The Seven Deadly Sins For Creatives

© Steve Johnson via Unsplash

Creatives battle their own seven deadly sins—pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth—all manifesting as self-doubt, burnout, and the pursuit of perfection.

As any creative will know, when inspiration is there, ideas flow thick and fast. It seems as if you don’t have enough time, energy or space to explore all the projects that are rapidly coming into your mind. However, when you’ve used up every drop of fuel, it’s bad - really bad. You’re missing the endorphins that flood your bloodstream, urging you to burn the midnight oil in the pursuit of, what you deem, in that moment, to be greatness. 

It’s only when the emails pile up in your inbox and the WhatsApp messages go unread, that you face a stark realisation: you’re exhausted. No amount of energy drinks or walks in nature can reignite the spark you had mere days ago, which we can all find endlessly frustrating. 

There’s a certain irony to be found in me writing this article. You see, I’d been procrastinating writing this article since early last winter (sorry to neun’s editor!). I set out to write it to flex my creative muscles, stepping away from my usual music journalism and delving into a more literary piece. However, my fear of writing something not good enough to be published meant that I pushed this piece down on my list of things to do, swallowing the bile in my throat whilst doing so. 

I wondered - amongst imposter syndrome, procrastination and burnout, which other things hold creatives back? What deadly sins are faced by creatives, and how can they impact our artistic practice? 

By taking the non-religious meaning of the seven deadly sins and twisting them to relate to the creatives, I found solace in knowing that my struggles have happened to those who have battled with them before me, and they will persist decades to come.

© Steve Johnson via Unsplash

Why can't I do that? Is my work not good enough? Am I not eloquent enough?

Pride: Over-confidence in your abilities

We’ve all been there, over-promising and under-delivering. Whether that’s setting an overly ambitious deadline or pitching an idea that you simply can’t execute as a one-man band, it’s so incredibly common that, in the pursuit of compensation for our work, we start responding to callouts for anything and everything. When you’re on your tenth pitch of the day, it’s easy to start feeling desperate. Merely being accepted onto any paid job is a win in our books. That is, until you reach the point where you have to send an awkward email, asking for mercy in an extended deadline or a million questions that were never answered in the original press release. 

Greed: Overcommitting to projects

On the note of pitching, which often feels like a thankless task, I like to compare it to the bus irony. You spend forever waiting for a bus, and then two come along. Pitching is like that, but instead of buses, it’s work offers. It can be incredibly difficult to know which projects to accept and which to pass on, especially when freelance work is so unpredictable. That’s why many creatives will accept nearly every opportunity that comes their way in the hopes of securing a steady stream of income (that, without fail, dries up by the time we reach the New Year). 

Wrath: Uncomfortable feedback

One thing we learnt in my Journalism lectures is to understand that feedback is always meant to improve your work. However, particularly in the early days of your career, when every piece of work feels like you’re ripping out a piece of your soul and weaving it into every brushstroke, every letter, every click of the camera shutter, feedback cuts deep. I’ve grown to understand and accept that feedback is constructive, designed to make me the best writer I can be, but I fear that part of me will always feel the sting of opening a document and seeing red pen scrawled across the page. It takes me back to being a young child - I was always a sensitive soul - and feeling my stomach drop when peeking at a lacklustre maths grade. 

Envy: Why can’t I do that?

In a class full of budding journalists, it’s hard not to draw comparisons between yourself and those around you. Now, I’m no traditional artist, so I can’t say I’ve ever felt comfortable in an art studio, however, I can vividly imagine the feeling of looking over a friend's shoulder and seeing sheer beauty on their canvas, glancing back at your work and feeling wholly inadequate. The seven deadly sins derive from Catholicism, and despite my sceptical views, I feel that the words of Proverbs 14:30 ring true, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Having been both the envious and the envied in different situations, the pain on both sides of this coin is equally troubling. 

© Emily Jordan

Museums and art galleries have become a place where I can go to enjoy creative work without a fear of competition.

Lust: An idea never realised

Perhaps this is one of those sins that is non-specific to creatives. Everyone has that one dream, that one idea in the back of their mind that they’re just waiting to pursue. It’s the itch that can’t be scratched, the vision that can’t be realised. I try to live my life through the motto ‘never say never,’ however, with a lack of time, resources and energy, it’s hard not to feel disheartened by having to accept that your life’s goal may never come to fruition. At only 22, I found myself bitter and jaded already, but I hope that I’m proven wrong and that I will see that ultimate dream blossom into a perfectly realised version of itself.

Gluttony: Pursuit of the ‘perfect’ craft

Community has always been the most prominent pillar of any creative medium, thus it is so incredibly important not to neglect your friendships whilst being in the throes of pursuing your perfect craft. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I’d argue that it takes just that much to bring a project to life. Every film set is full to the brim with directors, runners, actors, catering, and the like, and if even just one of those turning cogs were to vanish, the whole clock would stop ticking. Thus, keep your loved ones close, as they are the ones you need to lean on when times in this dynamic industry are tough. 

Sloth: Burnout

The joys of burnout. I remember being in the depths of my undergraduate marketing degree and struggling a lot with managing so many spinning plates. I was told that university was a step up, but I don’t think I quite grasped that until it was too late. I was waiting for the penny to drop, and by the time it did, a whole pound had fallen instead. My suggestion: You need to find outlets outside of your ‘main’ craft to explore. It sounds awfully cliché, but clichés are clichés for a reason. Whether it be a sport (my worst nightmare), reading, dancing, or anything that brings you joy. It’s also particularly important not to feel guilty pouring your time into passions outside of your career, as they can be equally fulfilling in different ways. 

© Rhonda K via Unsplash

Finding fulfilment outside your craft is deeply important.

I started this outro by pondering whether I spent too long considering the intricacies of this lengthy comparison, but I realised that I needed to take my own advice and accept that writing this piece (the first draft all in one sitting, may I add) has brought me immense satisfaction. Seeing my idea come to life by just tapping away on my keyboard in the library for just over an hour has reminded me that I can create things, and I can create them well. Will I put off writing another literary piece for three months? - Who knows! But if I can do this, then you can, too.