I was talking, recently, to an artist friend who was experiencing some frustration about his creative life. His big issue was that he felt like his projects weren’t moving fast enough. He expressed a desire to have the artistic life of a friend.

 
I’ve had those thoughts, too. “If only my ________ (work, life, career) was as easy as hers / his things would be _________ (better, smoother, more fun).” This envy thing is a trap based on a myth.

Since it’s impossible to switch lives with people, it’s a waste of time to focus on someone else’s circumstance. It’s a distraction – that’s the trap. Your envy is based on what you’re making up about the other artist. That’s the myth. There’s no way to know what that person is really managing (positive or negative).  
 
I’ve got a very good life and an abundant creative career. And, inside, I have moments of panic and frustration like everybody else. There are times when the project I’m working on won’t go fast enough, or I can’t make the world bend to my imagination. I want to dictate how it all unfolds – and that’s impossible.
 
Part of the joy of being an artist is that I get to experiment. Each project is NEW! No matter how many plays I’ve written, the next play is a brand new thing. Maybe I figured out how to write the last one, but this one has its own challenges and issues. Each time I dare to design something else, I’m starting again.
 
There’s joy and freedom in that. Or there can be.
 
Yes, it’s good to feel accomplished – to trust that I can make good work – successful art.  And it can be freeing to stare at the blank page. It’s like facing a new day – a new chance at creating something that never existed before.
 
Every artist, no matter how famous, does what she does one moment at a time – for writers, one word at a time. We can complain that we have to start over or we can lean into the possibility that starting again can be refreshing. No project lasts forever, so it’s inevitable that, if you’re going to continue making stuff – you’ll have to start fresh. You might as well embrace it and celebrate it.
 
From that place, we can affirm that our work is evolving. The steps, the challenges, the struggles are part of it. Even though it may look like someone else has it easier – there’s no way to know what the trade offs would be if you could switch places. You’ve walked a path that has given you powerful experiences. You’ve made art from those experiences. It’s who you are.
 
I hope my friend finds a way to appreciate how his journey brought him to where he is. He has insights and wisdom from past experience which makes it possible to head toward the future. Though I might be curious about someone’s life – I wouldn’t trade mine. I’ve achieved so much. I’ve learned so much. And I want to build on that.
 
What about you? How do you navigate starting over in your creative life?

 
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