How Creatives Can Overcome Grass is Greener Syndrome
So you are thinking you could be happy or you could be successful if you just had blank. You are always looking to what you don’t have thinking that next new thing is what will bring you happiness. You are like the horse who is always trying to eat the grass on the other side of the fence even though there is plenty of good grass to eat within the bounds of where they are allowed to be. This is a phonological phenomenon called Grass is Greener Syndrome of Gigs. This phonological mindset seems to affect creatives the worse and I believe it has to do with our ADHD tendencies that drive us to constantly be changing ideas and looking for new things. We need to better understand this mindset to help us break free from it and live our creative life being content with who we are and where we are in our own creative journey.
How Gigs is Effecting Me
I love building systems. Finding ways to create and be efficient. I love checking things of a todo list. As I learn more about personality types and why humans are the way they are my natural tendencies to do certain things have been becoming more clear. The most recent example of how I struggle with the grass being greener is through my content management and business systems for Roses as Humans. In last weeks blog post we talked about the apps we use to run Roses as Humans. If you haven’t read it yet you can find it here https://www.rosesashumans.com/blog/building-my-brand-to-help-artists-the-apps-we-use
As you read in this post I use Notion for a lot of my planning and creating things for Roses as Humans. However, when I am scrolling on Instagram or browsing the internet I see adds for other productivity software and think that’s what I need. If I just moved everything over then I would be more successful. However the truth is I would just be wasting time in transferring data instead of actually creating things. You are your most productive with the system you already know. The grass is greener syndrome feeds us the lie that if we switched we would be better off but in reality switching will slow us down as we spend time trying to learn a new system. By sticking with what you know you are able to be more effective in your efforts and in return create better work.
As a music producer and writer I thought that to be successful and get better I needed to start using Pro Tools as my main DAW. I quickly found that its workflow was more complex and confusing. Even though it is what all my favorite producers were using it was slowing me down. These days all of the main DAW’s have the same features and can work for producing music. Honestly the best one for you is whichever one you know the best. By going back to Ableton, the DAW I have used the most and know the best I am able to get work done better and quicker. I still have thoughts that if I just switched to something new things will get better like let’s try Logic or BitWig Studio. I need to keep reminding myself that by sticking with what I already know I can be the most effective in my craft.
Three Signs You Are Experiencing Gigs
How do you know if you are experiencing Grass is Greener Syndrome? It’s important to know the signs so you can take steps to avoid being stuck in the cycle of always choosing what is on the other side of the fence. Here are three signs that you might be experiencing Gigs:
Feelings of discontentment in your situation.
Regularly questioning your decisions.
A lack of commitment in your relationships.
Spotting these signs early on can help you focus on ways to find contentment for where you are in life and not spiral into constantly making new decisions and unnecessary changes in life. If you find yourself onions around jobs ask yourself why? If you are constantly not happy in your relationships what’s the reasons? Why don’t you feel content? What could’ve better than what you currently have. You may already have all you need to be happy you just need a new perspective.
Three Practical Steps to Freedom
Now that you know about this cycle you find yourself trapped in let‘s find some freedom. Freedom to be the artist or creator you’re meant to be. Freedom to live a happy joy filled life. Freedom to feel love and to be loved.
When you find yourself discontent with what you have or the situation you’re in just take a deep breath and think of all the good things about the situation you’re in. Be mindful of where you are and what you’ve gone through to get there. Don’t rush to conclusions that things need to be different. By taking the time to see the good you can find peace in your situation.
Be sure to practice gratitude. Be grateful for the things you have and the places you’ve been able to be. Be appreciative of the people in your life and the things you have. By being grateful you can conquer the thoughts of needing more.
The third step you can take is to accept your imperfections and see them as marks to your humanity. No-one is perfect and no situation is perfect and just by knowing this you can look at the pasture you’ve been placed in and despite it’s flaws you can see the beauty of your life.
Conclusion
The Grass is Greener Syndrome often affects creatives due to our ADHD tendencies and constant desire for change. By recognizing when we're falling into this trap, we can find contentment in our current situation rather than continuously seeking something new. Remember that switching tools, methods, or relationships rarely solves underlying issues and often just wastes valuable creative time. Instead, focus on mastering what you already have, practicing gratitude for your current circumstances, and accepting imperfections as part of the creative journey. True creative fulfillment comes not from constantly changing direction, but from committing to your path and finding joy in the process.
