The worst enemy for a creative person is generally yourself. It’s the constant battle in your head when you are creating something your are passionate about and your mind is telling you that it’s bad, or that your bad. You tell yourself so many things in the process of creating. Sometimes it gets the better of you. You stop what you’re doing. You find it hard to start again. Most of the time you worry about whether you should start again. What if other people don’t like it? What if it really is bad? How can I do this?

Any creative pursuit is the same, from acting, to painting, to drawing, to writing. Constantly asking if you’re good enough. Telling yourself that you can’t do this. It varies to most, but for me writing is the worst of it; probably mostly because I can’t draw, or write. I’ve also never tried acting because I’m not brave enough to try.

Writing with depression can be harder. You tell yourself all these things while at the same time wanting to write. Wanting to get down what you have in your head, but never being able to find the right way. The right form. The right structure. For the most part it leads you to end up doing nothing; and this is where I’ve been for a few months now. It’s hard. The desire to write, but the fear of not being able to get it down.

You have to force your way through. If it’s happening to you, then you need to change your goals slightly. What did you used to write? 200o words a day? 5000? 10,000?  Change that to half, or even quarter. Make your wordcount goal smaller for the day. At least you can still get words in.

For the screenwriters reading this, change it down to a page. One simple page of script. Should be easy right? Probably not, but at least you’re still getting something down at this point. You’re still progressing. Try to ignore the editing of what you’re doing. Even if you get to the end of the script while you’re still depressed, you can pat yourself on the back that you completed it. Edit later. I’m bad for this as well. We all want our work to be good. But remember, that the only people that will read a 0 draft will be you. (or possibly your closest friend(s).

For prose writers (screenwriters can do this too). If you can’t focus on your original, take some time. Write a fanfic. It doesn’t have to be long. Even a one shot. Something where you know the characters. Do you have a favourite show, movie that you’ve watched multiple times? Write a scenario for the characters you know well. Believe me, it may feel like a step back, but it helps. It sets the mind back into a place where you feel comfortable. You know those characters, you know how they think.

Maybe for your original you do as well, but I would take bets that you know an existing television\movie character a little more if you’ve watched them enough. Especially as with those you have the actors mannerisms and actions to help. You don’t have that with your own creations, you’re creating something new (which is great. Keep going with that).

I know as well as you reading this, that it’s not easy. But we can both get through. We can both succeed. Just keep perservering. Don’t believe that nagging voice at the back of your mind that says “you can’t do this” because you can.

Listen to the muse instead of the nagging voice. The muse is the one that is telling you to write it, to get it down. It is the one you talk to out loud when you’re alone. If you’re creative, and someone asks why you’re talking to yourself simply reply with “I’m discussing me with my muse”

As Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly, Angel) once said, ”

“Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it, sauté it, whatever. MAKE.”

So, I know. Believe me, I know. That it’s hard. But you can do this. I can do this. Together we can both make this work.

Happy writing\painting\drawing\whatever you want.