Creative Blöks: The Flat-Footed Naysayer

Brad Niemeyer

18

A creative endeavor is an adventure in every sense of the word. Like most designers and artists, I encounter a host of challenges the instant I begin to create, and I must race to get the project done before they overwhelm me and stifle my initial creative urges. After years behind the pen (and mouse, and stylus), these obstacles have become so familiar that we’re on first name terms, and, in fact, naming them lets me negotiate the traps they inevitably set for me.

Here, then, is the first of several “Denizens of the Creative Hinterlands” to which I’d like to introduce you. Feel free to post them on your walls—like those Most Wanted flyers at the post office—so you can recognize them when you run into them on your next project.

The Flat-Footed Naysayer

Grumpy, but not dangerous, the bark of a Flat-Footed Naysayer is far worse than its bite. It’s easy to spot a Naysayer from its call, a gruff “Nay!” or “Nah!” followed by muttering “This won’t work!” The Naysayer is often the first voice you hear when you first enter the Creative Hinterlands, as it rushes in with a bluffy attempt to preempt change and stifle any blast of fresh air. If you attempt to press past a Naysayer, it will attempt to use the weight of common sense to lever you into a vise-like headlock, spitting phrases such as “Everybody knows, you can’t do that”, “This is gonna end badly,” and “Durn fool!” in your direction.

Flat-Footed Naysayers—found both on their own and in packs called Nahgangs—typically wrap themselves in a wet blanket, and commonly snap these wet blankets at you to distract your attention and diffuse any enthusiasm you have built up. While in the grip of a Nahgang, your creative process will quickly stagnate. The Naysayer is all about inertia and will fiercely resist any change in momentum, so your fresh ideas are quickly ejected, leaving a polluted stew of old clichés, formulas, and lifeless techniques seasoned with boring sameness.

Fortunately, there are several excellent strategies for dealing with Naysayers. First, note that the Naysayer’s long flat feet prevent quick changes of direction—in fact, they are actually afraid of new things and any change terrifies them—so you can usually fake right and slide past them quickly to the left. That said, it’s also helpful to remember that despite their gruff grumbly appearance, they feel that they are helping you out by discouraging risky behavior. As frustrating as they may be, they often do have valuable points to consider, especially in regard to the practical matters of planning, safety, and scope. One prudent strategy is to confront and address each of their protests calmly while moving forward with enough momentum to roll through the friction of negativity. 

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A note from the artist:

Sketching is usually done on the worst possible piece of paper available. In this case, and old yellow legal pad. There is a reason for this: This strategy takes the pressure off. It’s just a sketch, just for fun, nothing serious. This prevents alerting nearby Flat-Footed Naysayers or, God-forbid, the hyper-critical Perfection Fairy. Sure, it’s a chore to grab the image out of the lined paper after scanning it, but its worth it if I end up with a loose drawing with some life to it.