9 reasons why you don't think you're creative

Many people don't realize it but everyone is born creative.

But the older we get the more bad experiences we've had with creativity that lead to thinking we're not creative at all. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

Here are 9 reasons why you don't think you're creative, but you actually are.

1. You tell yourself that you're not creative

Telling yourself over and over again that you're not creative is by far the biggest reason why people think they're not creative. These negative thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies. You make yourself believe you're not creative and you start believing that wholeheartedly.

To break this pattern you can use positive affirmations. Just like you made yourself believe you're not creative you can make yourself believe you are creative. This may sound very easy, but I found this very difficult to do myself.

Every time you catch yourself thinking "I'm not creative" you'll need to change that thought and say "no, I am creative!" By doing this you can make yourself believe you are creative which then leads to also being more creative and doing more creative things.

2. You grew up or work in a place where creativity was diminished

Being in an environment where creativity is diminished can make you very frustrated when it comes to being creative.

For example when you're in an art class and the teacher asks everyone to create some artwork and you use abnormal methods and materials or you paint something differently than what the teacher deemed good or creative you'll start to believe you're not creative, because who better knows if you're creative than the art teacher, right?

3. You're afraid to fail and make mistakes

Many people are taught that failing is bad and it sure does feel bad.

If you make a mistake it'll have massive consequences, but nothing is less true. Making mistakes is a very good way to learn and you'll become way better at something than someone else who has never made a mistake. And more that not you can make mistakes without even having that big of consequences.

So don't be afraid to try something new and different and learn from the mistakes you make along the way.

4. You compare yourself to highly creative people and think you could never be like them

When in school we only here about the most successful creative people who changed the world like Einstein and his relativity theory or what Elon Musk achieved with Tesla.

By comparing yourself to those people you will definitely feel like you're not very creative. But comparing yourself to others is one of the biggest mistakes you can make with anything actually. You will always feel behind and not improving. And you might even be thinking "I will never be able to do that."

Stop comparing yourself to others and start focusing your own progress.

5. You think you need to be an artist to be creative

So many people around me say they're not creative just because they can't draw or they can't play an instrument or something. But creativity itself has little to do with that.

According to Oxford Languages creativity is the use of imaginations and original ideas to create something. However being artistic is more of a craft, something you can acquire by learning new skills.

Many people think they're not creative just because they don't have the skills to craft something, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

6. You're putting too much pressure on yourself to be creative

Putting to much pressure on yourself because you want to be creative actually makes you less creative.

When you put too much pressure on yourself to do something you become very stressed and afraid you'll do it wrong. This happened to me when I wanted to learn how to write articles and I still notice I do it sometimes. Putting so much pressure on myself to learn something new made me want to do it perfectly, but it also made me feel super tired all the time. It took me several months to release some of that pressure and sure enough writing became so much easier and I'd say I definitely have become better at it.

So try not to put so much pressure on yourself to be creative, that'll only make you feel bad.

7. You're afraid people will find you or your ideas stupid

I definitely suffered from this when I studied industrial design. I was so afraid to come up with stupid ideas that my brain just shut down sometimes. I cared too much about what other people would think of my idea, because they were the ones who'd give me a grade for it. But it held me back so much and it made me feel bad and exhausted all the time.

I'd say showing someone one of your stupid ideas is definitely better than always felling bad and tired. And who knows, maybe they're as crazy as you are and your idea will become a success.

8. You're afraid to do things differently

Most people naturally want to fit in and do whatever everyone else is doing just because they don't want to be different. And they will feel even feel physical pain when they don't fit in or are excluded from a group of people.

However when expressing your creativity you'll often go against what most other people do and many of those people don't like that. But doing things differently and being creative also has its upsides: you don't have to live a boring life like everyone else.

Just do whatever you want to. People will dislike you no matter what. You might as well make the best of it.

9. You think creativity is a gift or talent

Many people still think being creative is a gift.

It's not.

Everyone is creative, but most people just don't realize it. You don't have to be an artist to be creative. There are always things in your life you need creativity for and you're already doing them without even noticing it.

Luuk Minkman

Artist, Blogger and Coder

I'm an artist and I draw realistic cars with alcohol markers and colored pencils. I have been doing so for a decade now. On my blog, you can find all you need to know to learn how you can draw realistic cars yourself. I have studied at uni twice and also quit twice to pursue my dream of owning a Porsche 911 and a Ferrari 812. Let's hope this works out🤞. Follow me on Instagram.