It’s 1850, and a man sits alone at a desk in a dark, cramped room. He’s pale, gaunt, his clothes rumpled like he hasn’t slept in days. There’s a half-empty bottle of rum by his side, and the room smells like old paper and despair. He’s been writing for hours, but none of it’s good. He knows it. The words mock him, laugh in his face like the critics who say he’ll never amount to anything. He rips the page out, crumples it, tosses it to the growing pile on the floor.

That man? Herman Melville. You know, the guy who wrote Moby-Dick, a book that’s now hailed as one of the greatest pieces of American literature. But back then? When he was writing it? Nobody cared. In fact, when it was published, it was a complete flop. A disaster. The critics shredded it, the public ignored it, and Melville sank into obscurity. Spent the rest of his life working day jobs, barely scraping by.

But here’s the thing—Melville never stopped writing. Didn’t matter if anyone was reading, didn’t matter if the world turned its back. He wrote because he had to. Because there was something inside him that demanded to be let out, even if it meant facing failure again and again.

That’s the growth mindset for creatives.

It’s not about winning every time or being the darling of the literary world. It’s about staring failure in the face, shrugging, and saying, “Not today.” It’s about understanding that your work might not land the first time, or the second, or even the fiftieth. But you keep at it. You evolve, adapt, learn from the mistakes, and write again. Growth isn’t glamorous—it’s grinding. It’s Melville hammering away at his next story, knowing full well the world doesn’t give a damn about what he’s got to say. Yet he keeps going, because the real victory is in the persistence.

The Why

Why bother with the struggle? Why embrace failure, rejection, and the slow grind of improvement when it’s so much easier to quit, to stick with what’s comfortable? The answer is simple: because it’s the only way forward. If you want to create something that matters—whether it’s a novel, a painting, or a groundbreaking idea—you have to be willing to evolve. That’s what the growth mindset offers: a way to transform obstacles into stepping stones.

The concept of the growth mindset was pioneered by psychologist Carol Dweck in her research on success and motivation. She argued that people generally operate from one of two mindsets: fixed or growth. A fixed mindset assumes your abilities are static—you either have talent, or you don’t. If you fail, it’s because you’re simply not good enough. The growth mindset, on the other hand, sees failure as part of the process, a necessary step in learning and improving.

But long before Dweck put a name to it, creatives throughout history were living examples of this mindset. Take Vincent van Gogh, who, despite producing over 2,000 artworks, sold just one painting during his lifetime. Or Sylvia Plath, whose now iconic novel The Bell Jar received lukewarm reviews when it first hit the shelves. They kept pushing, kept refining their craft, because they understood that setbacks didn’t define them. Their ability to adapt and grow did.

Creativity isn’t a straight path; it’s a maze with dead ends, detours, and the occasional pitfall. To survive, you have to be willing to learn from every wrong turn. That’s the why of the growth mindset: it equips you not just to survive failure but to thrive because of it. It turns the creative process into a constant evolution, a way to break free from the limitations imposed by your own doubts or external pressures. In the end, the growth mindset is about mastering one simple, powerful truth: you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to keep going.

The How

Alright, so we know the growth mindset is about grit, not glory. But how do you actually do it? How do you turn rejection into rocket fuel and keep creating when the world’s telling you to quit? Here’s the thing—it’s not magic, it’s not some mystical "artist's resilience." It’s practical, almost mechanical, like building muscle. The more you do it, the stronger you get.

Let’s break it down:

1. Reframe failure: Stop seeing failure as a dead end—it’s a detour, a lesson. Each misstep isn’t proof you’re not good enough; it’s feedback. Use it. Like Melville, let criticism sharpen you, not crush you.
2. Set process goals, not outcome goals: Focus on what you can control: the work itself. Set goals around the process—word counts, hours spent, revisions completed—not on external validation. You can’t control whether your work gets praised, but you can control how much you write today.
3. Cultivate curiosity: Stay curious, especially when things aren’t working. Ask yourself, “What if?” What if you tried a new style, experimented with a different voice, or dug deeper into that uncomfortable subject? Curiosity fuels growth—it pushes you to explore new creative territory.
4. Detach from perfection: The myth of perfection kills more creative dreams than anything else. No piece of art is flawless, and that’s the point. Create, revise, improve—but at some point, let it go. Ship it. Imperfect work that’s finished will always beat the perfect work that never sees the light of day.
5. Embrace the slog: Creativity isn’t always sexy. Sometimes it’s boring, repetitive, and exhausting. But that’s where the real work happens—in the grind. Embrace the slog. The more you show up, the more likely you are to create something that matters.

This is the blueprint. Follow it, and you’ll see that setbacks are just part of the process—stepping stones to your next big breakthrough.

Tips and Tricks

When you're in the trenches, cranking out work and battling self-doubt, a few practical strategies can make all the difference. These aren’t magic wands—they’re small, consistent habits that keep the wheels turning even when inspiration feels like it’s run dry.

• Break it down: Big projects can feel overwhelming. Break them into bite-sized pieces—focus on one chapter, one scene, one paragraph. Small wins add up, and momentum is your best friend.
• Create a ritual: Find a routine that signals "it’s time to create." Whether it's making a cup of coffee, lighting a candle, or putting on a specific playlist, rituals help shift your brain into creative mode.
• Embrace constraints: Set boundaries—time limits, word counts, or creative constraints. Paradoxically, limitations can free up your creativity by forcing you to think differently and make decisions faster.
• Step away: Stuck? Walk away. Sometimes the best ideas come when you're not staring at the screen. Take a walk, wash the dishes, let your brain breathe. Creativity often strikes when you’re not looking for it.
• Seek feedback early: Don’t wait until something is “perfect” to show it. Get feedback early, from people you trust. Fresh eyes can help you spot problems and open new doors you didn’t even know existed.

Mistakes to Avoid

No matter how seasoned you are, certain traps can derail your progress. Avoid these, and you’ll save yourself a ton of frustration, burnout, and wasted energy.

• Waiting for inspiration: Inspiration is unreliable. If you wait for it to strike, you’ll spend more time staring at a blank page than filling it. Show up daily, whether you feel like it or not. Momentum breeds creativity, not the other way around.
• Overthinking: Analysis paralysis is real. Don’t get stuck obsessing over every detail before you start. The perfect idea, perfect sentence, or perfect plan? They don’t exist. Act first, polish later.
• Comparing yourself to others: Comparison is the quickest way to kill your creative drive. Your journey is unique, and so is your work. Stop measuring your progress against someone else’s highlight reel.
• Fearing failure: Failure isn’t just part of the process—it’s essential to it. If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing yourself enough. Embrace it, learn from it, and move on. Don’t let fear keep you from experimenting or taking risks.
• Neglecting rest: Burnout is real, and it’s the enemy of creativity. Pushing yourself to the brink might seem heroic, but without rest, your ideas will dry up. Balance work with recovery, and your creativity will thank you.

Show Up, Even When It Sucks

Here’s the part no one tells you: growth is boring. It’s repetitive. It’s showing up day after day, grinding through the same motions while everyone else is out there chasing shortcuts and quick wins. But that’s exactly where the magic happens—in the mundane.

Think of it like this: You’re a sculptor, chipping away at a giant block of marble. Each day, you carve a little more. It doesn’t look like much at first. In fact, it’s mostly dust, and you’re not even sure if you’re doing it right. But if you keep chipping, keep refining, eventually, a shape emerges. Consistency is the chisel.

Every word you write, every brushstroke, every failed attempt—it’s all part of the sculpture. Miss a day, and you lose momentum. Miss a week, and you’ve forgotten what the shape was supposed to be in the first place. The trick? Show up, even when it sucks.

Here’s why consistency matters:

• Momentum builds mastery: Ever notice how athletes train every day, even when there’s no game in sight? They don’t wait for inspiration or motivation—they show up and do the work. Creativity is the same. The more you create, the better you get. It’s not about waiting for the muse to strike; it’s about making space for her every damn day.
• Small wins compound: You’re not trying to write the next Moby-Dick every morning. You’re trying to write one good sentence. One clean paragraph. Consistency compounds. Every small win stacks on top of the last, until suddenly, you’ve got something bigger than you thought possible.
• Routine beats inspiration: Inspiration is a fickle thing. If you’re waiting for it to strike, you’ll spend more time waiting than working. Consistency doesn’t care about inspiration. It’s about training your brain to create on command, turning creativity into a reflex, not a rare event.
• Confidence through repetition: There’s a strange confidence that comes from repetition. The more you show up, the more you realize you can handle the rough days, the blank pages, the times when everything feels like garbage. You’ve done it before; you’ll do it again. Consistency builds resilience.

So yeah, it’s not glamorous. Some days it feels like you’re trudging through mud. But every time you show up, even when it sucks, you’re stacking the odds in your favor. You’re proving to yourself, and to the world, that you’re in this for the long haul.

Because at the end of the day, growth isn’t about giant leaps—it’s about the inches you gain when no one’s watching.

The Dark Art of Self-Sabotage (And How to Break the Spell)

Here’s a dirty little secret no one wants to admit: most of us aren’t defeated by external forces. It’s not the critics, the market, or even the endless rejections that stop us. It’s us. You. Me. Creatives are masters of self-sabotage, weaving intricate spells of procrastination, perfectionism, and self-doubt. We’re like magicians conjuring excuses out of thin air. We say we don’t have time, the idea isn’t ready, or we’ll start when we’re more "inspired." But here’s the truth—you’re not waiting for inspiration, you’re hiding from the grind.

So how do you break the spell? How do you outwit your own worst enemy—yourself? Let’s crack the code:

1. Name your demons: You’ve got to name the thing before you can kill it. What’s your favorite flavor of sabotage? Is it perfectionism? Imposter syndrome? Distraction disguised as "research"? Write it down. Stare at it. When you give it a name, you strip it of its power. It’s no longer some vague, overpowering force. It’s just another problem to solve.
2. Create non-negotiables: Here’s where things get serious. Set non-negotiable rules for yourself. Not vague goals like "I’ll write more." We’re talking hard, inflexible laws. “I’ll write 500 words before checking my phone.” “No Netflix until I’ve revised two chapters.” These aren’t just goals—they’re contracts with yourself. Break them, and you’re cheating your future self out of growth.
3. Make it hard to quit: Want to know the trick to breaking a bad habit? Make it annoying to keep up. If you’re addicted to checking social media, delete the apps from your phone. Leave your charger in another room so you can’t mindlessly scroll while "taking a break." Self-sabotage thrives in comfort zones—destroy yours. Make quitting so inconvenient you’d rather just do the work.
4. Become your own worst critic—before anyone else can be: Here’s a wild idea: criticize yourself before anyone else gets the chance. But do it constructively. Read your draft with ruthless honesty. Tear it apart. Find the flaws, the plot holes, the weaknesses—and then fix them. By the time you’re done, the outside world’s feedback will be nothing compared to the work you’ve already put in. You’re preemptively bulletproofing yourself.
5. Use the two-minute rule: Got a mountain of work? Tackle it two minutes at a time. Start with something so small, so laughably easy, that your brain can’t argue. “I’ll just write the first sentence.” “I’ll sketch for two minutes.” Two minutes turns into ten, ten into thirty, and before you know it, you’re deep in the creative zone. Self-sabotage relies on inertia—break it with tiny, unthreatening steps.

Final Spell: Flip the Script

Remember this: the stories you tell yourself shape your reality. You can either be the hero of your narrative or the tragic figure who sabotaged their own success. Every time you feel that tug to quit, to delay, to escape the hard work, ask yourself: What’s the story I’m writing about myself right now?

Are you the writer who kept pushing when the odds were stacked against you? Or the one who let self-doubt win, sinking into the shadows, unnoticed, forgotten?

You get to choose. Every day. Every moment.

And that’s the real magic.

Mental Models to Help You Leverage the Growth Mindset

The growth mindset isn’t just about grit—it’s about strategy. Here are some mental models to help you harness it:

• Compounding: Small, consistent efforts over time create exponential growth. Keep writing, painting, creating—each effort builds on the last.
• Opportunity Cost: Every time you avoid pushing yourself, you’re losing more than just time—you’re losing growth. Prioritize the activities that will challenge and stretch you creatively.
• The 10,000 Hour Rule: Mastery comes from deliberate practice over time. If you want to excel in your craft, understand that it takes thousands of hours of focused effort. No shortcuts. Every hour spent refining your skills moves you closer to mastery.
• The Law of Diminishing Returns: The more you repeat a task without variation, the less value each repetition has. To grow, you need to push your limits and step into new challenges. Don’t keep doing the same thing—evolve, adapt, and seek fresh ways to improve.
• Ulysses Pact: Commit now to avoid future distractions. Just like Ulysses tied himself to the mast to resist the sirens’ song, make preemptive commitments to keep yourself on track. Set hard deadlines, cut off escape routes, and remove temptations that lead to procrastination.
• Anti-Fragility: Rather than simply enduring challenges, use them to get stronger. Setbacks and failures are not just obstacles—they're opportunities to become more resilient and adaptable. Embrace the chaos, because it’s what makes you grow.

Growth is messy, painful, and often invisible, but it’s also your most powerful tool as a creative. Embrace the struggle, use smart strategies, and keep pushing forward—even when the world isn’t watching. Like Melville, your masterpiece might be a slow burn, but it will be worth every step. Keep creating. Keep growing.