Don’t think, just do

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Welcome to Creatives Anonymous, a weekly newsletter that explores what it means to be a modern-day creative through essays, interviews, and commentary.

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Over the weekend, I rewatched Top Gun: Maverick (definitely on my list of movies I watch when I want to feel inspired). 

One of the themes in the movie is shown in one line that Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) repeats to Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller) throughout the movie: Don’t think, just do. 

Most of us get caught up in a loop of overthinking when it comes to decision-making—sending that risky text, quoting a rate for a project proposal, or considering that job that requires us to move across the country. 

We weigh the pros and cons, considering every decision from every angle, almost as if we’re playing chess and need to see all the possible scenarios in front of us. After a while, it’s enough to drive us crazy. 

But we forget another component of decision-making: instinct.

As we age, we rely less on instinct and more on logic. We tend to think more instead of feel. 

Logic develops as we lose our innocence and remove the rose-colored glasses. We avoid risks (the same ones we would have taken when we were younger) and replace them with security. Our logic talks us into taking the safe route because it’s what’s practical, even if it’s not what we want. 

Over the last few years, I’ve realized that I lead with logic over emotion, especially in decision-making. So, naturally, I tend to approach everything with my brain over my gut. 

That said, the older I get, the more I’ve started listening to my gut, because it’s never, ever wrong. My gut told me to quit my job and start freelancing. My gut urged me to move to Seattle. My gut gave me a nudge for this next chapter. 

What I’ve learned is that we can’t solely rely on one over the other to make decisions. We need both.

I validate every impulse I lean into with logic. Like anyone else, I weigh the pros and cons and verbally process them with my board of directors (aka the closest people in my life) to tell me whether or not I’m being too delusional. 

Right decisions happen when your impulse aligns with your logic. They just feel right; when that happens, you feel confident knowing you’re making the right decision.

If we listen only to logic, we talk ourselves out of our impulses. We second-guess ourselves, play small, and hold ourselves back. 

On the other hand, if we only listen to our impulses, we might make decisions that aren’t logically sound. 

We need both logic and intuition to make decisions. We need to listen to our gut and move in the direction it tells us, but we also need to do a logic check to ensure it is the right decision.

Our decisions need to be brave but also realistic.  

Following our gut and instinct helps us make brave decisions. When we listen to our gut, we have to have a certain level of self-trust. We need to trust our abilities, be brave enough to take the leap, and have faith that everything will work out. 

Most of the time, our gut knows us better than our brain does. Our brains will look for every excuse not to do something—go on the trip, apply for a job, move across the country—even when our gut is telling us otherwise. 

Our “logic brain,” as Julia Cameron calls it, is also our biggest obstacle to creativity. It’s where our perfectionist tendencies live and where we fear failure. 

It’s why we’re so much more creative when we’re younger—we’re operating completely on impulse versus logic.

Following our gut means following our curiosity and experimenting. Our best creativity happens when we follow our creative impulses. 

It means playing and asking, “What if?” It means dreaming, being delusional, and having our heads in the clouds. 

Listening to our gut could be the gateway into living the life we’ve dreamt of—but only if we’re bold enough to hear it.

Creative Corner

• 🎞️ What I’m Consuming: One Golden Summer by Carly Fortune

• 💡 What I’m Loving: I was a guest on my sister’s podcast, where I talked all about embracing creativity and overcoming fear.

• 🎨 What I’m Working On: A lot of decluttering and organizing around my apartment

• 💭 Weekly Musing:

Thank you 💕

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Alexa Phillips is a writer, brand strategist, and multi-passionate creative. She is the founder of Bright Eyes Creative, a Seattle-based brand consultancy and media company that helps founder-led consumer brands and creatives design brand experiences and media.

Where to find me:

• Learn more about my services 

• Listen to my recent podcast episodes.

• Follow along as I build Culture Slant, a new magazine + podcast at the intersection of brand, marketing, media, culture, commerce, and technology.

• Join Write Club, free weekly 90-minute co-writing sessions dedicated to helping you knock out all the content you have to write for your business.