Hey Friend,
Do you struggle with FOCERO?
Focero sounds like a type of Italian pasta dish.
But I assure you, it is not.
WHAT IS FOCERO, AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH CREATIVE ENERGY?
Well, it’s a term I just made up.
It means – “Fear of Creative Energy Running Out” which can, in turn, cause a creative block.
Every time I hit send on a email – I am met with two emotions: satisfaction (I did it!) and panic (Oh no, I have to do it again next week!)
I find myself with a confusing ecosystem of emotions that I must work through in order to “create the next thing” – and sometimes I start to ignore my creativity all together.
Why do we often ignore our creative energy?
- Lack of self worth
- Fear of putting ourselves out there or the proverbial pen down on the paper
- Fear of rejection
- Pure laziness – taking the easier route to consume
- Not tuning in with the self to understand what these feelings are beneath the surface
- Comparisonitus takes over – endless scrolling leads to lack of confidence
- Whatever the case is for you, I invite you to dig deeper in what the source of your creative block is.
I believe that the more creative energy we use, the more creative energy we produce. It might go into our reserves if we don’t use it right away, but it’s always there. We have to tap into it by showing up for our creative time.
It might sound strange, but I think that we will never run out of creative energy as long as we are not ignoring that part of ourselves.
Austin Kleon says:
“I dread the end of a project. Day after day, you’re working on this big thing, and suddenly, it’s over. Now what?
I’d like to be a chain smoker when it comes to projects: use the end of the last one to light the next.”
When a project ships, we can use that energy to start a new one (which doesn’t mean you have to have the final idea solidified). Start taking notes, reflect on what went well, doodle, collage – these might spark the next project for you.
How do you tap into your creative reserves?
• Keep an ideas catalog in my Notion (which is where I organize my life)
• Set a timer for 10 minutes & free write every morning!
(I write once in my journal (inward) and then in a Notion page – where I start to synthesize ideas.)
• Free write one day, edit the next (or even later!). It lets the ideas simmer.
• I hide some ideas away and come back to them when you are cleaning and re-organizing.
I feel as a creative, we are in a constant state of output, but we can always come back to our ideas and remember that we have the capability to keep on producing. Don’t let fear get in the way.