How to Befriend Your Creative Resistance
An open letter to procrastinators, imposters, and creative misfits
Wide Open Road, image by Clifford Jones
If you’ve ever wanted to make something—write a story, draw a comic, start a YouTube channel, build something extraordinary—and somehow didn’t, then this letter is for you.
My letter is for the ones who think they’re too lazy, not talented enough, or just “not creative like that.”
Spoiler: you are. You’re just bumping into the same thing every artist and creator faces. Even those who are the most admired and highest paid.
It’s called resistance.
“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” - Abraham Lincoln
Let’s Name the Thing
Resistance is that invisible wall between your idea and your action. You’ve probably felt it: that voice in your head that says, “This isn’t good enough,” “You’ll mess it up,” “Try again tomorrow,” or the classic, “Why even bother?”
In his book The War of Art, Steven Pressfield calls it “Resistance with a capital R.” It’s the force that keeps creators from creating—not because they don’t care, but because they care so much it gets scary.
Elizabeth Gilbert describes it in Big Magic as fear trying to keep us safe—safe from failure, embarrassment, and judgment. She says fear can ride in the car but doesn’t get to touch the wheel.
Resistance can manifest in a million ways: procrastination, perfectionism, doomscrolling, comparing oneself to others, and talking oneself out of one's own dreams.
It’s sneaky like that.
The Science Behind It
Psychologists say resistance is a survival reflex. Your brain wiring avoids risk and discomfort—even if that risk is the fear of not doing something perfectly.
So when you sit down to create, your brain panics a little: What if we’re not good enough? What if people judge us? What if we fail?
That’s not laziness. That’s fear in disguise.
But here’s the truth: resistance is a sign that you’re on to something meaningful. It shows up because what you’re about to do matters.
That’s a great sign once you know how to shift your awareness into a higher gear.
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
So What Do We Do About It?
That’s where my method comes in. I call it the Clarity S.H.I.F.T. Method℠. It’s not about fighting resistance or pretending it’s not there. It’s about working with it—one step at a time.
Let me break it down:
S – Self-Awareness: The first step is noticing when resistance shows up. Is it when you sit down to write, when you open your sketchbook, or when you think about sharing your idea? Be honest with yourself. You can’t shift what you don’t see.
H – Higher Understanding: Understand where resistance is coming from. Fear. Self-doubt. The pressure to be perfect. When we see it clearly, we stop thinking we’re the problem. We realize resistance is normal—and it has a purpose. But it doesn’t get to be in charge.
I—Introspection: Ask yourself: What am I feeling? Why am I hesitating? What do I believe about myself in this moment? Being curious (not judgmental) helps us break through surface-level excuses. You must become the observer of yourself.
F – Focused Intention: What do you want? Not what your fear says. Not what someone else expects. What do you want to create, explore, and express? Set that as your compass. See it. Believe in it. Trust that you will learn more tomorrow.
T – Transformation (aka Transcendence): This is the magic part. When you move through resistance—not around it—you change. You grow. You shift. That feeling when you finish something hard or make something you didn’t think you could? That’s transformation. That’s the real win.
Transcendence is lifting your awareness, your God-given consciousness, to a higher level. It’s a universal gift to humanity. We’re the only animals roaming the planet with this gift, and most of us never find or open the package.
You’re Not Alone
Every creative person you admire has faced resistance—authors, artists, solopreneurs, and even viral TikTok creators.
In The Creative Act, Rick Rubin writes that making something real often requires stepping into the unknown, which means wrestling with doubt repeatedly.
But here’s what makes the difference: they didn’t wait for the fear to disappear. They acted anyway.
And you can, too.
Start small. One sentence. One sketch. One honest attempt. You don’t have to be fearless. You have to begin where you are.
And when resistance shows up (because it will), remember:
You’re not broken.
You’re not alone.
You’re a creator.
And you know how to S.H.I.F.T.
The world needs you and your ideas. We need your weird. We need you.
Keep creating by making resistance your friend.
I’m an author, visual artist, brand builder, and long-time strategic small business guide. As the founder of BrandEquityPlaybook.com, I empower conscious solopreneurs, professionals, and small business owners to S.H.I.F.T. their brands and stories into higher gear.