Overthinking Can Cause a Road Block, Stifling Creativity & Efficiency

Written by: CINDY CENTERS

February 28, 2022

Shewee! I definitely overthought the creation of this blog.

Do you ever do that? Overthink something to the point that it creates a total road-block, keeping you from moving forward. Well, that's exactly what I did with this blog. I just knew it was going to be a big project that required 100% of my brain power; therefore, I completely put it off. I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to research it. I just plain ole' didn't want to start! .... but Kayla!!

My sweet daughter Kayla! Y'all know her. You love her. You know our relationship. She never gives up ... especially on me! She is patient and kind and loving, with just a little bit of spit-fire to make her personality the very best it can be! She has encouraged me so much in starting this blog, and now that I've typed these first three paragraphs, I can say I am completely hooked and ready to blog!

I'm so excited to provide content for The Celebration Company’s brand new blog. It's going to be epic! EPIC! Writing is something I've always loved! It's part of the creative side of the brain ... the right side. Anything that involves the right side of the brain, I'm all about.

The left side is a completely different story! I rarely use the left side of my brain. Poor thing! But really, I hate numbers. I hate logical thinking. Thus is the reason I dreaded setting up the function of this blog. Writing the blog is no problem, but making it function on the web site is a totally different thing and is very much a left-side task. I knew the left side of my brain would have to wake up and kick in, and it was going to hurt! Exercise hurts, and this is the reason I hate using the left side of my brain! LOL!

Now I can analyze the heck out of something… you know, a situation, a decision, the right way to proceed, the way something looks .... but I do not enjoy analyzing numbers and data. The left side of my brain is lazy; it’s rarely used and probably needs a massive massage! LOL!

Then there is the right side; it is completely overworked with the constant ideas that ping pong back and forth, creating the incessant chaos that consumes my thoughts. Being creative, designing, writing, decorating … these are the things I’m made of. These are the things I cannot stop thinking about.

In order to awaken the left side of my brain, I have to incorporate a little creativity with it. Case in point: In high school, I had to bring my creative side into my class homework to help me focus on the subject I was studying. To do this, I would draw cartoon characters and color them to use as dividers for each subject in my notebook. I had to have a creative release. I’ve included some examples here. (Yes, I still have high school stuff from the 80s. I can’t help it. I’m also a sentimental old fool! LOL!

Y’all remember Garfield, right? He was my husband’s (my boyfriend at the time) favorite cartoon character. I would create cards with Garfield offering the greeting to give to Troy. I loved to draw Garfield for Troy.

In addition to Garfield, I would draw other well-known characters, plus I would draw flowers and doodle. I still love to doodle. My two favorite cartoon characters of all-time are Kermit the Frog and the Smurfs, so drawing them was a must. I even participated in a poster contest for the United Way and received third place! I drew scenes of Popeye and Blueto. That was fun. At one point, I thought I would be a cartoonist. I had also envisioned myself as a greeting card illustrator, but life changed those aspirations.

I do not consider myself a full-fledged artist. My brother has all the rights to that title, but I can put pencil to paper and achieve a recognizable one-dimensional figure/object. I’m not quick, so don’t ask me to draw something on the spot, but I can probably create it with a little time and effort.

Being creative is part of my DNA. My entire family has some sort of creative ability. My mother was an exceptional seamstress; my father is an amazing woodworker, model airplane builder, and can do anything else he sets his mind to; my sister is a phenomenal decorator, crafter, and computer/programming whiz (she and our dad use both sides of their brains); my brother is a creative director for a media firm, an artist, and a custom cake extraordinaire; my adopted mother makes beautiful afghans with Swedish weaving and has recently begun creating greeting cards… and this is just one branch of my family tree.

I truly don’t know how I’d live if I didn’t have some sort of creative outlet. Being creative, in whatever capacity, rejuvenates and energizes me. It’s truly what brings me joy and is my passion and calling.

Going back in time has triggered a side of myself that I had forgotten I had. I think I may try my hand at drawing again. Stay tuned!