EntreCreate

Why Carving Out Time to Create Buffers the Headwinds of Entrepreneurial Challenges

At the core of every entrepreneur is the desire to create. That desire pulls and tugs. Sometimes this force is gentle, but not withstanding, it is relentless. One can only go so long ignoring the itch to create and eventually, we are compelled to give it heed. It can become a habit to ignore creativity completely and give our attention to ways we want to build the business, especially if you aren’t prone to label yourself the “creative type”.

Creativity lives inside all of us and as this force never goes away, it can build into a resistance if it is not tended to. And this resistance can spill into all areas of life. It can become the type of resistance that fuels stress. For us to move forward towards leading a life worth living, it’s important to attune to this creative force and activate it in all areas of our lives.

For this very reason, I would like to shed light into why scheduling solitary daily creative sessions can be one of the best ways to increase your happiness and reduce stress. Here are some reasons why:

Entrepreneurs have to create.

Creativity is the gateway to personal flourishing for entrepreneurs because it is within this process that entrepreneurs access flow state, “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter”(Csikszezntmihalyi, 1990). Flow is found in those moments when time seems to be at a standstill.

There are no feelings of drudgery and obligation present because you want to be in that moment doing whatever it is you’re doing. For me, I feel this way when I’m biking or involved in what Cal Newport calls, “Deep Work” (Newport, 2016). My creativity often flows when I am all-in on a particular activity, with a specific desired outcome I want to achieve during that activity. Perhaps you find flow through musical instruments or artistic endeavors. Whatever it may be, the outcomes of your own creative flow should leave you feeling a deeper connection to yourself. Creativity brings about flow. Flow brings about further creativity, happiness and productivity (Csikszezntmihalyi, 1990). If this is the case, and I have found that it is, it’s true that entrepreneurs have to create.

Entrepreneurs must live in their creative integrity.

An entrepreneur’s unique business idea, their lightbulb moment, is the genesis of their creative vision for their business. But building a business and a dream-life is not a static process. If entrepreneurs don’t live in their integrity of their creative strengths, they are suffering.

When I started my second start up, I found myself consistently having to put out fires. Tending to these stressful events, I found myself consumed with anxious energy. My confidence as an entrepreneur was wobbly. To make matters worse, my personal life was suffering as well. I knew I had to create space in my mind to re-imagine and dream a better future for myself and my family. Nothing feels more unsatisfying than having built a business worth being proud of, only to end the day feeling semi-defeated and burned out.

A turning point for me was when I began scheduling time for mental amusement. Dreaming and envisioning ways to achieve these dreams was fun. It left me feeling hopeful, energized, and connected to my strengths. Being in this playful creative space helped me feel separate from the all- consuming challenges of running a business.

The entrepreneur who feels purpose in creating change, takes pride in building big dreams.

While the journey of entrepreneurship has been difficult and taxing at times, I feel a deep sense of pride and fulfillment in what I’ve been able to create thus far in my life. And I look to the future with excitement as I know it will be filled with creating positive change. If asked in the midst of my most stressful seasons if I felt a hopeful eagerness for my future in entrepreneurship, I think there would’ve been some hesitancy in my response. I was focused on business strategies and improvements without giving any acknowledgement to the creativity that had silently carried me through building my businesses.

As soon as I threw out the idea that there was no room for creativity in an entrepreneur’s world and gave it the space and time it deserved, I found that excitement all over again. I felt pride in my creations rather than a pit in my stomach and a mental list of all the things that could go wrong.

The entrepreneur who yields to their creativity connects with their vision.

The attention I was giving to my creative side was igniting the purpose in my projects and I believe that is what fuels the entrepreneur from the inside out. When there’s a sense of purpose in your plans, an entrepreneur is not afraid to visualize themselves creating something bigger than they previously thought possible.

I, for example, did not set out to write a book. When I began this journey, I didn’t think twice about the correlation between creativity and entrepreneurship. I certainly didn’t realize how an understanding of Positive Psychology could shift an entrepreneur's trajectory for the better. But as I began seeking out my purpose, listening to the yearning within to finally live my Good Life, I felt a pull to find, follow, and create the audacious dreams and goals I had mentally set aside for someone else to find, follow and create. Truly, an entrepreneur who feels purpose in creating change, takes pride in building big dreams.

The entrepreneur who carves out time for creation FINISHES.

Utilizing your time in the name of creativity induces positive emotions, such as enthusiasm, joy and inspiration. These positive emotions translate into energy that allows you to pursue your work in a way that helps you to persevere through challenges. With that said, I’ve talked about creating space and time for creativity and the rewards one receives when they do.

Speaking for the entrepreneur as an entrepreneur, I already know the big question and that is “when?” With meetings and deadlines and the feeling that there is never enough time in the day, when will I find the time? It certainly takes some prioritization and self-mastery, but there is always time to create when you see its value and importance in your everyday life.

For this reason, I’ve designed a daily practice I’ve lovingly named a “DeepThrive Session”. Within these sessions, your focus is on creation and creation only. There’s a reason I put Entrecreate near the beginning of my book, it sets the groundwork for so many of the Eight Entrethrive Laws.

The entrepreneur who connects with their creative strengths lives in their integrity.

Living in your integrity as an entrepreneur means ridding yourself of the weight of the judgements and critical opinions of others. Freeing yourself from these unhelpful judgements is a cognitive practice, one that takes intentional measures on the entrepreneur's part.

Begin by allowing your big dreams to be the driving force of your efforts. A dream is the beginning of something great, right? But how often do we think up a grand idea only to choke at the starting line? Shame and doubt seep into our mind telling us “That idea you’re so excited about? Yeah, people won’t like it. You’ll be judged. They’ll tell you to come back down to reality.” Is that partially true? Sure, people might think your idea is far-fetched. But does that really matter? Absolutely not. If every entrepreneur caved into shame, entrepreneurship might just die off completely. Shame is the enemy of creation.

Brene Brown, self-proclaimed shame researcher has some of the best insights on this subject. “Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change” (Brown, 2007). And might I also add ...the very part of us that believes we are capable of creating change.

Connecting with our creativity requires connecting with ourselves. As I mentioned before, an intentional Deep Thrive Session every morning has the potential to fill the gap between you and your creativity. It’s a means of unlocking the energy and excitement for what’s to come that day, good or bad. Setting aside this time is not indulgent, it’s imperative. As a disclaimer, it’s not to say your difficult days are forever a thing of the past, no. But those days filled with burnout and intense worry will be fleeting feelings with no control over your resilience and perspective. Leaning into your creativity as an entrepreneur is perhaps the most liberating thing you could do for yourself.

Co-authored by Brinley Marcum

References:

• Brown, B. (2007). I thought it was just me: Women reclaiming power and courage in a culture of shame. New York, Gotham.

• Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2002). The concept of flow. Handbook of positive psychology, 89, 105.

• Newport, C. (2016). Deep work: rules for focused success in a distracted world. Grand Central Publishing.

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