With respect to your creative activities, what has been your greatest obstacle?

I don’t have enough time, inspiration, or will to describe it in the most creative way possible, and that, combined with my perfectionism and shifting interests and attention, and other people who want and expect me to do other things, is the problem… or seems to me ti be, most of the time, in the day-to-day minute-to-minute that devours most of my opportunities. But really it’s more about my ideas about all that that seem to block me. And the web of those are a defensive habit, to shield me from my own self-criticism.

Lack of talent. I appreciate the arts so much that I’ve tried many things with no success.

Walls with spikes!
Serious hazard to your average parkour enthusiast like moi.

Right now, the lack of talent.

Nagging imposter syndrome and a lack of time to pursue it.

That said, I am a professional artist and designer, so I’ve managed.

I’m creatively greedy though. I teach art and design. I do design work for clients. But I still want time to pursue art I want to make.

Learning how to spell obstacle.
Oh look! Another thing we have in common. ;-)

I make up zumba routines for my classes when I taught. It wasn’t earth shattering creative, but it was an outlet. I love dance. My biggest obstacle was laziness.

When I’m going through stressful time I have images in my mind of things I would love to be able to put on canvas, but I lack the talent. I guess I could try taking some art classes but never bothered. This feeling of compulsion to paint only started about 7 years ago. I have artists in my family, but I always felt it skipped over me. I guess it’s more of an obsession than a compulsion. It comes and goes.

About 7 years ago I felt like I was not in the life I was supposed to be in, it was like everything was off. Like a sci-fi setting where there are alternate worlds. I pictured it in my head as scenes through the eye of having double vision. Hard to explain maybe. I still feel this is a work I was supposed to make. It would be a whole series. Big too. Big canvases. Lol.

Edit: also, money. I have the money, but not wanting to part with it. I’d live to do more decorating my house changing the kitchen layout.

My lack of self confidence.

@cookieman Nothing wrong with that.

@Patty_Melt -Too funny! I didn’t even notice when I copied and pasted the question XD

@JLeslie -I think you should give painting a go. It’s too much fun and you can get into a state of mindfulness that is awesome!
Let go of any pressure you might be feeling about “talent” and just go for it:)

Staying motivated. Sometimes I get great ideas. Then I act on them and its meh. It feels underwhelming. Then I realize something else I could’ve done to make it better, and midway through I will think of a better way but it will involve more time. By then, I’m thinking, I didn’t want it to be this much work. Like a new way to organize a closet and make things look neat and practical. Or fix a chair and then I want to change the way the chair looks altogether and I start out changing the fabric but then realize the fabric would look better for a body pillow, or a curtain. I just wish sometime I could jump a week ahead into the future and jump back and tell myself what the final project will require so I don’t waste my energy and motivation on the stuff I will change my mind on.

Lack of ideas number one. When I write it can’t feel like I’m going through the motions—it has to feel inspired. And sometimes I just have nothing to work with. Second would be lack of time. A good writing session can take hours. I often just don’t have that kind of time where I can really isolate myself, free myself of distractions, and just write.

@Pandora -It sounds like brainstorming as you’re doing it. Sure, it might be extra work but you’re learning stuff all along. :)

@Demosthenes -What do you do when you have new ideas? Do you record them?

Letting go of ideas.

Have to remind myself it’s not how shiny the idea is. But how well it works for the particular design solution.

Just have to put it on the shelf. Give it a pat on the head and reassure it that you’ll use it one day.

@raum -Been there many times.:)

Ditto

@lucillelucillelucille When I try to get my husbands help in a project, he will always say get back to me in a couple of days when you’ve come to your final decision.

@Pandora -That made me laugh as I have been down that same road.
Your husband is quite the diplomat! :)

@lucillelucillelucille Yep. I keep stuff on my phone, my computer, and even in a physical notebook. It’s not organized, but I always write down ideas lest I forget them. :)

@Demosthenes I use my computer and lots of notebooks but have yet to organize so that creates opportunities for some dramatic outbursts.Win-Win! lol

I have a folder in my laptop labeled future projects.

I have a card file where I keep character and event details for each story. As I write, I refer back to it so I don’t get ages or nicknames wrong, that sort of thing. It’s my continuity file.

A problem I’m trying to iron out right now is with my anthropology shorts. I have these great story ideas, but they read like a study report rather than a decent fiction piece.
I can’t get into the heads of my primitive characters.
I don’t want to scrap them, but I sure can’t publish them the way they are. I have been watching lots of indigenous legends on YT. I’m hoping that will help. They are very cool. I like the one about why bears have little tails. Lol

@Patty_Melt -You seem very organized.You can always come back to ideas.
I need to make adjustments in the way I do things.
I have a lot of idea files, in different spots.lol
When I want to do a painting, I take a long time before I decide what I am going to do and one reason is that I hate being in the middle of one only to lose excitement. spoken like a true procrastinator
I don’t want it to become a chore. I am sure that is why I dislike commissions as they’re almost always something I wouldn’t do. but $ is $ I suppose.

@Patty_Melt -As for bears? My friend tells me they’re my spirit animal. She is into her Native heritage and knows about that stuff