OVERTHINKING AND THE CREATIVE MIND
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Overthinking is something many of us encounter in the process of making our creative work, often without immediately recognizing it. It can look like care, diligence, or responsibility, but internally it feels very different—and that internal feeling is the cue we need to pay attention to.
Overthinking is what happens when thinking stops being supportive and starts looping. The mind circles the same questions, concerns, or possibilities, searching for certainty before it allows us to move forward.
It often arises in moments of uncertainty or vulnerability—when the work really matters to us, when we don’t yet know where it’s going, or when we’re afraid of getting it wrong.
The mind then steps in to protect us, trying to anticipate outcomes, judge decisions in advance, or control the unknown. Overthinking is actually a strategy for safety. It’s the mind trying to help, even if it ultimately gets in our way.
There are usually clear signs when we’re caught in an overthinking loop:
We revisit the same decision repeatedly without new insight.
We feel tense, contracted, or disconnected.
Time passes, but nothing actually moves forward.
The work feels weighty rather than engaging, and curiosity gives way to self-criticism. We may also seek external reassurance from others—hoping clarity will arrive from outside rather than through engagement with the work itself.
Getting out of an overthinking loop rarely happens through more thought. Instead, it often requires a mindset shift. Simply recognizing what’s happening can begin to loosen its grip, so naming it is the first step. From there, we can reconnect with the present moment—getting out of our heads through movement, breathing, or physically touching our materials.
Most importantly, taking a small action—making a mark, testing an idea, beginning imperfectly—interrupts the cycle. Action creates feedback and brings clarity in ways that thinking alone does not.
It’s also useful for us to be able to distinguish overthinking from productive or experimental thinking, both of which feel quite different.
Productive thinking has a sense of direction. It helps us plan, refine, and reflect. It feels focused and grounded, and it moves us forward. It expands from an intention or focus.
Experimental thinking is rooted in open-ended discovery. It unfolds through doing rather than deciding. It feels curious and engaging—often accompanied by a sense of flow or ease.
Overthinking feels different from both. It feels tight, contracted, circular, or repetitive—leaving us in a place of restless dissatisfaction.
In art-making we need to be aware of the quality of our thinking, so we can recognize when it’s serving the work and when it is generating creative anxiety instead.
Cultivating this awareness is part of the mindset of making art: learning to trust that not everything needs to be figured out in advance, and that discovery often happens through engagement and attunement to the process we’re in. When we harness our thinking in productive ways, we can reflect more deeply and extract the information we need to move forward.
What are your personal signals that might be overthinking?
When you feel stuck in an overthinking loop, what small actions can help you re-engage the work?
What might change for you if you trusted that clarity will arrive as you move forward?
How does productive or experimental thinking feel different for you from overthinking?
This short version blog post is a part of my Mindset Moment series, an accompanying edition to my bi-monthly blog post. My intention for these Mindset Moments is to speak to some of the common challenges artists face with their creative work, and how a mindset shift can make a difference.
They are short reads, with a suggestion or writing prompt that you can work with…as well as an invitation to join in the conversation, sharing your experience and insights.
Join the conversation by leaving a comment under this blog post, or on my social media posts. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, wherever you find me.
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