Transforming fear into creativity: tips for trying new things.....

The onset of spring made me think about new things, personal growth, and how resilient the earth is. That made me think about my own resiliency and I’ve come to realize that trying new things still makes me feel anxious and stressed. I can feel my heart rate go up and I often feel a tightness in my throat. Does this sound familiar? There are many things at play when this happens, and it can definitely feel frustrating when we want to try something new, and our anxiety stops us. The elements that create tension within us often comes from a place of fear which can stem from various factors, such as the fear of failure, fear of the unknown, the pressure to succeed, or those messages we heard in childhood telling us we weren’t good enough. Perfectionism is very real!

Perfectionism is a personality trait I came to recognize in myself and have been working on for many years. It's all about setting incredibly high standards, not just for me but sometimes for others too. I tended to be critical of my own work, always looking for flaws and ways to improve. While pushing for excellence drove me to “achieve”, I've learned that perfectionism often came with its own set of challenges. It affected my mental well-being and productivity, making me question whether my efforts were ever "good enough”. Even now, it’s hard to gracefully accept compliments and sometimes leads me down the “anyone can do this, I’m not special” rabbit hole!

So how to overcome this? It’s a hard one and there’s no easy answer. Working with a therapist is always recommended if perfectionism is affecting your life adversely.

Some tips to start with include:

• Setting realistic goals: define “good enough” and aim for progress, not perfection.

• Prioritize self-compassion: treat yourself with kindness even when you feel that you have fallen short.

• Seek feedback early: others can help you see when something is already great without extra tweaks.

• Focus on growth: embrace the learning process instead of fixating solely on outcomes.

I have done a lot of work for myself on this, and I find that working with art materials has really helped me to open up, loosen up, and accept that I don’t have to do everything perfectly all of the time! This is why I particularly love my junky journals. They have taught me to think outside the box, which, in turn, has taught me that looking at things differently or reframing, is essential for the reduction of perfectionism.

What is a junk journal? A junk journal is just that, a journal made from materials that could be perceived as junk but to those of us who love mixed media there is no such thing as junk, we see possibilities in everything! So, I can put together pieces of odd painted papers, cereal boxes cut or torn up to make pages, random junk mail, old paper bags or magazine pages for example and sew them together very simply. The example in the video below is an example of one of my favourites! The benefit of the junk journal is that it’s not precious, nothing in it is perfect and that immediately takes away the pressure to create something perfect. It’s my space to collage, add leftover paint, practice my doodles/drawing and generally relax and have fun.

The more we practice this in the art, the more it can translate into everyday life leaving us to feel less pressure to do things perfectly and more able to relax and enjoy. This mindset shift is worth pursuing for our own wellbeing, ultimately leading to less fear, less procrastination and a more balanced outlook in our lives. Have fun playing and pay attention to what emerges for you!