Shamelessness is the root of all true creativity.
At its core, what is shame? It’s the clash between your actions or motives and society’s expectations or norms. Plato described shame as “the fear of a bad reputation.”
Psychologist K.E. Izard writes: “A person consumed by shame cannot put his feelings into words. Later, he’ll inevitably find the right words and replay the moment over and over, imagining what he could have said when shame stole his voice. Shame is usually accompanied by an acute sense of failure, collapse, or utter defeat. This feeling often arises simply from being unable to think or express oneself in a way that feels natural and authentic.”
Let’s remember this: shame robs us of the gift of living speech.
And yet, creativity is all about breaking expectations and norms—stepping outside the familiar. The key difference between creativity and mere production is the uniqueness of the result, not just “copy-paste.”
No wonder people often find themselves trapped in a downward spiral:
To live fully, we crave to create. But creating requires breaking the rules, which brings shame, which then silences us.
Climbing out of this whirlpool takes enormous effort.
The tragedy is that so much energy is wasted in this cycle. But here’s the good news: this spiral can be reversed—turned upward.
In your life, you must carve out a space where freedom reigns. A time and place where not only is it safe to explore, but where shameless immersion in novelty is actively encouraged.
If creating such a “greenhouse” on your own feels overwhelming, find someone (or a group) who is unconditionally kind to you and knows that the soil of creativity needs to be rich, dark, and messy.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.