Tips for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety for Creatives (and Humans Too)

Create a Safe Ritual to Start the creative process

Author - Douglas Paul Smith

Douglas Paul Smith is the founder of House of Flow and an experienced artist coach who has spent over 15 years empowering artists to unlock their creative potential. With a deep background in visual arts, meditation. and contemplative arts practices, he helps artists overcome creative blocks and transform emotional challenges through the creative process. Douglas is the author of The Infinite Artist and has taught courses on creativity, flow, and overcoming anxiety. His experience as a visual artist includes exhibitions in museums and galleries worldwide, and his unique approach blends Eastern philosophy with modern artistic practices to guide artists on a journey of self-discovery and growth.

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General Advice for Artists

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April 12, 2025

Table of Contents

Because Sometimes Just Starting Feels Like Wrestling a Bear Made of Doubt

Fear and anxiety are the unofficial co-managers of every creative life. The trick is not banishing them forever (spoiler: you can’t), but learning how to do your weird, beautiful work anyway.

Here are some tried and true tips for overcoming fear and anxiety so you can keep on keeping on as a creator and a human.

1. Fear Is Not the Enemy. It’s Just… Misguided.

Fear wants to help. It’s like an overprotective grandmother, yelling “DON’T GO OUTSIDE, IT’S DANGEROUS” while you’re trying to make a drawing of a squirrel in a teacup.
It’s trying to save you from embarrassment, rejection, or (worst of all) your own vulnerability.

But creativity requires vulnerability. Which means: fear shows up. Every time. You’re not broken—you’re just in the arena.

2. Tip: Give Your Anxiety a Name (And Maybe a Hat)

Seriously. Try calling it something like Gonzo the Panic Ferret or Sir Shrieksalot. Draw it. Give it a theme song.

By turning your anxiety into a character, you create distance. Remember: You are not your fear. You’re the artist with the talking ferret. Much cooler.

3. Create a Safe Ritual to Start

Rituals are like safety nets for your creative brain.
Try this combo:

Light a candle (bonus points if it smells like confidence and rebellion).
Set a timer for 15 minutes—just 15.
Say something dramatic like, “I am now entering the creative portal. Leave your gremlins at the door.”
Begin. Badly, if necessary.

Momentum beats perfection. Every. Single. Time.

4. Perfectionism = Fancy Fear in a Tuxedo

“I just want it to be really good.”
Translation: “I’m terrified it won’t be.”
Perfectionism isn’t noble. It’s just fear pretending to be high standards.

The cure?
Make bad stuff. On purpose. Sketch messily. Write nonsense. Dance like your camera is on. You’ll be amazed how often joy and originality live inside the mess.

5. Move Your Body, Save Your Brain

Stuck in the anxiety loop? Your nervous system needs a reset. Try:

A fast walk with angry music
Shaking like a cartoon character who just saw a ghost
Five minutes of lying flat on the floor, dramatically

Anxiety often needs to be moved, not solved. Get physical. Then get back to your art cave.

6. Tip: Fear Is Loudest Right Before a Breakthrough

This one’s annoyingly true.
When the resistance feels extra intense, chances are you’re on the edge of something big—maybe even something honest. And honesty is what art is made of.

So the next time your brain screams, “DON’T DO IT,” try whispering back:
“Oh… so I should do it, huh?”

7. Lower the Stakes (Because No One’s Watching as Closely as You Think)

Make “just for me” pieces.
Tiny creative scraps no one will ever see.
A haiku on a napkin. A sketch of a potato ballerina. A song sung into your phone at 2am.

This is how you trick your fear into taking a nap—by convincing it nothing serious is happening. Meanwhile, you’re secretly building confidence, skill, and soul.

8. Talk to Someone Who Gets It

Whether it’s a coach, therapist, or fellow weirdo-creator friend, don’t carry your fear solo. Creative anxiety loves isolation. So drag it into the light.
Share the weird thoughts. (“What if I’ve peaked?” “What if my best idea was a raccoon wearing Crocs?”)
Chances are, someone else has been there—and made something great anyway.

9. Anxiety Is Boring. Curiosity Is Better.

Anxiety says: “What if I fail?”
Curiosity says: “Ooooh, what happens if I try this?”
Anxiety fixates. Curiosity experiments. The fastest way out of a fear spiral? Get curious. Try, tweak, tinker, repeat.

Because creativity isn’t about having the answers. It’s about playing with the questions.

10. You’re Not Alone. You’re Just Awake.

Fear and anxiety are signs you care. They mean you’re trying something brave, something real.
If you were numb, you wouldn’t be creating.
So when fear shows up, say: “Hey buddy, I see you. But I’ve got stuff to make. You can ride in the backseat, but you’re not driving.”

Feeling the fluttery dread of a new project? The icy paralysis of “what if it’s awful”? The existential crisis of “who even AM I as an artist?”
You’re in good company. And you can still make brilliant things.

If you need a creativity coach who speaks fluent Fear and has danced with Anxiety many times, come find me on the Artist Coaching page.

We’ll tame the panic ferrets together.