Time spent worrying is time spent not creating.

It is time spent not learning, not discovering, not exploring, not pushing your media or yourself.

Worrying about how your piece will look when it's finished (or if it's finished), whether you'll waste materials, whether it will be good enough...

Worrying about whether a piece will prove (or disprove) whether you have "it". Or whether this creativity session is going to result in something fresh and original...

Is time spent not creating.

You can worry.

Worry is always available.

You can worry about why you're not where you used to be or why you're not where you want to be. (Why can't I create work like my favorite painting that I did 30 years ago?)

Is that how you want to use your precious time and energy?

You might want to spend more time in wonder.

I wonder what I can create today?

Right now.

With this new medium?

If I mix this with that?

If I explore a new subject matter?

If I press harder or softer?

If I add more water? Or less?

I wonder what could flow out of me.

I wonder what is possible.

So while worry is always available, so is wonder.

And so is creativity.

(And it doesn't care how old you are.)

Photo by Talles Alves