An embarrassment of riches...that leave us poor

Art by Brian Lee O’Malley
featuring Scott Pilgrim

Life is so rich in possibilities: there's the latest, coolest party, tons of opportunities to investigate, social media that begs to be interacted with, and so much more.  No matter which way we turn our head or where we look, there's always something new and interesting to explore.

But if we want to be creative, we need to start saying "No."

This is especially true for artists and creatives: there is always something to distract us from the hard work, the struggle. It's as if there's a never-ending supply of "get out of jail free" cards on our desks saying, "Yes, you can escape the pain of creating."

But there is little to no reward on the other side, because you show up with nothing to show. You didn't pay the price for your freedom, so now it turns into a bottomless free fall (but it feels great, doesn't it ;-) ).

Success comes from saying "No" to the distractions and committing to the pain. If there is only the project before you - warts and all - you'll be forced to struggle with it until it's completed.

Saying "No" to distractions is committing to the hard work. It's the only way to say "Yes!" to your creation.

Once you've completed the work, you can show up at that party and interact on social media with something worthwhile, something that others can say "Yes!" to as well.