Notes from a Creative Learning to Surrender to the Process
A gentle nudge to stop overthinking and start becoming.
When I was in the sixth or seventh grade, I was part of a program called AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination).
I remember so distinctly that in that class, we had an assignment where we had to write down all the steps for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
We turned in our assignments, and then one by one, the teacher began following the steps written by each student. Each time she began, she wasn’t able to make the sandwich—until she got to mine. There were at least 25 kids in that class, and I was the only one who got a sandwich that day.
My instructions were detailed and precise. Lift your hand. Place it on top of the jar. Take your other hand and twist the lid until it comes off. Put the lid down on the table. Lift your hand and pick up the fork. That type of detail. That specific.
I often think back to that day with so much pride and excitement because even at 11 years old, I understood process. I understood that in order to achieve a goal—or make anything happen—you needed to know the step-by-step process.
And then I think about the other kids who didn’t get a sandwich.
How did they leave feeling that day, knowing that despite their efforts, the steps they took weren’t enough to get them their desired outcome?
The process can be difficult sometimes. To get anything in life...
As I’ve gotten older—and after starting and stopping various things so many times—I’ve learned a few things about what it truly means to go through a process.
And the biggest takeaway by far is this: you have to surrender.
You have to surrender your will. You have to surrender your desires. You have to surrender your expectations, your ideas of what you think the thing will be—and sometimes, you just have to go with how life is moving and follow the process you're in.
It doesn’t mean you abandon your ideas or give up on what you believe is meant for you.
But it does mean you won’t always be in control. And that’s okay.
I’ve had to pivot so many times in my life—sometimes by choice, other times by force.
And what I’ve come to realize is that surrendering to the process is the fastest way to reach your desired end. (Because I remind myself who is truly in control.)
Because the more we fight it—the more we try to force our ideas about how it should be—instead of flowing with what is, the more we hold ourselves back.
And that’s the way of creativity.
Whatever story you tell, whatever song you write, whatever movie you film, whatever piece of content you create—it should be anchored by the truth of the process.
What steps did you take to get to this moment? To this thing? To this realization?
To this burst of creative energy that has now become your creation?
I recognize that surrendering isn’t always easy.
It feels uncomfortable. Foreign.
But when we can get past the discomfort and recognize that what’s happening is actually growth, healing, and maturity, we’re able to learn the lesson life is trying to teach us in the surrender.
And then true creativity can burst forth—because it’s coming from a place of authentic growth and self-actualization.
Surrendering to your creative process doesn’t mean giving up—it means letting go of control long enough to let your work speak back to you. It means trusting the path even when it feels unclear, and allowing the process to do its quiet work in you.
Here are five ways to help you lean in, let go, and fully surrender to your creative process:
1. Let Go of the Timeline
We all have this imaginary clock ticking in our heads—telling us where we should be, by when, and how fast we should be moving.
But creativity doesn’t live by your calendar.
Sometimes the idea needs to simmer.
Sometimes you need to live a little more life before you’re ready to write the song, shoot the scene, or launch the thing.
Surrendering to the process means trusting that you’re not behind—you’re just becoming.
2. Make Room for the Messy Middle
There’s a part of the journey that no one posts about.
The part where it feels like nothing is working—like you’re lost in a maze of half-ideas and “almosts.”
That’s the messy middle.
And it matters.
That’s where the real shaping happens.
The growth. The grit. The becoming.
Don’t rush it—sit in it. Let it do its work on you.
3. Follow the Flow, Not the Formula
You can study the greats. Take the courses. Read all the strategies.
But at some point, you’ve got to stop looking for the “right way” and start trusting your way.
What works for someone else may not unlock your next breakthrough.
Creativity lives in intuition. Listen to it.
4. Be Willing to Start Over
This one stings a little.
Sometimes what you’ve built so far isn’t aligned with where you’re going.
Sometimes surrender looks like scrapping the version you poured your heart into and beginning again—with more clarity, more honesty, and more courage.
It’s not failure—it’s refinement.
5. Celebrate the Invisible Work
Not everything you create will be visible.
Not every idea will turn into a product or post.
But that doesn’t mean it was wasted.
The journaling, the brainstorming, the walks where inspiration whispered through the wind—all of that counts.
Surrender means honoring the unseen moments just as much as the seen.
The process is always working on us, even when we feel like we’re standing still.
And the sooner we stop resisting and start surrendering, the closer we get to our truest, most powerful creative selves.