People often think creativity as an act of doing, when really it starts as a act of being. Being in the moment, being aware, being open to and delving into feelings; that is where you dive into the creative meat, the real deal.
Seeds of inspiration come from observing so many things; yourself, your surroundings, your past, but they don’t always show up when you want them to. So, when you come to a creative pause what is best? To try and push through the barrier with the e-brake on or take a sugary cupcake break?
Step One: Feel the Ick
When you feel blocked in any way creatively without knowing or sensing a reason, its really an underlying feeling distracting you. Instead of fighting it and filling time with people, household tasks or all out debauchery to avoid it, embrace it.
Lie in bed, sit in a tree, snuggle with a pet, punch a pillow or two (no, drinking beer doesn’t count) — whatever you need to do to actually “feel” the feeling and release it. It may be icky, or it may be the highest high of joys in your life, you never know until you actually feel it. The blocks are merely invitations to feel into what needs to be released and move forward in a more creative way.
Step 2: Don’t Push
So its your designated creative time to show up and connect to your funky fresh gifts, except nothing is coming.Ten minutes later there is still nothing coming. You start to get frustrated, and then think something is wrong, letting in the panic. You imagine tiny gnomes have taken over your brain, scurrying off with your creative flair, or even worse, the only thing left in your head is a horrible pop song. Judgments start forming in the back of your mind, waiting to spew forth and soon enough, you feel your creative genius is now on par with a reality show.
The brain always wants to jump in and start talking AT us…something is wrong, why are you still sitting here? There are a million other things you could be doing right now. Its trying to push you to act, and the constant promptings hold you at bay from accessing a true creative state. When this happens its time to back off and save the creative effort for another time. Turn your attention to more productive things like saving small school children or puppies.
Step 3: Embrace Creative Lightening Strikes
Does creativity look like something specific to you? Lose the boundaries and form. Get a notebook or pad or random scrap of paper and start writing down ideas as they come…in the middle of the night, as you are pumping gas, when you are in the middle of traffic yelling and shaking your fist at the old lady in front of you, whenever the lightening strikes. This not only helps preserve great ideas for later use, but honors your creative light as it shows up.
Step 4: Move Beyond the Reach of the Office Chair
With as much sitting as we do as a working culture no wonder we feel stagnant and stuck. Get your ass up and move around! Take a walk beyond the fridge and get some fresh air. Find an activity you are passionate about and do it regularly. Find a group to exercise with and make it fun instead of a chore. The energy shift though physical movement is about more than working off that half bag of Cheetos, its about clearing out old, outdated thoughts that build up over time, thoughts that block out your creative impulses and desires.
Step 5: Find a Creative Buddy
If you have consistent challenges with creative blocks or meeting deadlines, find a buddy. Not a drinking or shopping buddy, a creative buddy, someone who will call you out on your crap when you insist on wearing it as a warm, comfy blanket. With the variety of creative personalities in this world there has to be someone who loves you enough to tell you when you are being ridiculous or talk you off the ledge. Just be sure to select someone you really respect, or you will just end up feeling resentful of their input.
These are just some steps to identifying when to push forward or hang back in the creative doldrums. Just remember, you are never doing anything “wrong”. You are just taking a different track then planned, perhaps a track that will empower you to take down those damn gnomes once and for all.