The Greatest Mistake Keeping You From Unleashing Your Creative Potential

“Mastery begins with humility.” ― Robin Sharma

Arrogance. A word that makes my blood boil when I hear it. A trait that makes me shudder when I see it.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always tried to live my life through a lens of humility. But as I grow accustomed to the real world, I’ve come to realise that modesty isn’t necessarily a dish served regularly.

So why make a fuss of it now? Well, these past few months have given me the chance to fine-tune my creative side — both as a writer on this platform and as a musician by hobby.

And after some reflection, I’m inclined to believe that our very existence as artists — if I’m permitted to refer to myself as one — is at threat of being so easily destroyed by an internal force known as ‘arrogance’.

You Have a Beautiful Gift That Needs Protecting

“To be inspired is great, but to inspire is an honour.” ― Stacey T. Hunt

Think about this for a second. Every writer, every musician, every artist that uses the right side of his/her brain is in possession of a beautiful gift: the gift to touch the hearts of others.

The words you write have meaning. The pictures you paint have visual impact. The music you create has power.

Simply put, you are granted with a unique ability to inspire, to excite, to influence others through your work.

And so the choice is yours. You can either accept the beauty you bring to this world. Or you can taint it with your ego.

Arrogance Is the Equivalent of a Mental Ceiling

“An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person’s main task in life — becoming a better person.” ― Leo Tolstoy

When you give too much importance to your achievements — no matter how big or small — you lose touch with your ability to learn, grow, and develop.

In effect, you form a mental ceiling inside of your brain that inhibits your underlying potential.

If your creativity is a bird that is waiting to fly, then arrogance is the cage in which it is being held hostage.

Rid yourself of your ego. Unleash your true being. Give yourself the freedom to flap your creative wings.

After all, this is what separates great artists from good ones.

You Deserve a Round of Applause. Let’s Keep It at That.

“We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.” ― Rabindranath Tagore

Now don’t get me wrong. Authentic moments of success are precious. They are few and far between. And they should be celebrated.

Give yourself a massive pat on the back when you hit your goals. Share your achievements with your friends and family. Eat cake. Drink champagne. Party all night if you have to. But get it out of your system there and then.

Never carry forward your praise for longer than you need.

Eventually, you’ll come to realise when you’ve spent way too long gloating about your latest promotion, pay-rise, or what you now refer to as your ‘Rags-to-riches’ story.

Such an awakening feels like an unapologetic smack in the face, followed by, “Whoa, did I really just say that? Yikes, even I don’t like me!”

Sometimes you have to go through such an episode to check yourself; to remind yourself what it means to be modest in life. Humility is another learning curve after all. Just don’t take it for granted.

A Final Word

“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” ― William Pollard

I’ve spent the last 6 years practising music as a side hobby. I’ve spent the last few months writing as a side hustle. In both fields, I am nowhere near perfection. I am far from where I want to be — let alone where I think I ought to be.

And that’s just the way it should be.

No matter how much I progress, my moments of success should never, ever get to me. And the same goes for all of us.

If the last few months have taught me anything, it’s this:

If we want to become better versions of ourselves, we need to keep arrogance away from our internal hemispheres.

I hope, as creative friends, that we work hard to never forget this.