The Waiting Game
Making in the meantime
I am always the least productive when I’m waiting on a potential opportunity. The middle period, the lull between sending in a pitch and getting the green light, that’s where I feel my ability to execute starts to slip away.
If you’re working on a creative project, there’s a whole lot of work that goes into even getting the opportunity to pitch or apply. If you’re lucky enough to send in your portfolio, work on a pitch, or plan for the project, there’s a ton of excitement. You work hard to nail every detail, reviewing your slides for typos, honing your ideas, sketching concepts, whatever it is. Then you hit send.
Silence.
I find this silence to be a false sense of security. You may or may not get the project or the job, but the quiet fear and wondering if it’s going to work out stops other projects in their tracks.
Days turn into weeks. This lull of waiting for a follow-up can really wreck your momentum. I start putting off all kinds of projects because “what if” this one comes through? It’s tough to keep your mind from running wild over a single email or pitch.
So how do you stay creative during the waiting game? How do you make sure this false sense of potential doesn’t put all your other projects and ideas into storage until you get an answer?
One of the reasons these waiting periods tank my creativity and productivity is because I let myself believe they’re bound to happen. Be confident, get prepared, make something great, try and kill that pitch, but nothing is ever a guarantee. Success is such a mystery; when it comes, it’s usually from a place I never expected.
Learning how to be okay with no as an answer helps me hold opportunity lightly. It’s exciting, and it should be, but the reality is that anything can happen. And that’s just part of trying to build something.
If you’re reading these newsletters, you probably work in a creative field and you’ve likely been told “no” quite a few times. When you send in a pitch or an application, being comfortable with that possibility allows you to take the pressure off the outcome and keep creating. And keep pushing for other opportunities.
There’s a momentum dump that happens when you have to wait for an answer on something. Finally, the responsibility is off of you and onto someone else. This lures me into a bunch of restful thoughts: “you worked hard on that, you can slow down,” “the ball’s in their court, just wait for a reply.”
Rest can be good, but the problem in these moments is that I start putting off other potential projects or opportunities while I wait for one that’s not even confirmed yet.
In these moments, I need to think about creating in a linear sense. As I build, I can pause, I can take needed breaks, but my rest shouldn’t be conditional on external factors or interference. In an ideal flow state, you’re controlling the output, not waiting on approval from others.
So keep going. Don’t let the potential of a breakthrough stop you from getting there in the first place. Being on the cusp of success isn’t a reason to slow down; it’s a reason to keep moving. Regardless of who or what you’re waiting on, there’s probably a list of projects you’ve put off that might generate a better outcome than whatever you’re waiting to hear back from.
Opportunity often comes from the most surprising places. The best thing we can do is keep doing what got us opportunity in the first place. Every bit of work you put out is a potential launching point for more. It doesn’t always feel that way when you’re in it, but it is.
Stopping your creativity or momentum is the fastest way to make things stall. If you’re playing the waiting game, it’s important to keep creating in between. Between the yes’s and no’s, the emails, pitches, and meetings — don’t let the process of trying to succeed stop you from doing what got you here in the first place.
I am always the least productive when I’m waiting on a potential opportunity. And that’s something I’m learning to change. The in-between moments hold just as much potential as the ones we’re waiting for. Keep building, keep making, and let the work itself create the next opportunity.
Keep Creating and Repeating
- James
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Create.Repeat is a community for creatives.
The Create.Repeat Substack is a project designed to be a bi-weekly diary on creativity. Sharing inspiration for artists to keep creating and repeating.
Written and curated by Zack Evans & James Warren Taylor
Each week we will be sharing recent thoughts on creativity, some links helping us stay creative, and a talent show featuring an artist from the community. Thank you for engaging with us.
History repeats. Create the future.
need to read this! thank you!