Creative Pep Talk #84: Ask for Help

Too often, in our creative lives (and everywhere else), we think we have to go it alone. It’s okay, though, to ask for help, and I tell you why in this short episode.

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Transcript

Please note: This is an unedited transcript, provided as a courtesy, and reflects the actual conversation as closely as possible. Please forgive any typographical or grammatical errors.

Nancy Norbeck [00:00:06]:
Welcome to follow your curiosity. Ordinary people, extraordinary creativity. Here’s how to get unstuck. I’m your host, creativity coach, Nancy Norbeck. Let’s go. As you may know, I’ve been working on a new one on one course and it’s here. Reignite your creative spark is a private coaching program designed to help creative folks build momentum that lasts so they can turn their creative dreams into reality. In 6 private sessions, you will discover how to engage with your creative dreams with ease and joy, feeling both more confident in yourself and your work and more vibrant than you have in years.

Nancy Norbeck [00:00:46]:
Wanna learn more? Use the link in the show notes to get in touch. Talk to you soon. Hello. This is Nancy Norbeck with this week’s Creative talk. And this one is an interesting one because sometimes it seems obvious and sometimes it doesn’t. So I’m here with a little reminder that it is okay to ask for help. Sometimes it’s really easy to fall into the trap because sometimes it’s really easy to just get stuck inside your own head of thinking that you got to do everything yourself. It’s true in every area of life, but it’s especially true when we’re doing creative things because we all think that we have to do it all ourselves.

Nancy Norbeck [00:01:27]:
We think that it’s all gotta be original. I strongly suspect that there is no such thing in 2024 as something that is completely original because everything is influenced by everything else, especially because the Internet is out there, and we are exposed to so many things all the time. But we all think that we’ve got to do it ourselves, that we can’t be influenced by anything else. I know writers who don’t like to read other things because, oh, you know, they they might get little bits of somebody else’s stuff on them, and that might change the way they write. I hate to tell you, but you’ve been influenced your entire life, and being influenced by others’ work is not the worst thing in the world. But, you know, when you get stuck, sometimes all you need is a little bit of perspective from somebody else to get you unstuck again. Sometimes you need somebody to say, you know, you’re stuck inside your own head, and you just need to get out of there for a minute and remind yourself that there’s a world outside your own skull. And take a look out there, see the world from a different point of view for a minute, and suddenly you can figure out what the heck it is that’s wrong with what you were doing in the first place and get yourself unstuck again.

Nancy Norbeck [00:02:42]:
Sometimes you need somebody else to say, oh, the problem is here in paragraph 3, or this color isn’t quite what you need in this spot in this painting, or you know other people can always see things. Right? Especially kids. Kids just seem to have the ability because they come at it without all of the baggage that adults have, and they just know how to look at stuff and and see what doesn’t fit super easily in a way that tends to frustrate adults because because we think we’re smarter and smart is relative. Right? And so they can just point to the thing and say, what’s that? And all of a sudden, well, then we see it too. And, you know, a lot of a lot of creative people are always collaborating and always seeking input from other people. And in that case, this advice seems obvious and not so helpful. And if that’s you, then, you know, you know this already, and and maybe it doesn’t seem as useful. But it’s still a good reminder because you never know when that moment comes when you might get trapped inside your own head.

Nancy Norbeck [00:03:56]:
So, you know, just remember, it is always okay to ask for help. None of us are little lonely creatures who can never ever ever leave our own lonely little rooms where we never have contact with other humans and must do everything in our own insular little ways. Human beings are collaborative and collective and social creatures, and we were born and created to interact. So use that. It’s okay. It’s totally the way we were made to be and to create. Don’t get stuck thinking anything else. So with that, I’ll see you next time.

Nancy Norbeck [00:04:44]:
If this episode resonated with you, or if you’re feeling a little bit less than confident in your creative process right now, join me at the spark on Substack as we form a community that supports and celebrates each other’s creative courage. It’s free, and it’s also where I’ll be adding programs for subscribers and listeners. The link is in your podcast app, so sign up today. See you there. And see you next week. Follow Your Curiosity is produced by me, Nancy Norbeck, with music by Joseph McDade. If you like Follow Your Curiosity, please subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to tell your friends.

Nancy Norbeck [00:05:21]:
It really helps me reach new listeners.