When Art Feels Hard
7 ideas and a menu for when we can't create
I’ve spent the 164 minutes (and counting) writing and researching this essay. It’s an ironic essay because by writing it, in a certain sense, I’m committing the sin that it hopes to ameliorate.
Okay, so that’s a fancy way of saying that I’m actually procrastinating and resisting a project that I really want to work on by writing this essay.
It all started yesterday in front of a computer screen. Before me was a beautiful stretch of unprogrammed time. This stretch represented an ideal sequence of moments in which I could immersive myself within an un-deadlined creative project that my heart has begged me for weeks to engage in.
I’ll talk about it here soon, but basically there are few scholarly pieces that argue for fashion as a clinically valid expressive-arts modality in psychotherapy. To correct this oversight, I’ve been invited to submit a concept article on the topic to the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health.
As I sat down to start the writing process I was assaulted by wave after wave of creative resistance. Resistance to art is a beguiling thing because it’s hard to sense whether the resistance is a dispatch from the muse herself warning about poor creative conditions or, conversely, if some lower forces— doubt, impulsivity, self criticism are the culprits. 1
Personally, muse related resistance is rare and literally has only come up when I needed to attend to survival. So, as is typical, the resistance was foe. 2
And a foe it was. Seriously both my mind and body were in full revolt against my heart as I faced racing thoughts and tight armor like muscles.
This essay is a type of truce. My goal is to give myself and other unlucky enough to share this affliction an insight into the curious, and horrible, phenomenon of internal conflict.
Methodologically, I chose the tools of scientific enlightenment namely experimental results from social psychology, empirical results from neuroscience, experiences from somatic therapy, and clinical insights from depth psychology.
The result is a clinical brief: The Psychology of Writing Resistance with an appended cognitive and somatic practice menu.
Enjoy!
The Psychology of Resistance
Abstract
Writers frequently encounter intense resistance when working on projects that are emotionally significant, professionally defining, or creatively risky. This resistance may manifest as procrastination, perfectionism, impulsivity, or discomfort. Far from being laziness or poor discipline, such responses are deeply rooted in the brain and psyche's efforts to avoid emotional or existential threat.
This brief outlines seven evidence-based psychological mechanisms that contribute to writing resistance. Each is supported by contemporary research in psychology, neuroscience, and psychotherapy. A cognitive and somatic practice menu follows, offering strategies writers can use to reduce avoidance and re-engage with meaningful work.
I. Seven Psychological Mechanisms Behind Writing Resistance
1. Ego Threat and Identity Activation
Description: Writing that touches the self—intelligence, creativity, values can provoke an ego threat, activating self-protective avoidance.
References:
Steele, C. M. (1988). The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 21, 261–302.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60229-4
Method: Theoretical framework built on experimental social psychology studies examining defensiveness and value-based buffering against threat.Sherman, D. K., & Cohen, G. L. (2006). The psychology of self-defense: Self-affirmation theory. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 183–242.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38004-5
Method: Meta-analysis and theoretical review of over 30 empirical studies demonstrating self-affirmation’s effects on reducing bias and improving performance.Cascio, C. N., et al. (2016). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(4), 621–629.
https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv136
Method: fMRI study measuring neural activation in reward-related and self-processing brain regions during value-affirmation tasks.
2. Emotional Avoidance and Procrastination
Description: Writing often triggers anxiety or shame. Procrastination serves to manage that emotion in the short term.
References:
Sirois, F. M., & Pychyl, T. A. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short-term mood regulation: Consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115–127.
https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12011
Method: Narrative review synthesizing empirical procrastination studies to argue that mood regulation is the primary driver of procrastination.Tice, D. M., & Bratslavsky, E. (2000). Giving in to feel good: The place of emotion regulation in the context of general self-control. Psychological Inquiry, 11(3), 149–159.
https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1103_03
Method: Experimental studies on how people avoid aversive tasks to improve mood, showing emotion regulation as central to procrastination.Pychyl, T. A., & Sirois, F. M. (2016). Procrastination, emotion regulation, and well-being. In F. M. Sirois & T. A. Pychyl (Eds.), Procrastination, health, and well-being (pp. 163–188). Academic Press.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802862-9.00008-2
Method: Literature review with empirical grounding, exploring health, emotional, and cognitive consequences of chronic avoidance.
3. Cognitive Tension from Unfinished Tasks (Zeigarnik Effect)
Description: Unfinished writing creates intrusive mental load and stress; the brain keeps “open loops” active until closure.
References:
Zeigarnik, B. (1927). Über das Behalten von erledigten und unerledigten Handlungen. Psychologische Forschung, 9(1), 1–85.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00412533
Method: Controlled lab studies showing that participants recalled interrupted tasks better than completed ones—indicating cognitive tension.Baumeister, R. F., & Masicampo, E. J. (2010). Unfulfilled goals interfere with tasks that require executive functions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46(6), 1014–1018.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2010.04.002
Method: Series of behavioral experiments where uncompleted tasks impaired performance on attention and logic-based tasks.Masicampo, E. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (2011). Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(4), 667–683.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024192
Method: Experimental studies showing that making specific plans reduces the intrusive cognitive impact of incomplete goals.
4. Fear of Evaluation and Creative Vulnerability
Description: Sharing personal writing can feel like emotional exposure. Fear of judgment can trigger social pain responses.
References:
Eisenberger, N. I., Lieberman, M. D., & Williams, K. D. (2003). Does rejection hurt? An fMRI study of social exclusion. Science, 302(5643), 290–292.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1089134
Method: Neuroimaging study showing that social rejection activates the same regions as physical pain (anterior cingulate cortex).Kaufman, J. C., & Baer, J. (2002). I bask in reflected glory, and dare not dream of my own achievements: Psychological distance and evaluation of creative work. Creativity Research Journal, 14(3-4), 305–313.
https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326934CRJ1434_7
Method: Survey study showing creators often devalue their own work out of fear of judgment.Crozier, W. R. (2000). Shyness and self-presentation. Psychological Reports, 87(3_suppl), 1019–1022.
https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2000.87.3f.1019
Method: Theoretical article linking social inhibition with fear of evaluation in creative settings.
5. Dopamine Dysregulation and Reward Avoidance
Description: Writing offers delayed gratification, while distractions offer immediate pleasure. This neurochemical mismatch often triggers impulsivity and avoidance.
References:
Ainslie, G. (1975). Specious reward: A behavioral theory of impulsiveness and impulse control. Psychological Bulletin, 82(4), 463–496.
https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076860
Method: Theoretical behavioral model using empirical and economic studies to show how individuals discount delayed rewards, favoring impulsive behaviors.McClure, S. M., Laibson, D., Loewenstein, G., & Cohen, J. D. (2004). Separate neural systems value immediate and delayed monetary rewards. Science, 306(5695), 503–507.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1100907
Method: fMRI experiments identifying distinct neural systems (limbic vs. prefrontal) for valuing short-term versus long-term rewards.Volkow, N. D., Wang, G. J., Fowler, J. S., & Tomasi, D. (2012). Addiction circuitry in the human brain. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 52, 321–336.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010611-134625
Method: Neuroimaging and review studies examining dopaminergic reward pathways and their role in impulsive decision-making and addiction.
6. Internal Conflict and Psychological Parts (Experiential Models)
Description: In experiential therapies like Focusing, IFS, and Gestalt, inner conflicts between “parts” (e.g., a creative self and a protective inner critic) cause self-sabotage or avoidance of writing.
References:
Gendlin, E. T. (1996). Focusing-oriented psychotherapy: A manual of the experiential method. Guilford Press.
Method: Clinical manual based on decades of therapy research; introduces the “felt sense” as a somatic-emotional access point to unconscious material.Perls, F., Hefferline, R., & Goodman, P. (1951). Gestalt therapy: Excitement and growth in the human personality. Julian Press.
Method: Foundational Gestalt theory text describing dialogic methods for resolving internal conflict through enactment, awareness, and emotional processing.Elliott, R., Watson, J., Greenberg, L., Timulak, L., & Freire, E. (2013). Research on humanistic-experiential psychotherapies. In M. J. Lambert (Ed.), Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (6th ed., pp. 495–538). Wiley.
Method: Meta-analytic and process-outcome research validating experiential techniques like focusing and parts work.
7. Jungian Depth Psychology and the Shadow
Description: In Jungian theory, resistance often arises when writing activates the Shadow—repressed or unconscious psychic material. This resistance signals a meaningful threshold in the individuation process.
References:
Jung, C. G. (1959). Aion: Researches into the phenomenology of the self (Collected Works Vol. 9, Part II). Princeton University Press.
Method: Archetypal and symbolic analysis of dreams, mythology, and alchemical texts; introduces key ideas like the Shadow, Persona, and Self.Hillman, J. (1975). Re-Visioning psychology. HarperPerennial.
Method: Philosophical and clinical critique of mainstream psychology; argues for a poetic, imaginal approach to psyche and writing.Romanyshyn, R. D. (2007). The wounded researcher: Research with soul in mind. Routledge.
Method: Depth psychological reflection on the inner life of the researcher/writer; uses dreamwork and case narratives to explore unconscious influences on inquiry.
Appendix: Cognitive and Somatic Intervention Menu
Seven Psychological Mechanisms with Cognitive and Somatic Interventions
1. Ego Threat and Identity Activation
Cognitive: Reframe the task with: “This is an experiment, not a verdict.” Write in third person for 5 minutes to create emotional distance.
Somatic: Stand in a power pose for 2 minutes (arms overhead or hands on hips). Boosts confidence and reduces stress hormones.
2. Emotional Avoidance and Procrastination
Cognitive: Label your emotion: “I feel anxious,” “I feel ashamed.” Naming emotions reduces their intensity and activates executive functioning.
Somatic: Use the Bow and Arch posture: Begin in a slight bow—head lowered, shoulders in—then slowly rise into a standing arch with arms wide. This sequence mirrors vulnerability and recovery, inviting dignity and openness into the body.
3. Zeigarnik Effect (Unfinished Tasks)
Cognitive: End your writing session by answering: “What’s the very next thing I’ll write tomorrow?” This closes the loop and reduces mental tension.
Somatic: Use EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping while repeating: “Even though I didn’t finish, I accept my process.”
4. Fear of Evaluation and Creative Vulnerability
Cognitive: Write out your worst-case scenario and a plan: “If someone hates it, I will….” This rationalizes fear and neutralizes the inner critic.
Somatic: Do vocal toning—hum or chant long vowel sounds (like “ahh” or “ohm”) to calm your nervous system and reduce shame-based tension.
5. Dopamine Dysregulation and Reward Avoidance
Cognitive: Use temptation bundling: pair your writing session with something enjoyable like tea, music, or a candle.
Somatic: Use the Pomodoro technique:
Write for 25 minutes
Take a 5-minute break to move, stretch, or walk
6. Internal Conflict (Experiential Models)
Cognitive: Journal a parts dialogue: “One part of me wants to write, another part is afraid.” Let each voice speak without judgment.
Somatic: Try the self-compassion hold: place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Breathe slowly and say: “All parts are welcome.”
7. Jungian Shadow Resistance
Cognitive: Write directly to the Shadow: “What part of me doesn’t want to be seen?” Let it answer. Don’t censor.
Somatic: Engage in active imagination: draw or move in response to a dream, symbol, or image that’s emerging.
There may be flaws of a combative framework when it comes to inner voices, but if you’re plagued by chronic self doubt this may be the only way to stand up to internalized bullies. See The War of Art: Pressfield (2002).
All the references, Brian, might keep me distracted from my writing! But I love them regardless!