I won't give you advice

I took a survey and received 400+ responses from readers.

I nearly cried reading them.

The question I asked was this: What is the single biggest challenge you have as a creative today?

(Just a few of the responses below)

_________

"I've been having a rather tough time following my thoughts and turning them into something concrete for the past few months. It feels like I'm hiding from myself and holding myself back..."
_________

"It's hard to keep believing in the things I've started, and it's hard to keep going after a solid few months. I get tired and second guess everything and overwhelmed and frustrated. And then I isolate from it all."
_________

"I am 80% done with a book but lack the motivation to finish."
_________

"trying to move past whatever blocks I've seemed to place on myself"
_________

"I have visions so much bigger but can't justify the time by knowing how much it could bring in or, worse, knowing it will be meaningless financially but fulfilling creatively. That stuff--which I love--loses almost every time."
_________

"I'm trying to motivate myself to think that my creativity is worth it."
_________

"I'm finding a lot of resistance in starting my YouTube channel because I'm scared that no one will watch it and the effort will be in vain.
_________

"I love dreaming up new ideas and figuring out how to make things better, but have a hard time actually implementing my ideas and following through."
_________

"The rewards I receive from my work have all but disappeared, and I'm not hard to stay motivated. I've been procrastinating and avoiding things I don't want to do because of it."
_________


And many more like that...

To sum up what I heard in many responses:

“I’m stuck”
“I can’t get motivated to start/finish my project.”
“I’m feeling professionally empty.”

What struck me is just how common this is. And by the same point, how much potential there is.

I won’t give you advice.

I don’t know anything about your life, or the complexities of you’re problems (at least not yet).

I’m also not going to take an image of what my path looks like, and try and place it over top of yours.

We all have different skills and interests and passions. We all have a unique path to take.

The truth is, most times you know deep down who you want to be, how you'd like to move forward, what the right decisions is...

You simply have gotten stuck in a rut, and you're unable to get yourself to see outside of the fishbowl you're in (so to speak).

In a more positive light, you feel like:

"I still have my best work, relationships, and life in me, I just need to find a way to bring it forward."

But the path forward is not advice or tactics or pressuring you through (forcing yourself to do something is a recipe for lost time and energy). It’s not hyping you up to feel a certain way, putting yourself in a state, that doesn't last.

No, what I’ve learned is that what’s needed for growth is...

Examination.

To learn to see in a new way.

So what I do is turn some lights on.

Provide a different perspective.

Help you examine whatever roadblock or stuckness you’re in so that you can hear your own voice, get clear, and lead yourself through the next phase of your growth.

This is the purpose of the newsletters of Creative Caffeine.

----

[Something new]

I’m not sure if I’ll offer this forever, but it’s worth a try.

I have exactly four spots per week open in my calendar, each for a free half-hour phone call where you can bring your lay out your problems on the table to discuss.

Think of this like an artists support line you can call when you feel stuck.

No judgments, no pressure, no call-waiting music.


Who this is for:
CC subscribers (I prefer people who get what I'm about).
People serious about their personal growth.
People who see themselves as the main obstacle to overcome.

Who this is not for:
Pitching me business ideas, sales etc.
People looking for growth hacks, tricks and tips in marketing, sales etc.

I know this isn’t for everybody.

And it’s an experiment, so I'm not sure if people will book or if I'll want to continue this forever.

But if you feel stuck,

A line is open.

David


P.S. You know, some of the most rewarding (and profitable) investments of my life of time and money have been on learning more about myself. These discoveries have been priceless to me. In many ways, it's the purpose of my life. Everything I do is another way to train, see things differently, to challenge myself, and ultimately learn more about who I am and how far I can go with the time that I have.