Inside the mind of a creative

Prepare yourself for a fascinating and brutally honest insight into the mind of a creative. Si Inman, our UK Creative Director shares his take on what his creative team experience day in, day out. You’ll walk away feeling a renewed admiration for creatives, and perhaps a little more empathy.

Creativity is often seen as an effortless flow of ideas, a constant stream of inspiration guiding designers to craft extraordinary work. However, behind every great idea lies an unspoken truth: the paralysing fear born from self-doubt. Experienced by all levels of creatives, it is a formidable barrier. It can manifest in many ways, the fear of not having any good ideas, the anxiety of starting a new project, or the pressure of meeting high expectations.

As designers, we often feel pressure to produce flawless work, believing every avenue explored must result in a great idea. The blank page becomes a symbol of potential failure, a daunting reminder of the possibility of not living up to one’s own standards let alone the expectations of others.

Many designers secretly struggle with confidence, doubting their abilities and thoughts, leading to a nervousness that the next project will expose their perceived inadequacies. Coming straight off a well-received project can further exacerbate this internal battle, adding the expectation that if you nailed the last project, it’s a given you’ll do the same with this one. When you do find ‘the’ idea, then comes the pursuit of perfection.

Creatives may fear starting a project because they worry that their initial ideas won’t be right, leading to endless hesitation and a cycle of self-doubt, or worse, the feeling of harsh judgement from others.

Developmental psychologists even have a term for it, creative mortification – completely losing the willingness to engage in a creative activity brought up by overwhelming self-conscious emotions after getting harsh negative feedback. [1]

Leopoldo Leal, designer, teacher and author, describes the learning cycle. The creative process in graphic design is a journey, which the designer often feels is hell, as anguish and anxiety will always be part of this process; even for experienced designers, this feeling always manifests itself. [2]

Adding to this internal battle is the risk of burnout in busy, high-performing teams. Creative work is mentally demanding, and it’s hard to switch off, especially if the ideas aren’t flowing and the deadline clock is ticking. Prolonged periods of intense creativity can lead to burnout, leaving designers feeling empty, uninspired, and fatigued.

It’s hard to think of another industry where self-doubt and fear run riot the way they do for creatives. You can be riding high one minute, with ideas flowing and concepts coming together, and then suddenly, ‘bam’- something doesn’t feel right. It’s not working anymore, and you sense the self-doubt creeping in.

Creativity is social in nature. Creativity happens in teams and depends on the emotional environment and the nature of interactions with others; clients or colleagues. Key to creativity is the sense of psychological safety, a belief that it is safe to take risks. Importantly, according to research [3] psychological safety is “neither a careless sense of permissiveness, nor an unrelentingly positive affect but, rather, a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject, or punish someone for speaking up.”

So my advice? Accept that the first ideas don’t need to be perfect. Starting, even with imperfect ideas, can break the cycle of procrastination. The process of refining and improving comes later. Being creative is not a 9-5 churn, we’re not machines. It comes in waves and when you do have creative block, don’t be afraid to admit it. Support each other, and have each other’s back.

Talk to other people, you’re surrounded by brilliant, creative minds. And sometimes, just take a step back. Be patient. Take some time away from the studio. Have a cup of tea.

In the end, the journey of creativity is not about eliminating the self-doubt but realising it’s a natural part of the creative process. It shows dedication and accountability. Learn to embrace the vulnerability and uncertainty ahead. The blank page, with all its intimidating emptiness, is merely the start of the creative journey, where the fearful, ultimately become the fearless.