Episode
27: The Creativity Fantasy that Keeps You From Working
- Podcast
- Create the Work of Your Life
- Published
- Apr 29, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1487
- Processing state
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Summary
You don't feel like creating today. Maybe you're dragging your feet. Maybe the idea that felt exciting last week feels heavy now. Maybe you've been telling yourself you'll start when you feel more ready, more inspired, more like a real artist. This episode is about that feeling — where it comes from, why it gets louder the closer you get to your real work, and what to do instead of waiting for it to go away. Jordan shares why she published only seven podcast episodes in two years and three months — not for lack of ideas, but because of the creativity fantasy: the belief that creating is supposed to feel like flow, passion, and ease. And the way that fantasy quietly keeps artists from making the work they most want to make. In this episode: What the creativity fantasy actually costs you — and the math that makes it undeniable. Why resistance gets louder the closer you get to your real work (and what's actually driving it) What Chuck Close and Twyla Tharp both understood about showing up without waiting to feel inspired Why making the stakes too high is one of the most common ways artists stop themselves before they start. The reframe that changes everything: your worst created piece is infinitely more valuable than your best uncreated one. If you've ever: Convinced yourself you needed one more thing before you could begin Told yourself you'd go to the studio tomorrow Wondered if real artists struggle the way you do — this episode is for you. Mentioned in this episode: The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp Chuck Close on inspiration and showing up Work with Jordan + David: The Create Anyway Collective (CAC) is a six-month high-touch mentorship program for visual artists who are ready to stop waiting and start creating a cohesive body of work — ready to show, share, and sell.…