Creative Discordance

The Reason Why Your Ideas are Always Better in Your Head

Does this happen to anyone else?

You have this great idea in your imagination, your creative juices flow and you're hyped about bringing your thoughts into reality.

And then…

That shit DOES NOT turn out as you thought, and you're left feeling discouraged, wanting to quit, and wondering, what the hell am I doing?

So, I scoured the internet for an explanation for what this was and found nothing. At first, I was disappointed that I couldn't find terminology for it. However, dissatisfaction quickly became relief because I knew I wasn't alone in the experience. Perhaps it is so commonplace that there's no need for some fancy psychology term or to brand it with its own cognitive bias. Possibly, my research skills still need some work, and this isn’t new territory. If so, and you already know of a term for what I am attempting to describe, please let me know by commenting below and disregard this piece.

I could have turned it in after coming up empty-handed, but I decided to take a stab at defining it for myself. After a bunch of research, the closest thing I found to what I'm trying to describe is a blend of three cognitive biases: cognitive dissonance and expectation bias, with a sprinkling of the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Each plays a role in defining our current conundrum, but all fail to describe it fully. Let's quickly examine each to see how they are similar, how they aren’t, and how they interact to understand better what we are dealing with.

A Three-Way Baby

Cognitive Dissonance is a discomforting psychological experience arising when we simultaneously hold two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes. This discomfort often leads us to change one of the conflicting cognitions, acquire new information that outweighs the dissonant belief, or reduce the importance of one of the contradictory elements. Put simply, it's the mental stress someone feels when their actions don't align with their beliefs. It’s similar to our point of focus, as our actions -the execution- don't align with the creative ideas in our heads. 

Likewise, Expectation Bias occurs when an individual's expectations or preconceptions about an outcome influence their perceptions and actions. This bias can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the expectations cause the expected result to happen. Becoming aware during the early stages of execution that the idea is not as planned often fosters a discouraging sense of defeat, prompting resignation from the endeavour. 

Lastly, the Dunning-Kruger Effect illuminates a common cognitive bias in which individuals with some ability or knowledge in a particular area overestimate their competence. This effect occurs because those with lower skill levels lack the necessary self-awareness to assess their abilities accurately. In the case of our aloof concept, early in our ideation, we fail to realize that our potentially creative asset doesn’t match our skills to bring it to life.

So, what exactly are we dealing with here? We have three pre-established cognitive biases, but none fit the bill. The best way to describe it is the unlikely love child resulting from a menage-a-trois between those above. Whatever it is, I was adamant about defining it and came up with the term Creative Discordance. I describe it as a cognitive bias in which there's a significant gap between one's expectations of their creative ideas and the reality of their execution. This gap often leads to frustration, discouragement, and a lack of confidence, undermining growth and progress in creative endeavors.

Keep On, Keepin’ On

Can you relate? Can you spot occurrences of Creative Discordance in your creative efforts? Welcome to the club! A lot of humanity are already members. Now the question begs asking: what do we do about it? A key aspect of club membership is remembering to ignore those thoughts and keep at it, whatever it is you are trying to achieve. Only by continually doing ‘that thing’ can you refine it into what you imagined it to be. Through continual output, you will eventually put out into the material world what you create in your mind's eye, creating a physical representation of what springs forth from imagination.

Back to ideation…

Where ideas come from is a bit of a mystery (perhaps an examination for another article) and far beyond what I care to touch on here. The idea may come to you in a meditation, dream, or out of the blue. Regardless of how they arise, the most important thing is the ability to execute. Based on our newly defined bias, this is where the pain point occurs, as we come to grips with the fact that our current skill set prevents us from fully recreating the idea. 

Me & My CDs

Lately, I’ve experienced my fair share of Creative Discordance. My ideas routinely exceeded my ability to develop them in reality, whether it be writing or video editing. These are relatively new endeavors for me, especially the latter. Most of my skills lie in twenty years of home renovations, project management, and customer relations experience. So, that fresh writing concept or Instagram reel idea never really ends up how I imagined it to be, but instead, it becomes the driving force behind the pursuit of new skills and knowledge. 

As frustrating as it is to fail at executing the idea, it helps to take a step back from yourself to see that it's a blessing. These instances push us to learn and grow, revealing the areas that need improvement and prompting us to explore opportunities to learn and expand our knowledge and skillsets.

Mind’s Eye Blind

I'm also aware enough to know that this mind's-eye-to-physical-eyes transition is just a phase. I'm sure there was a time -although I don't remember it anymore- when I would think of a woodworking or renovation project and couldn't bring it to reality as I envisioned. I spent the better part of two decades honing those skills and accumulating knowledge to the point where it became second nature. I can think of a task or desired outcome and create it as I've internally pictured it. Issues or oversights still pop up, but I have the skills and expertise to navigate them. Not so, with my current endeavors in writing, video editing, and content creation. 

However, such reflections are a good exercise for maintaining a positive attitude. They remind us that sticktoitiveness, motivation, and determination are keys to success in any facet of life. If you believe you can, are fearless when making mistakes or failing in a public setting, take constructive criticism and feedback, and strive to improve at whatever you choose to focus on, you'll flourish.

The early stage of any initiative is a slog, as you have to learn and develop skills to get your ideas out. It can seem daunting. Part of me wants to be able to execute on a dime. In contrast, another part of me understands that I don't know shit and need to build a repertoire of aptitudes to pull out a seemingly simple idea from my imagination.

It's also a reminder that my ego is mean. It's willing to put me down and make me feel bad about something in an ass-backward attempt to prevent me from being subjected to other people’s meanness or put-downs. Sometimes, I don't know what's worse: internet trolls, Facebook know-it-alls, trash-talking friends and family, or my self-loathing depreciation. Not true. I do know: the hate I throw at myself is worse. 

Reflect & Reframe

That’s why reflecting on the process of growth and development is crucial in the early days of a new venture. Even if you are young and starting something for the first time, it's critical to understand that it takes time to develop the technical skills, learn the nuances of ‘that thing,’ and find your place and groove within the new field. What becomes second nature isn't second nature at all: it takes time, dedication, repetition, and building skills and experience to get to that ‘nature’ state. 

One thing that is natural from the outset is feeling like you suck shit at ‘that thing.’ And that's okay. Don't let it get you down. Use it. Flip it around and employ it as a guiding light. Instead of throwing in the towel at the first sign of failure or when things get hard, be kind to yourself. Recognize that you’re learning. Ask yourself: how can I improve? How can I make that creative idea -so bright and shiny in the mind's eye- unfold into reality in the same glorious state it had while floating around in the ether? 

When Creative Discordance rears its ugly head, turn your discouragement into achievement. I'm not referring to top-echelon achievement (at least for now), but simple achievement. Acknowledging and addressing its presence, you can maintain confidence and grow in your creative pursuits. When you feel stuck or overwhelmed, pick a task within ‘that thing’ that develops skills and builds experience, and nail it. Then do it again, and again, and again. You’ll get there. Before you know it, your brain will be like a 3D printer pumping out imaginative ideas with all the details they had in your mind. 

Enjoy the process. Then, bask in the creative glory.

Thanks for reading! If you are interested in other works of mine, check out my other Substack articles, The Green House by the Sea Blog, the Lili Art Blog, or my award winning self-published book. If you want to support this Substack so I can continue providing interesting reads, consider pledging, subscribing, or purchasing my book. And a special thanks to those readers who have shown their support; it is greatly appreciated!