Creative connection starts in the heart space, plain and simple. Whatever your unique gifts, talents, passions or abilities, the heart fuels them all. So what happens when you lose that heart connection or it gets plugged up with emotional junk, especially around the holidays?
Your creative insights “power down” to a slow roll, what you are creating seems “off” or you feel shut off from the joy of the season, which creates a roadblock in your focus and heart.
In order to create within the spirit of the holidays, it’s important to find and feel joy in a way that’s meaningful to you – not what it means to everyone else. It’s easy to get disconnected from the true spirit of what you are creating with last minute client needs crowding your desk, presents to buy (or make) and errands to run before family descend on your house while your head gets stuffed with expectations and a growing to-do list.
Yet, you are the only one who can make your inner creative connection a priority.
How you choose to create your daily experience, especially during holiday rush time, is just as important, if not more so, than what you create all year long. The energy of what you are feeling goes into each piece you craft, each client exchange you share and contributes to the overall vibe of your business and personal relationships.
Make Sure your Heart is Clear and Connected to the Experience you Want to Create
Once you notice feeling disconnected, stressed or low on creative spark, what’s next?
Take the time to check in with the state of your heart. Here’s an exercise that can help:
Spend at least 15 minutes alone to sit in quiet and meditate, listen to relaxing music or spend time with your pet. If you are a more active person, go for a walk or do some cardio or yoga to get out of your mind back into the body. Pay attention to how you feel physically as you begin to move your focus from what’s swirling in your mind, and take note of any emotions bubbling up.
Stay focused on the physical sensations in the body being triggered by any emotions that are surfacing. Make note of what they are, then begin to tune into your heart. How is it feeling. What is it telling you? Are the emotions you felt earlier still present or have they subsided? Are there other emotions coming up?
Write them down.
Once you’ve captured any thoughts or frustrations, start asking yourself some simple questions to fine tune the information:
- What is really stressing me out? Work, deadlines, relationships, obligations, no “me” time? Am I willing to let it go?
- Is there something about the holidays in general that stirs up uncomfortable, emotional memories?
- Is an upcoming visit with family making me stressed? Can I change the plans or timing?
- Is there something I can say “no” to, and replace that open space with alone time and self-care to make it through the busy holiday season?
- Can I let go of what I think I need to get done, and re-tune my schedule to refocus on different priorities and lighten the load?
- Are there things I’ve learned this year that I know I can plan for or do differently next year to honor my creativity?
Listen to the Heart, but Don’t Over-think What you Hear
Don’t overthink your responses — there’s no right answer to these questions. Your first reaction is how the heart speaks to you honestly, telling you what you need to mend the creative connection within, not how you SHOULD feel just because it’s the holidays.
Take a little take some time to review and sit with your responses. The themes and patterns you see in your answers will paint a clearer picture of the areas that need a bit of extra mindfulness or love. These are the “hot buttons” that tend to plug up your heart space and diminish the quality of your creative connection.
Be aware you might also need to cry, yell into a pillow, write down your feelings to help express them, take more frequent breaks, step away and do more physical activity — whatever resonates with your heart as a helpful way to get clear and reconnect to the joy of heart-centered doing.
The more willing you are to practice acts of self-love during the busy holiday season, the more vibrant your heart will be, allowing you to pour that love into everything you create with your hands and your mind.
If the holidays are tougher this year than you anticipated, let’s get together for a creative reflection call. A little perspective can go a long way.
Photo Credit: Stephen, Daniel Colvin, Paul Reid