7 Reasons Why You Don’t Create More
And 7 solutions to help you make enough content to succeed
Here is the dilemma: you want to create content, yet, for some reason, you don’t create it.
You read the blog posts. You join the email lists. You follow the crafted templates. You save draft after draft, only to post… nothing.
This cycle has repeated week after week, deflating your confidence.
Personally, I’ve been in this hole countless times, and know all too well how difficult it can be to climb out of.
As writers, artists, and creatives, we often yearn to be more prolific. We want to create thoughtfully yet not overthink the process. But sometimes, that results in creating nothing at all.
What is the root of this unending hesitation to create?
And more importantly: how will you overcome it?
In this article, I’ll uncover the common reasons why many of us content creators struggle to create content online, despite our strong desire to.
1. You’re Too “In Your Head”
I’ve never heard of a surgeon overthinking their purpose.
Or a lawyer. Or a police officer.
Not to say that it doesn’t happen. But for creatives, this behavior is all too common.
To our credit, creatives are some of the most cerebral people. Which is awesome. But sometimes, that can work against us.
How often have you had an idea that you talked yourself out of?
Or spent months toiling over a project until it was “perfect”?
If you answered yes to either of these, you might be creative.
As creatives, the way we think about ourselves and our work can affect our creative output.
Solution:
Monitor your thoughts. Are they helpful to your creative output or are they a hindrance?
Overthinking is the act of creating problems that don’t yet exist.
A more productive approach is to ground yourself in the present moment. This could be starting a 30-day meditation practice, going for a walk, or writing a gratitude list.
Don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first few times. This is all practice.
And we should all practice becoming a better friend to our own minds.
2. You Compare Yourself to Others
This is a game you will never win.
Yet, you all fall for it hook, line, and sinker.
For the life of me, I don’t know why we as creatives spend an abundance of time comparing ourselves to others.
Especially, when we could otherwise be using that time to work on our craft.
Nonetheless, I’ve fallen into this trap before. And if you’re like me, you’ve tortured yourself in similar ways.
For instance, you want to become a writer. So you Google and follow writers you admire. You devour their work. You subscribe to their email lists. You’re completely bought in.
Because before you get started writing your stuff, you want to “strategize.”
How did ‘Blogger A’ build their audience in such a short time? Who designed their website? Is Squarespace worth the investment?
Do they run their own IG page? These pics are stunning. They’ve gotta have a pro photographer.
I can’t tell you how much time I’ve wasted down this rabbit hole.
Solution:
Instead of combing the profiles and works of other writers — which is consuming — create. Write whatever comes to mind. Edit, rewrite and refine.
Use an app like Self Control to block specific pages if you need to.
Get in the habit of writing first. Then “research” once you’re done.
3. You Don’t Give Your Life Enough Space
If your life is bombarded with stimuli, chances are, you don’t give yourself enough room to think.
Starting the morning with your phone in hand or answering emails puts you at the mercy of every notification.
If you’re constantly living reactively, you’re not allowing yourself to be proactive about your space.
You are the hero of the story. What adventure will you choose?
Solution:
Rather than filling every minute with to-dos and time-killers, try to think of your time as something to invest. Become a better steward of your time.
Turn off your notifications. Schedule a specific time to respond to emails and consume media.
Become more intentional with your time and actions.
Start using downtime as an opportunity to create an exciting life that’s worth writing about or documenting. Become curious, fish for ideas and find stories where there otherwise wouldn’t have been.
Allow yourself to dream a bit about what you actually want. Rather than what you’ve been consuming from sunrise to sunset.
4. You Aren’t Patient With the Process
Maybe you’ve been at this content creation thing for a while and you’re still not where you want to be. Maybe your improvement has been slow or stagnant.
The thing about creativity is, if you don’t have fun with it, it‘s difficult to “make it fun.” Your process is what you make it.
In this age, you have a multitude of disciplines to choose from with your creativity.
You could write social media captions for a living. You could ghostwrite for an influencer. If you put in the time and the work and hustle, you can create your own little world.
But it takes time. And this process is different for everyone.
Do things always go according to our plans?
Of course not.
But the caveat is, sometimes our reality outshines any plans we once dreamt of.
And if you’re impatient with your work, chances are, you’ll spoil what’s to come. In a small moment of frustration, an entire life’s work can be erased.
And all we’ll have to go forward on are our thoughts of what could’ve been.
Solution:
Make a commitment to creating consistently for 30 days. If that’s too small of a challenge, go for 60 days. The purpose of this exercise is to become more focused on your process rather than the outcome.
Understand, it will take time to get better. But consistency is the secret sauce to any kind of improvement.
5. You’re Too Worried About Perfection (Self-Image, Grammar, Etc.)
Look, you’re going to mess up.
You’re going to make a fool of yourself, occasionally. The more you become aware of and OK with that fact, the less you’ll preoccupy yourself with every little mistake.
I understand though. You want to present your best work. You want your writing to shine.
And there is room for that if you’re truly authentic when you write. But regardless of how great you place an Oxford comma, there will be people who still don’t like your writing.
You will likely offend people. And you will likely misspell and misuse many words along the way.
Creatives are often so imaginative that we create scenarios of defeat before ever getting started.
Solution:
Use tools like Grammarly and Hemingway App to sharpen your writing.
As a strong communicator, focus on your intended audience. Concern yourself with grammatical errors in the editing process, only.
Your current ability doesn’t disqualify you from doing the work.
Trust yourself. Trust your place. Trust your work.
6. You’re Waiting on Permission (or a Sign)
I don’t know who needs to hear this but…
Today is the best time to become a writer. You don’t need a degree or a book deal or even a large audience. An idea and an Internet connection — those are the basics to get started. And in some cases, you can get by without those, if you’re bold. Against all odds, become a writer today, if you so choose. The world is waiting.
Now, I know this still will not be enough for some of you to get started. You’ve read all the books and articles about content creation. You’ve delved into personal development and primed your mind for the big day where you’ll finally push all your chips in.
But you’re still waiting for someone to spell it all out for you.
Solution:
If you know that even after reading this article, you’ll still hesitate to create, I suggest you write your own permission slip.
Copy this:
To whom it may concern, I __________ (your name), have the full and complete permission to create what I want to create when I want to create it.
It is my birthright. And no person(s) outside of myself has the authority to suspend said permission.
_____________ (your signature) __________ (date)
Refer to this, whenever you need to.
7. You Don’t Embrace Discomfort (Enough)
“I’m not a video person.”
“What if no one buys my book?”
“I hate public speaking.”
Have you ever said any of the above — or similar?
Have you ever pushed past any of those objections despite your fear or discomfort?
If not, this might be a major obstacle for why you’re not creating more content. Because despite your feelings, the blog has to be written. The video has to be created. The tweet has to be… tweeted?
You likely feel resistance because you know it’s something you want to explore. Some of our most important work is on the other side of our biggest fears.
And while it is recommended to be consistent with the kind of content you create and what your audience likes, there are also huge benefits to experimenting with your approach and innovating.
Do you think Chipotle needs to be on TikTok? No.
But does it hurt them? Not at all.
As Gary Vee says, double down on what’s working. But also taste what’s interesting.
So, how can you overcome being uncomfortable with discomfort?
Solution:
Become a student of your fears. Take note of what gives you pause. Create a list of why you’re afraid to move forward with that book or project or video.
Is this list more powerful than you are? No.
Start pushing past your resistance in small ways. For example, if it’s a video you’re terrified of, practice shooting short videos without uploading them. While doing this, focus on the recipient (not your fear).
You’ll likely not ever feel completely comfortable with discomfort, but after a few times of overcoming your fear, you’ll witness your own progress. And how much you’ve grown during the process.
Conclusion
Whether you struggle with creating content because of the above reasons or other reasons, it’s important to know, as a creator, you can overcome these obstacles.
But you must have a strong commitment to being intentional about your creative pursuit. You must stretch yourself beyond what you believe to be possible for yourself. And you must give your life the space to create extraordinary moments worth documenting.
Will it all happen in an instance? Probably not.
But that doesn’t make it any less worthy or attainable.
Start as small as you need to. But most importantly, just get started.
I’m rooting for you.
