What to Do When You Don't Like What You've Created

This is one of the greatest challenges we face when we look into the mirror of creativity and I feel like it's incredibly important to address. 

​Here I'll respond to an experience everyone has in common when it comes to spending time with your unique creativity trying to create "something":

What do you do when you don't like what you've created? 

Watch this video where I share more about the process of being face to face with a creative project we really don't love. 

First, let's understand what it feels like when we don't like what we've created.

The entire situation seems to creep up on us unexpectedly. An unwelcome surprise.

Picture this:

You finally get some time to yourself to spend on your own unique art...you're enthusiastic because you hardly ever have the time you wish you did to spend on this. 

It's going really well, the tunes are jamming in the background and you feel in the groove while you work. 

You lose track of time and it feels amazing. 

But then, you make that one extra mark...

... and then ... 

....suddenly, you don't love what you've done.

And I mean, really don't love it. 

​That's when the feelings start rushing to the surface.

The feeling of disappointment in what you've created can be painful. 

As an art teacher for the past 17 years, I hear the multitude of ways this sentiment is expressed. But it all feels the same, disappointing and painful. 

If you've ever felt this way, I want you to know you're not alone. 

Most of us are truly pressed with our time, so getting to have a few moments to devote to our creative projects and dreams can feel incredibly precious. 

When it came to my own Art Nurture journey, I realized that creating a way to acknowledge these very real feelings and process them was vital for creative process.

The real key is knowing what it is that's happening in the moment when the disappointment arises and then, what you do with, through, and after these feelings to create sustainability in your creative process. 

​Develop the practice of speaking kindly to yourself in your creative process.

​When those feelings of disappointment arise in your creative process, it's normal to start down the path of potentially drawing a connection between the thing you just created that you don't like and then beginning to believe that has something to do with who you are too.

Training ourselves to speak kindly to ourselves throughout our creative process is one of the magic ingredients that keeps us engaged and nurtured in our creativity. 

I'll be honest, this is not easy. It's one of the things I've had to make a lot of effort in myself. It's also something I work with in all of my creative mentorship relationships.

We've gotta make showing up to our process a place that is safe and accepting for us to be. And we're our own best studio mate. Some types of creativity have us spending hours upon hours alone in the process. So creating a nurturing environment for you as the artist is of utmost importance. 

When I say 'art nurture' I mean for you - not for the thing you are making.

Creativity is an inside job. It has us face a lot about ourselves. But it can be a place of deep self-acceptance, discovery, love, and joy. When we cultivate those qualities in our creative process along the way then we are truly able to embrace the art nurture path. 

​Remember that process is where creativity happens. ​

​Much of the time judgement on creativity is on a project's outcome. But the truth is, creativity is in process. 

And when our time is precious to spend on our creative process, it's easy to hope the desired ratio of process to product be one-to-one.

As in, we're hoping it will be one creative session = one creative product.

But that simply isn't the case. 

The more realistic ratio of creative process to product is often many creative sessions to one "possible" creative product. 

As in, it can take many sessions of investing in our process to find an actual "creation" that we are enthusiastic about. 

We need to normalize this reality! 

I have some paintings that have taken a year or more. And that's even after I've worked on them every single week. 

TheArt Nurture book took over 3 years of writing compiled to get to the first draft. Then after that another year of going through the final editing and publishing process. 

When inventor of the lightbulb, Thomas Edison, was asked how he felt about failing so many times he famously responded, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”

The same is true of our creative process. We need to create things we don't feel are as successful to get to the things that really resonate with us. 

It takes a lot of pressure off of our one session of creativity when we embrace the full story of creative process.

That's why I'm a big believer in creating more long-term sustainable practices in our creative lives. Part of that is deepening our understanding of creative process as a whole. 

Creative practice + process doesn't have to be lonely 

​Just because you are spending time working on your creativity on your own doesn't mean you have to do it alone. 

Informing our creative practice with support throughout the process is what gives us perspective and helps us stay grounded when the process can feel intense or even unclear. 

I often encourage those I am working with to find and nurture their creative community. And where you find creative support can be surprising because it's not always where you anticipate it to show up. 

You could find it in a book club, a writers group, an improv class, a community garden, volunteering with students, and many other places. 

And, it may not always be your friends and family who understand and are able to support what you're doing.  

Sometimes family supports because they want you to be happy, but they don't understand the "process" of what you're doing. So, you'll still need to find creative community who can support the actual process of what it is you're doing. 

I always tell my Creative Mentorship clients that it takes a village to keep me going. I tap into a variety of different strengths in my creative community to support me personally and also my process. That takes friendships, community connections, and professional support as well. And I offer that support to others

​And one of the most important things to remember is that it's not just what someone knows or what a community offers - it's also how they do it. It's important to feel safe, supported, and nurtured when you're finding creative community.

​Yes, our creativity can challenge us, but harmful environments and relationships can exacerbate managing the challenges of the process. 

Find people that resonate with you. 

This is so important. It's one of the reasons why I began art nurture. 

I wanted to share honest and real insights into the creative process, cultivate creative community, and offer support through my classes & one-on-one mentorships.

It has always been important to me that these offerings are done with respect and compassion in combination with high quality creative support. 

Because I wanted everyone I had the joy of working with to go back to their creative process feeling empowered, nurtured, and well versed on the steps to move through their unique process with fluidity and joy. 

Want to learn more about working with e 1-on-1? Book a free 30 min Creativity Call and let's chat!

And if you're interested in learning more about what working with me is like, you can hear from some of my art nurture clients. 

Cultivate & Nurture Your Creativity,

Court

​

• Study Visual Art with Court
• Interested in One-on-One Mentorship? Book a free 30 min Creativity Call
• Follow the Art Nurture adventures on Instagram