“Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression.”
– ISAAC SINGER
You have this amazing creative idea, and you can already see the vision of it crystal clear in your mind. This vision gets you really excited, and you start working on it. But as you move forward, you might already notice that the form your creation takes varies from your vision. It deflates you because, deep inside, you might already know that the outcome will not have the greatness of your vision. Please don’t give up so fast! That’s completely normal.
The term ‘creative gap’ describes the difference creatives (artists, scientists, business people, copywriters, etc.) can feel and see between what they have visualized and what they are actually able to bring to life.
At some point in our education, most of us were told that being creative is a talent we either have or do not have. (Don’t believe this!) That’s why so many of us get really frustrated when we don’t produce the work we imagine in our heads. But we wouldn’t expect to take a basketball and hit the basket constantly without practicing, right? Why do we often expect this from creative endeavors like building a business, taking photographs, or painting? Just like in sports (and with everything worthwhile), we need to practice, practice, and practice. Sometimes the outcome will feel good and there will only be a thin line between your vision and reality, while on other projects the gap will still feel enormous. That’s part of the creative process. You might not perceive your evolution while you are in the middle of the process, but looking back, you will notice that you evolve with every project.
Don’t let the creative gap demotivate you! The fact that you can visualize your ideas so well also means that you have the potential to bring them to life. Just keep creating!
