Here's Why You Need To Try Loosen Your Creative Control
It’s natural for us to want our writing to be perfect. That’s where this urge for us to be in complete creative control can come from. Such as knowing exactly what we’re going to write, exactly where our protagonist will end up, and exactly how long it will take for us to finish our first draft. However, this can sometimes lead us into the realm of the old, dreaded writer’s block.
Loosening our creative control and letting the words come to us, can free us from that feeling of being stuck. Allowing ourselves to relax can be good for us in a number of ways.
4 Reasons Why You Need to Try Loosening Your Creative Control
1. Combats Overthinking
Does that sentence make sense? Does that word fit? What is that line missing? Our heads can buzz with a million questions when we’re writing. We can easily slip into overthinking mode. We know we certainly do. This can prevent us from accessing our natural streams of creativity and moving forward. It can stop us from entering flow.
The key thing is to write. Take action. Grab your pad and pen, laptop, however you like to work and write. Use anything from a writing prompt, to a word you heard someone say, to get started. Let the words flow. Remove thinking and analysing from the equation and let yourself write.
It can feel daunting to relinquish our creative control, but delving into our creative courage can help us with this. It allows us to let go of that fear and remind ourselves that we can do this. We just need to trust ourselves.
Each word has the potential to lead us somewhere. Loosen that creative control and embrace following the open path.
2. Focus on the Moment
By focusing on the moment we’re in, we can cleanse our mind of things that might be holding us back in our writing. Rather than having distractions poke at us, we can make this creative bubble where it’s just us and our writing. We can return to other things later. Let’s just focus on this moment.
The world of mindfulness can help with this. The charity Mind defines mindfulness as ‘a technique you can learn which involves noticing what's happening in the present moment, without judgement’. Small things like focusing on our senses, such as the things we can see or smell, can help us tune in. By loosening our creative control and engaging in the present moment, we open ourselves up to a stream of ideas and connections emerging naturally through us.
3. Sense of Relief
We have so much to think about in our daily lives, from family to work, and everything in between. Relaxing can often feel like a rare luxury. Loosening our creative control and allowing ideas to speak to us, can feel like a wave of relief. It gives our busy minds a break.
We can worry these ideas won’t come but, if we sit back and loosen our sense of control, we reduce some of the pressure we so often put on ourselves. Not only do we reduce the pressure of finding that amazing idea, but also the pressure for our work to be instantly perfect. Rather than telling ourselves off, or trying to force the ideas out, we have the chance to enjoy a sense of calm instead. Letting go of that creative control and following the flow, can leave us feeling refreshed.
4. Revelations
If we can loosen our creative control, we open ourselves up to new possibilities. If we allow things to emerge through our writing, rather than having them set in stone in our minds, we might encounter new details or things we didn’t expect. For example, maybe our character has a different reason for working so much overtime at their job than we initially thought.
Unexpected paths can be exciting. By embracing that sense of freedom as opposed to forcing ideas, we let the words and ideas lead us. We might even uncover that diamond of an idea we’ve been searching for when we least expect it.
Loosening our creative control is a chance to let our imagination lead.
There are many benefits to loosening our creative control every now and then. Sometimes, not knowing where something might lead can bring amazing results. It can be freeing to let our imaginations wonder. Take the pressure off yourself and let the flow take you.
How do you feel about relinquishing creative control? Is it something you’d feel comfortable doing, or would it create a sense of dread? We’d love to know what you think?
