting us—from rejection, from failure, from wasted time, from making the wrong choice, from heartbreak. 

But they also protect us from growing. From finishing. From showing up. And from connecting with the things we claim to want. 

Artists are sensitive by nature. That’s the gift. And there’s no part of this journey that doesn’t ask us to be vulnerable.

So we owe it to ourselves to be honest to our ourselves:
Where are we getting in our own way?
What habits are obstacles to our creativity, our ideas, our joy, and our success?

Stop saying things that make you feel weak or that you regret when you reflect on your day. At the very least, notice them. 

And do the things you know will make tomorrow a little lighter. It seems trite but worth applying. 

Surrender to the present moment. 

That’s all the work, too.

The baby goat in a diaper has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but it felt criminal not to share the photo.