Why You Need More Than Self-Help Books To Make Progress

After a relationship ended a few years ago, I boxed up all the books I’d bought specifically on the topic of How to Have a Successful Relationship and donated them to my local library. There were 75 of them. Did all those books help? Some probably did. Was I able to employ everything I learned? Hardly.

Why is it so hard to incorporate information you learn from self-help books? 

It’s hard because you don’t just need information. Information is everywhere, especially now. Self-help takes responsibility and you can't take responsibility until you know how you actually feel about taking action.

The problem is that parts of ourselves decide that what we’re reading and learning, regardless of how useful it sounds or how well-researched it is, poses a threat to us. Information, even from a world-renown, Nobel-prize-winning author has no chance against a part inside us that has decided implementing these ideas will expose us to trauma.

I’ve talked about selling your art a lot this month. 

When you start to sell your work, you run the risk of experiencing trauma. Parts of yourself that have already experienced trauma around your creativity, whatever it is, will arise to keep you from risking experiencing any more of it.

It's not hopeless; you can talk to these parts

If you get to know these parts of yourself that are so dedicated to protecting you,  listen to them, make peace with them, feel compassion for their mission to protect you, they will loosen their grip.

Tools to help you talk to those parts and sell your art

As I said above, self-help takes responsibility, and here are two ways to move forward. If you want to get started selling your art, here’s a cheatsheet that will help. But if you get scared or angry or too busy to do it, book a 15-minute brainstorm session with me here and I’ll get you started clearing away the blocks.

Your art needs to get into the world.

Your art matters.