Creativity, Procrastination And The Deadly IBROW Affliction

We all experience forms of minor procrastination every day of our creative lives.

For example, we avoid getting into to our creative projects by “just” going to a make a drink or re-organising our work space, or making sure our pencils are sharpened and our pens are arranged perfectly in colour order.

Though they’re distracting activities, with little real meaningful benefit, they usually last only a few minutes, then we get on with what we really want to be doing: creating.

Often though, a far more damaging and dangerous form of procrastination affects us.

It’s SO cunning that we don’t even know it’s there much of the time. It resonates on a sub-conscious level, gently convincing us that its truth and reality is the only way forward.

It’s called the IBROW affliction.

Nope, nothing to do with those twin fuzzy things just above our eyes.

IBROW stands for “I’ll Be Ready Only When”.

It’s an affliction that hits us not with a fierce, sudden and violent blow, but a slow, stealth-like continuous presence that’s barely detectable.

It doesn’t stop us creating by appearing out of nowhere and instantly snatching all our ideas and motivation.

Instead, it’s always there beneath the surface, slowly smouldering, steadily convincing us that OF COURSE we can create the things we want to create, but not quite yet because the conditions aren’t right.

Why is it so destructive? Because it never disappears.

Like an intelligent highly evolved virus, just when we think we have killed it off it re-emerges even more deadly than before.

For example, you might be a painter.

You have a spare room at the back of your house that you’re planning to convert into a painting studio.

When it’s finished it’ll be wonderful, you’ll be in there from dawn until dusk painting to your heart’s content. You can’t wait for the day it’s finished.

“But can’t you start painting anyway before the studio is ready?” someone asks you.

“No, I’ll be ready only when the studio’s finished. Then everything will be in place and I’ll paint as much as I want”, comes your reply.

Then one day, the studio is finished. All beautifully decorated, and with those new skylight windows letting natural light flood in and bounce around the freshly painted walls.

So, obviously, you race into your new studio and start painting. Don’t you?

“Oh I can’t yet. I’ll be ready only when my new easel has arrived.” Oh, OK.

So the new easel arrives. NOW you rush into your studio and get to work? Er, no.

“I’ve realised the sun actually is too bright in here so I’m getting some blinds fitted to those skylights. I’ll be ready to paint only when they’re in place.”

By the time the blinds are fitted, it’s coming into the dark days of winter. Everything now is perfectly set up in your studio. Isn’t it?

“Yeh it’s fantastic, I can’t wait to get in there and start painting again. I’ll be ready only when the evenings start to get lighter again in the spring though, I can’t paint during the winter…”

Hmm… Can you see the evolving pattern?

Each time the IBROW affliction convinces you that you’ll be ready WHEN a certain set of conditions are met.

And because it sells you this promise that one day soon these conditions WILL be all perfectly in place, you happily accept it and wait patiently.

But then just when you’re getting close, the IBROW affliction kicks in with a new set of circumstances, a new set of conditions that must be met before you’re ready.

And so the cycle repeats itself, becoming more devious each time.

So what’s the cure to this deadly IBROW affliction?

Quite simple really. Grab the creative tools and ideas you have and get out there and create!

There will ALWAYS be some condition or other that isn’t perfect to create under, so just get creating anyway.

The more we learn to create everyday, despite the inevitable pressures and unpredictable twists and turns of daily life, the easier it becomes for us to create.

Instead of forever waiting for the perfect first day of Spring, we get to work creating, come rain, snow or storm, right here right now, in the sweltering heights of summer and the freezing depths of midwinter... It’s the only way.

So, don’t let the deadly IBROW virus take over YOUR creative life. Start preventative measures today and get creating!

:: Share Your Experience ::

What examples of the IBROW affliction can you think of in your life, past and present?

How are you going to learn to recognise it before it does too much damage?

Click the comments link below to share your comments and experiences.