The Downsides of Learning New Things

Why learning kills inspiration and creativity (for a time)

I am currently enrolled in a course about fitness training and coaching. Something I feel is important for me on a personal and professional level. If I intend on helping others achieve their fitness goals, I owe it to them to be actively learning myself. The only downside to actively learning something is that my inspiration and creativity take a back seat for a while.

Prior to taking on this challenge, I would only need to go to the gym, down some pre-workout and let the hot-takes flow. On Twitter, my followers seemed to enjoy them and I think more importantly, they succinctly pointed towards raw truths. Such as my description of proper form simply being the active balancing of performing maximal targeted work while minimizing the risk of injury. It’s abstract, but it does a good job or repackaging ‘proper form’, something we think of as highly mechanical and structurally learned. That was thought of between sets of squats. Profound or not, I enjoyed the thought because it was inspired and simple.

It’s common for musicians without formal training that decide to learn music theory to experience a lull in creativity (described in the clip below). This concept applies to all creative endeavors but it’s necessary if you intend on growing in ways that aren’t random or adrift. While, I’m excited to come out the other side of this process, I fully welcome the strain of learning.