Hi All!
Our creativity is intregrated with almost everything we do. What habits do you need to adjust to structure the areas below into a firm foundation for your creativity?
Your Body
This one sounds so obvious, but in the past, I've been guilty of overlooking it. I was living in my head all the time while my body was screaming for restoration of my health and energy. As you can guess, all that pushing and striving didn't do a thing for my creativity or my well-being!
Your Mind
Provide your mind with lots of fertile input about your topic and about life in general. Keep your mind clear and relaxed, and choose the right level of challenge for you that will put you into the flow state, where concentration becomes effortless and you lose track of time.
Your Spirit
When I started studying the creative process about 20 years ago, I was surprised to find that it was linked to spirituality! Julia Cameron covers this beautifully in The Artist's Way; I highly recommend it. Develop your intuition (there are lots of great books available on this). Give meditation and solitude a try.
Perhaps the trickiest part is the paradox of passive volition. This is where you clarify what it is you want to create, and maybe play around with it a bit. Then you back off, and keep an open, accepting attitude, listening for the pieces as they come together. If you're a fan of the movie/book/audiobook "The Secret," by Rhonda Byrne, (www.thesecret.tv) then you are familiar with this already.
Your Emotions
The best advice here is simple but not always easy: feel your emotions, acknowledge and process them, and keep them moving on through. Don't bog yourself down with stuck emotions.
Journaling can help a lot here. I've written a guided journal called "The Whispering Heart," available through me for $10 US. Please email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com. Tax and shipping will depend on where you live. You can also request a 5-page free sample from the book!
Your Environment
See last week's post on creativity and your environment. Your work environment doesn't have to be opulent, but it does need to be nurturing and supportive.
Your Community
In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron says that we need "believing mirrors." These are the people who will hold faith in your work until you are ready to hold it for yourself. Barbara Sher, a career counselor and author, says, "Isolation is the dream-killer."
My friend Mary Beth and I have weekly "Dig-Ins" where we call each other and state what we are going to work on for the next hour. Then we hang up and get to work, followed by a check-in call at the end to see what we've accomplished. Instant accountability and focus! After our first hour, Mary Beth said, "I got more done on this project in one hour than I have in the past month!" It sounds simple, but it works. Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com if you'd like to try it. I don't charge for this; it helps me, too!
All my best,
Susan
P.S. A special note to those who feel they have put their creativity aside in order to raise kids: raising children is one of the most creative things you can do! You wear many creative hats as a parent: entertainer, problem-solver, role model, soul soother, cheerleader and facilitator for their talents, and much more. Enjoy your on-the-job training!
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