behind the scenes: on creative paralysis

Sometimes I forget why I do this…posting recipes and sharing about eating a plant-based diet.

As I shared here, it often feels like I don’t have the time it takes to develop, test, photograph and write up recipes.

And then there’s the paralysis. You’ve heard of writer’s block…well, I’ve discovered it has a companion that reaches all the way back to the recipe development stage. I get an idea for a recipe or come across one that I want to adapt and then before I even bother to reach for ingredients, I psyche myself out of it, because images of recipe fail and wasted ingredients flash before my eyes. It’s the impending waste that bothers me most.

Compounding that is negative internal dialogue which includes phrases such as “this isn’t really your original creation anyway,” and “other food bloggers are much better/more creative/more committed to eating vegan than you, ” or the clincher for any blogger, “who is going to read this anyway.”

Sigh.

I share all this because in an online world, where it’s easy to make things all spiffed up and just so, it’s easy to convince others that you have it all together. Well, I don’t and I see the damaging effects of living in a Pinterest Facebook world in my own life and the lives of others.

I have an inkling this may become a series. A look at what goes on behind the happy shiny pages. Because as good as it feels to post something beautiful, it also feels good to post the ugly.