The Secret to a Consistent Creative Practice: Self-Forgiveness
Your success as an artist and creative has nothing to do with talent. It isn’t only about discipline either. I would argue the biggest part is about self-forgiveness.
I listened to an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert a few years ago, where she said something in the context of:
Having a consistent creative practice is about self-forgiveness. It’s about forgiving yourself for the crap you created the day before.
After spending many, many years not doing something creative because I thought I sucked, her idea definitely resonated with me. And I’ve kept that with me ever since I heard it.
But self-forgiveness works on other aspects as well. Especially if you’re not as consistent as you would like to be or haven’t created anything in a while.
It worked wonders for me when I wanted to get back into creating three years ago. It might help you, too.
Below, you’ll find a video where I’m talking about self-forgiveness in the context of creating a consistent creative practice. You’ll also find these ideas expanded on and tailored for artivists in the text below.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Letting Go of the Guilt of “Not Creating Enough”
Have you ever told yourself:
I should be making more
I should be further along by now
I’ve wasted too much time
We all do this. We feel guilty when we don’t create as much as we think we “should”. But guilt doesn’t make art. Curiosity does.
When we judge ourselves for not creating enough, we make it even harder to start again.
Creativity thrives in joy, not shame. Instead of focusing on what you haven’t done, focus on what’s possible right now.
Your sketchbook, your canvas, your creative practice, it doesn’t hold grudges. It’s always there, ready when you are.
And, please, remember that your art matters. Your voice and story matter. Your art, as an artist who wants to create artivism (art for activism and social change), matters. So let go of the guilt of not creating “enough”, practice some self-forgiveness, and just start where you’re at right now.
Progress is Messy, and That’s Okay
We often think of progress as a straight, linear, steady line. But creativity doesn’t work that way. Life doesn’t work that way.
Some days, everything flows. On other days, nothing works. And sometimes, you’ll go weeks or months without creating at all. That doesn’t mean you’ve lost your spark or skills or your message.
Creativity is cyclical: It ebbs and flows, just like energy, seasons, and life. The sooner we accept that, the easier it is to trust the process.
A “bad” day in your creative practice is still a day spent creating. Ugly art is still art. And every day spent creating, no matter how “good” or “bad” they are, are helping you develop your skills, hone your voice and message, and help you come closer to the artivism you’re proud of.
Even if you step away for a while (because, sometimes, life just happens), and don’t create anything for a period, you can always come back whenever you’re ready and feel called to it.
The Most Important Thing is to Keep Returning
It doesn’t matter if you miss a day, a week, or even a year. What matters is that you come back.
The fear of “starting over” is one of the reasons we often have trouble returning to our practice. Trust me, I know. It took me years to get back to creating.
But here’s the truth: you’re never really starting over. All the things you made before your hiatus are still things you made.
It’s like riding a bike. You might be a bit rusty at first, but you’ve already learned the skills in the past and just need a refresher, a “test drive”, to get back into the flow of things.
Also, every time you return, you bring new experiences, new perspectives, and new energy into your work. You don’t have to “catch up”. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to return whenever you’re ready.
And when you do, you’ll remember why you started in the first place.
Final Words
A consistent creative practice isn’t about showing up every single day. It’s about showing up when you can and forgiving yourself when you don’t.
So if you’ve been feeling stuck, or guilty, or afraid to return to your art… This is your permission to begin again. Not that you need my permission, but I’m giving it to you anyway.
Start slow, without judgment, and see where it takes you. It might actually be a great adventure.
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