What Do I Do?

October 1, 2012 By 2 Comments

From www.jensartblog.com

One of the sayings that the Queen and I jokingly say when we are confronted with something we must do but have never done before is  ”I’m new, I don’t know what to do!!” – stealing a line from David Spade in the wacky movie Joe Dirt.
Sometimes we’re overwhelmed – well I know I am at least. I get stuck in a rut, not knowing what to do. I remember when my brother’s kids were very young and I just got married – he mentioned not knowing what to do with them, how to play with them, etc.  And I knew exactly what he meant.  We both grew up in a business environment – in my father’s country store. After and before school and during summers, we were always there.  The store for us served as our house more than our house did.  There wasn’t a lot of time to “play” per say, except when things got really boring and quiet with no customers and we’d mull around looking for things to make out of cardboard boxes or tinkering with items in the hardware section.

I sometimes get caught up in my thinking, “stuck” and wondering what to do next.  In my career, wondering and pondering over my options, what they are and how I can provide for a family if I was to follow a completely different direction.  And what direction.  How would I do it?

With my family – my wife and daughter.  Getting creative with problems and issues.  Do I continue to do what we’ve always done or do I work toward uncovering an unknown option?

Volunteering with the 4 year olds at church.  It’s getting near the end and they are restless.  Do I just give ‘em animal crackers and water or do I reach down inside for something that will leave a lasting impression and entertain as well?

I’m an engineer by training and have always tended towards the more “serious” side.  I would kind of push off the idea at times that I could be a “creative”. Having a child certainly helped me with that to a large degree, yet I think we are all more creative than we’d like to believe.   We were created in the image of God after all and He is THE Creator.  I think we have more in us than we know.

Here is a very cool infographic from a post in Copyblogger I think we all could benefit and breathe a sigh of relief from when we think we aren’t able to be “creative”.

Enjoy!

How to Break Out of a Creative Rut
Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

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  • http://cindyhirch.com/ Cindy Hirch

    Michael – great blog and insight.  The two that resonate with me are “worrying about mistakes and being overwhelmed with information.”  I can see where the fear of failure from making a mistake can actually lead someone to not do anything.

    I thought of my husband when you mentioned working with the 4 year old children. He does the same. What he has learned is not always in the trying to be creative, but rather being who he is. It comes out naturally. The kids love him and every week he comes home with a new sticker on his shirt. The stickers are given so they can put them on their own clothing, but it seems he makes a new buddy and they want him to put it on his shirt. I always ask if it’s the same child and every week it’s a new one. He doesn’t go out of his way to be creative it just happens.

  • http://www.threedimensionalvitality.com/ Ann Musico

    Michael – great post and I love the infographic!  My son Matt loaned me a book this weekend called Outliers and while I haven’t read too much I have read enough to know it totally agrees with what you are saying!  Creating and editing simultaneously and not believing in myself are the two I need to stand against most.  Awesome.  Very encouraging way to begin my Monday.