The truth is, you don’t create because you’re scared silly. You’re afraid you don’t have anything original to say. You’re afraid that despite your creative urges, you’re not good enough. You’re afraid that if you share your work with the world, you’ll be exposed as a talent-less loser. How do I know? Have I peeked into the deep recesses of your creative unconscious? No. I know because these are the fears that lurk in every writer I’ve ever coached, myself included.

If you were leaping off from where you are now, what would your Creative leap look like? It may be taking up a new art form or learning a new language. It may be buffing up your resume and quitting your job, or taking steps to launch that new business you’ve been dreaming about. Whatever your leap, no matter how big or small, I encourage you to take it sooner rather than later.

The loud laughter ricochets through the restaurant. A bright red dress seems to shout as it sways on a woman’s hips. The talents of another person are multiple and many. That one friend goes on and on, riffing quickly and widely on all the topics he’s obsessed with. It’s all a bit too much, isn’t it? Shouldn’t these people tone it down? But says who? Who decides what’s the right amount of anything? I’ve been accused of being ‘too much’ all my life. Too loud, too fast, too smart, too multi-talented, too audacious. I’ve never been able to live according to that external standard of ‘just right’.

It would be nice to believe that the life of a creative person is one long, happy adventure. But despite the freedom and satisfaction that can come from working as a creative professional, it’s not all fun. As a coach for writers, entrepreneurs and other creative types, I’ve seen the range of emotions that accompany making something. It’s not always sunny, and frankly, it can get pretty dark in there.

Creativity is not a feel-good, optional quality to cultivate, but our greatest untapped resource that is truly needed in this radically shifting time. I have seen how powerful creative acts can be for personal experience and growth.

As we make our way toward completion of our goals, whether it is writing a book, building a web site, or raising a healthy child, we may forget to pause along the way and refresh ourselves with acknowledgments. What difference does this kind of pause make in our success? More than you would imagine.

In most situations where we are reaching for something new, fear is present. I learned from a wise teacher that we do not get rid of fear before we do something, but that we go into the situation with the fear.