The Heels

Heel: A storyline antagonist in professional wrestling.

I tell people to use their own passions to frame things in a way that energises and motivates them. John Cena, the ultimate ‘babyface’ – a hero or ‘goodie’ in wrestling – sold his soul in the TV story. The drama and shock of it reminded me why I adore the theatre so much.

I also took nerdy pleasure from a section within my creativity coaching, helping clients to identify the most dastardly ‘heels' in their creativity's ecosystem.

Procrastination

Perfectionism

Jealousy

Comparison

Burnout

Rejection

Fear of Failure

Comfort (creative or financial)

Subservience

We’ve all encountered most, if not all of them, and there are myriad couplings or group dynamics amongst them at any given time.

Procrastination. What are you refusing to face? Running from? Evading? Denying?

Perfectionism. The enemy of big ideas and progress.

Jealousy. Pointless in a subjective realm. Get inspired, but don’t desire.

Comparison. Thief of joy. Each human has an utterly unique story and lived experience. It is arguably the best asset in your creative arsenal.

Burnout. We have to learn to manage our energy flow, know when something is draining, and be brave enough to move towards the more nourishing use of our minds and skills.

Rejection. Inevitable. Next.

Fear of failure. It happens, a lot. That’s a good thing. What’s the lesson and how can we use it to get better?

Comfort. A degree of risk is essential in the creative process. Jeopardy needn’t be sharp-edged.

Subservience. Question. Push back. Demand better.

Keep a list of these bastards on the wall, visible, and stay alert. They’ll don the brass knucks and bloody your creativity the moment your back is turned.