Let Go of Creative Constipation

Creating something, even if it’s crappy, is better than suffering from creative constipation.

I’ve come across the phrase “creative constipation” in recent years. Charlie Gilkey in Start Finishing explains it this way:

“We take in ideas and inspiration that get converted into aspirations, goals, and projects, and at a certain point, if we’re not pushing them out in the form of finished projects, they start to back up on us. And like physical constipation, at a certain point, we get toxic. We don’t want to take in any more ideas. We don’t want to do any more projects. We don’t want to set any more goals or plans. We’re full and fed up.”

I see this in my own life. It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole of YouTube. Even if I consume thought-provoking content, if I don’t do anything with what I’m learning, I start to feel gross. It’s far more satisfying to try to create something and share it with the world. 

Now, not everyone needs to create online videos, but each one of us needs creative outlets so we don’t get plugged up. 

Life is better when we build. Let go of creative constipation: