Seth’s The Practice: “11. Creativity is an Action, Not a Feeling”

Action must precede feeling, when necessary.

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Chapter 11: Creativity is an Action, Not a Feeling

Notes

We can’t always control our feelings, but we can always control our actions.

Work must not be dependent on how we feel (it’s too important), but acting can change how we feel.

Trust the process.

Thoughts

This is another angle on the question of inspiration. Instead of waiting to be in the mood, or inspired, or ready, or whatever, the idea is to commit to the process regardless of how you feel, with the possibility that this action will lead to that mood or inspiration or whatever.

I don’t think we have to ascribe to the (apparently somewhat controversial) James-Lange theory, which argues that emotion arises out of action—that is, that this is how emotion works—in order to make sense of this. I know that if I can get started on something that I’m avoiding, I’ll often reach a point where I want to do it.

But I’m also going to say that this is easier said than done. One of the symptoms of “I don’t feel like it” is an aversion to getting started.

And this is why I’m so eager to build a practice—something like a habit (à la James Clear’s Atomic Habits), I’m thinking, though we’ll see where Seth is taking us.

One last thing I’m reminded of: Coach Christopher Sommer, an accomplished gymnast instructor, talks about making one decision (e.g., I’m going to do my best at x), rather than a series of decisions (e.g., if x goes well today, I’ll do it again tomorrow).¹ This is, I think, a version of Seth’s practice, and another angle to the importance of action over/despite/before emotion. It doesn’t matter if I don’t feel like it; I decided I’d do it, so I’m doing it.

Again, easier said than done. But I think that’s the point.

This series is meant to capture my thoughts as I work through Seth Godin’s The Practice. It’s a book with over 200 (very short) chapters, which I hope to work through and, I further hope, to implement over time.

If you’re interested in more of Godin’s ideas, or my thoughts about them, you can check out this collection of posts. Note that if you’re more interested in the former, you should probably get Godin’s book and read it yourself; my notes will be both incomplete and idiosyncratic, and my thoughts will relate to my own experience.

But if my thoughts resonate with you, or if you think I’m just silly, I welcome your comments.

1. I heard Seth say something like this in his latest Tim Ferriss interview about The Practice (so I expect he’ll mention it later in the book), but I first heard the concept in this excerpt from an interview with Sommer, which focuses on this specific idea.