Change of focus

I’ve been floundering. I can’t seem to get anything finished. None of my projects are going where I want them to. There are lots of hurdles and blocks– some are of my own making, others not. It’s rather frustrating.
My frustration morphs into a series of bad feelings, irritable moods and depressed thoughts including all of the time-honored artistic temperament classics: Do I have any talent or skill whatsoever? Any original ideas? Why am I doing this stuff anyway? What’s the point? How can I possibly think my work is any good? Mr. XYZ is better at this than me, so why should I try? Wouldn’t I be better off with a “real” job pointlessly shuffling papers somewhere?
So my daunting digital pile of uncompleted work sits untouched. And so do my physical piles. Nothing’s getting done at all, even my normally tidy house is adrift in dust. The lack of progress aggravates the bad feelings, further preventing me from getting anything done. A vicious cycle.
But it’s breakable. This morning, I decided to look at the situation from a different angle:
I have accomplished a great deal. The unfinished projects are avenues for continuation and growth. Books, stories and screenplays started. Art underway. Footage shot but unedited. There’s effort behind it; look at how far I got. No reason to stop now. Let me add more to what I’ve already done and see how much farther it goes.
I think this is the secret to happiness in many aspects of life, not just creativity. People who focus on what they want but don’t have–whether it’s consumer goods, love, fame, creativity or something else–are rarely happy.
My glass is not half empty. It’s half full.