I am not a creator

spoiler: you are

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Yesterday, I made a crochet scrunchie by following a YouTube tutorial.

At the end of it, I had a scrunchie made by me. Even though I just followed the steps as taught. Starting from a ball of yarn, I created something that didn’t exist before.

I’ve met a lot of people, including myself, who say, “Oh, I’m not a creator.”

I wonder if we’ve limited the act of creation to someone who draws, paints, sculpts, or sketches.

But think about it. Aren’t we all creating in our everyday lives?

Think of the message you wrote for a friend. The simple lunch you made from raw vegetables. The scribble you did to explain a concept to someone. How you rearrange your room to give it a new look. A sunset photo you clicked from a certain angle. How you grew a small kitchen garden. Or how you dress yourself by mixing and matching what you have in your wardrobe.

In most of these everyday moments, you created something that didn’t exist before.

You thought about it. You brought the idea into some tangible form by giving it a visual representation. The idea you shared found others. It became a shared experience.

And that’s the magic of creation.

You find yourself with the act of creation. When you share it, you find people who think like you.

Yet so many of us say, “I’m not a creator.” Why do we do this? Why do we deny something we do every single day?

I’ve been thinking about this lately. About how we define ourselves. About the labels we hold onto. About what those labels allow us to do or not do.

A few days back, I read The Courage to be Disliked.

It’s a book that talks about examining our behaviours from the viewpoint of teleology. This concept is opposite to conditioning (aetiology). Conditioning says our past makes us act in certain ways. Teleology, on the other hand, says our goals determine how we act. The past doesn’t matter. Your present and future are determined by your goals and not your past traumas. It rather says we often use our past to justify our current actions and who we are.

I don’t fully agree with everything it says.

But the book challenged everything I had read before. And that’s what a good book does. It gives a new perspective to ponder on.

Here’s what struck me. If our goals determine our actions, not our past, then what about the stories we tell ourselves?

“I’m not a creator” is one of those stories.

The book talks about how we use our past to justify our current actions. To explain who we are. Maybe when I say “I’m not a creator,” I’m using some past experience to justify not creating. Maybe someone once said my drawing wasn’t good enough. Maybe I compared myself to someone more skilled and decided I didn’t belong in that space.

But what if that story is just that—a story? One I chose to believe. One I can choose to unbelieve.

We label ourselves.

Introvert. Not a writer. Not a creator. Anxious. An overthinker. And more.

These labels become boundaries. They tell us where we belong and where we don’t. They feel safe because they’re familiar. They help us make sense of who we are.

But they also keep us small.

I’m in the middle of figuring this out myself. Part of me thinks, “But these labels define me. They help me make life choices. They make my personality. They let me relate to other similar people.”

And another part of me wonders. If a label is stopping me from experiencing what the world offers, is it really serving me? Or is it just protecting me from the discomfort of trying something new?

The book gave me the courage to ask. Can I free myself from my past? Can I set new goals? Can I live differently? Can I focus on what I want rather than seeking approval from others?

Can I try something beyond my existing beliefs and see for myself how I feel? Can I leverage my choice to come back if that new space doesn’t feel like a home?

And the big one. Is this belief supporting me, or is it keeping me helpless?

I remember once my friend asked me to start writing a book. I told him I would do it after 4-5 years or so. But when I thought about my response after coming home, I asked, “Am I avoiding something by not writing?”

I realised that I don’t know how to put my life into a book that people will buy, and I might fail as an author.

“I’m not an author” was my safety label. It kept me within a boundary. But saying “I’m not an author yet” broke those boundaries. It opened the world of possibilities.

I started writing almost every day two months back :)

Here’s what I’m learning. The label “I’m not a creator” works the same way. It’s a story from my past that I’m using to avoid the discomfort/fear of creating. The fear of not being good enough. The fear of being judged. The fear of failing.

But if I change my goal. If I decide I want to create, not for approval but for the joy of bringing something into existence. If I let go of the story that I’m “not a creator.”

Then everything changes.

Because the truth is, I’m already creating. You’re already creating. We all are.

We just forgot to call it that.

So, as much as I’m telling myself, I want to tell you. Let this new year be a year of going beyond your beliefs.

One belief at a time. To examine what’s truly yours and what you borrowed from the world around you.

Take a Little Pause 🌼

What is the one belief that you have closely held onto? What would breaking out of it open for you? How can you take your first action towards trying to step out?

I’d love to hear what you have discovered. 😊

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Enjoy live sessions, personalised feedback, and a small, supportive group. Turn your reading into visual notes. ✍️

• Details: 10 seats per cohort | USD 99 (Limited time)

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• Next Cohorts: March – May

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As we step into 2026, I hope you find moments to pause. To notice the small acts of creation in your everyday life. To choose intention over busyness. To create not for perfection, but for the quiet joy of bringing something into existence.

Here’s to a year of calm mornings, intentional choices, and creative courage.

Happy New Year 🌼

Take care!
Rachna

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• Register for my first bootcamp to learn how to make visuals. Starts Jan 2026!

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Take a Little Pause is an illustrated weekly newsletter for anyone navigating the beautiful messiness of building a creative, calm and intentional life. If you’re on a similar journey, subscribe for free or become a paid supporter to support my writing and help bring my dream of publishing a coffee-table book to life. 💛