The block isn’t what you think it is

I used to sit at my desk trying to force ideas to appear, and the harder I pushed, the more stuck I felt.

It just made me angry, rather than creatively loose.

The problem was never a lack of creativity, though.

We all have oodles of it, deep down.

The problem was mental interference.

I was so busy worrying about whether my work was good enough, whether anyone would care, and whether I was wasting my time that there was no room for actual ideas to surface.

Scratch that, most mental interference comes from the simple act of wishing we were working when we can’t. It’s that pressure.

Eventually, I learned something counterintuitive and fascinating.

Creative insight comes when the mind relaxes.

Up until that point, I had no idea you could ‘relax’ the mind.

A relaxed mind is one that isn’t trying to make sense of every thought that surfaces.

When you stop the obsessive analysis and let yourself not know stuff for a while, something weird happens. Answers start appearing.

The essay title comes to you in the shower. The solution shows up on a walk.

The answer appears when you’ve written a page of crap and something clicks.

Stress isn’t a badge of honour or some cool thing that protects me.

It’s just a sign we’re too hooked into crappy thoughts.

So, to be more effortlessly creative, more of the time:

• Walk

• Breathe

• Write crap

• Dance

• Be there with enjoyment in the not knowing.

If this grabbed you and you want to master the stress-free mind, this is what I teach in Untethered Mind.

It’s an 8-part course on understanding where stress actually comes from, and how to quiet the mental interference so you can think clearly, create freely, and stop feeling like your own brain is working against you.

Grab Untethered Mind here

“Alex has distilled it all into simple (deceptively simple!) non-complicated sentences, that resonate with anyone who's ever reflected on life! I definitely recommend the course!“ - Gustaf Eriksson, Freelancer

Peace,

Alex