A couple of weeks ago something weird happened. I was really proud of something I created, I showed it to someone who usually liked everything I did, and they hated it. I asked why, and they totally ghosted me. That sucked. But you know what sucked more? I forgot that I wasn’t doing it for them. When you create, there’s something really important that you need to remember.

Creation is an act of self-actualization. Creation should be an action for yourself.

But too often, we forget why we create. We share it with others and confuse their approval with our motivation. And that can be a real blocker.

When you create for others, it’s easy to get stuck

That temporary disappointment had longer-lasting implications.

It wasn’t just that I got feedback that hurt.

I lost faith in my creation — something that had given me real joy just seconds before.
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That ever happen to you?
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Yeah, I thought you’d understand. 🙂

Why do we give other people power over our creativity?

Why do we give other people’s opinions more weight than our own?
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It was hard to jump back on that horse and go to bat for what I made, but I had to.
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Because if we don’t support what we create how can we expect anyone else to care about it?
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My dad has a saying that I love:

Opinions are like assholes. Everyone’s got one.
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And you know what?
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The people who seem to have the power to stop us with their disapproval tend to be assholes, too.
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So here’s your challenge this week:

• Do what you love
• If feedback comes back that’s not useful, treat it like toilet paper and flush it
• Share the triumphant story about how you are moving ahead with what you love, and moving past what anyone thinks about it

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I want to hear how it goes! Leave a comment below or tag @trulykristi on social.

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