The Myths That Silence Creatives
And Why Creativity Begins When We Stop Performing Safety
We’re taught to be quiet. Not directly. Not cruelly. But consistently.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Act your age.”
“Don’t embarrass yourself.”
It starts early. And it sticks.
We learn to trade risk for approval. Curiosity for competence. Voice for safety.
I followed the path I was told would protect me: corporate job, steady pay, the illusion of control. Ten years in, I realized what I was risking wasn’t failure. It was myself.
Myth #1: Creativity Is for the Gifted
Creativity is framed as a rare trait; reserved for the naturally talented, the charismatic, the ones who “just have it.”
But creativity isn’t a trait. It’s a choice. A practice. A willingness to be wrong.
Albert Einstein was labeled slow and unfocused. He failed his entrance exam and couldn’t land a teaching job. He went on to reshape modern physics.
Walt Disney was fired for “lack of imagination.” His first studio went bankrupt. He built an empire from the very ideas they rejected.
Most people aren’t missing originality. They’re missing the permission to be wrong—and to be right.
Myth #2: Adults Shouldn’t Be Foolish
We’re taught to be polished. Professional. Predictable. But creativity often demands foolishness. It asks us to be messy, absurd, real.
Frida Kahlo was told her work was “too personal” and “too political.” She painted anyway—and became a global icon of raw, defiant art.
David Bowie was mocked for being “too weird.” He turned reinvention into a legacy.
The cost of approval is often invisibility. The cost of safety is silence.
Myth #3: Confidence Equals Credibility
We’re told not to speak until we’re sure. That doubt makes us less credible. That confidence is the entry fee for creativity.
But some of the most honest work comes from people who are still unsure and still speak up anyway.
Creativity isn’t about being fearless. It’s about being brave while afraid.
It’s not about proving anything. It’s about being true, even when it’s uncomfortable.
What We Risk When We Play It Safe
We disqualify ourselves before we begin. We choose compliance over disruption. Somewhere along the way, we decide that we’re not special enough—and never give creativity a chance to prove ourselves wrong.
But creativity doesn’t come from certainty. It comes from the refusal to stay silent.
We create now from a place that’s ours. Not to impress. Not to perform. But to live.
Voice isn’t a risk. It’s a return.
Creative Myths That Keep Us Quiet
Creativity is for the gifted few
Adults shouldn’t be foolish
Confidence equals credibility
Safety is the same as belonging
Approval means we’re doing it right
If we’re not exceptional, we shouldn’t speak up
If we’re different, we’ll be dismissed
If we’re honest, we’ll lose everything
If we’re quiet, at least we won’t be wrong
These myths don’t just shape how we create. They shape how we exist. And they lose power the moment we create something true.
