Photo by alfarman on Flickr
There are big picture types of questions people often ask themselves when they are searching within for deeper, more heart-centered truths, the kinds of truths that make them who they are and give them a reason to open their eyes and move with creative purpose. And like with anything in life, the question you ask and how you ask it will provide the insight you need to move forward with confidence to make choices that balance head and heart.
However, there is one question people often see as a be-all tool to unearth what lies within; as a red hot solution to excavate the creative truths hiding inside for expression, and it’s a question that drives me absolutely insane… “If money were no object and you could do anything in the world with your life and time, what would it be?”
GAH! This question! While well-intentioned, it misses two very important parts; permission and inspiration.
When you are truly inspired there is no reason to ask this question. The money doesn’t enter into it. It’s once you are ready to take actual steps in the physical world that you need to bother the mind with such practical things. It’s like putting the cart before the horse, and now the horse has no incentive to move because you spaced on bringing the bag of carrots, but the horse still EXPECTS them in the back of its mind. And just like that, the money piece can cloud creative exploration.
First Steps First: Empty Out the Brain
To truly open the creative flood gates and get down though the layers of mind-placed barriers and fears, first give yourself permission to release ALL attachments and responsibilities in the physical world, just for a little while. So instead of focusing on if money were no object (because now you are thinking about it to some degree, and feel that condition needs to be present in order for you to follow creative inspiration), think about the glorious joy of being alone and self-sustaining. No requests or demands from others, no need to keep a schedule, no need to or do anything specific — just pure full open ALONE time. Then you see what really pops up…
…fears, abandonment issues, shoulds, frustrations, entitlements, expectations…just to name a few. And these are what truly stand in your creative way, not the pressure of “can I make money following my creative passion???”
When you are truthful with yourself in connecting with what is blocking your own heart, then you can actually begin to tap into what really connects you to your inner peace and inspiration; what brings you a lightening rod of joy and turns up the corners of your mouth into a smile, what you can’t imagine not doing, or the unexpressed project or passion that distracts you from “real work.” THAT is what you need to allow “in” to be open to exploring your inner creative fire.
There is a Way to be Practical and Creative
For many years I followed my writing talents by the money. I went to a business-focused private college because how dare I think I could just write and people would care to read it, and, more importantly, how will I feed myself? While I’m so grateful for all I learned (and use so many of those skills for marketing, strategy and other ways in my business), my initial decisions about following my gifts didn’t start out with me trusting my own ability as a creative writer — even though I had always gotten positive feedback about it.
Let’s face it…there are so many voices, so many of us with a beautiful message, but it doesn’t mean that all of us need to write, should write or are writing for any reason other than fun. And what’s wrong with that? There is no better example than the Harry Potter series, or dare I say, 50 Shades of Grey. Love or hate the writing, these women just followed their heart, doing what was fun. Does that mean you have to follow the same path and gain the notoriety and money in order to feel as if your creative talent of choice is worth the risk? Well, it is all in how you ask the question, isn’t it? What it’s worth to you is only known by you, and until you dig deep past the layers of what stands in the way of your heart, there is absolutely no way to know what creativity is waiting there; what feels most fulfilling to your heart.
Just keep in mind three key, simple elements to any deep-hearted question — part asking, part listening and part receiving.
- Ask your soul or inner-self a question that has pure intention and no agenda — it might take a bit to find the right feel to the question
- Listen to the answers you get with your ears, mind and heart — through coincidences, chance meetings with people or animals, the gut that tells you something is a fit or fear (then find out what kind of fear) or just simply — does it make your heart sing?
- And most important, just sit back and receive with no agenda, judgement or a need to get an answer “in an instant.”
Are these steps easy? Well, you will need to repeat them thousands of times in your life for countless reasons, but the faster you get started, the easier it will be to peel back the layers and release what’s in the way to the creativity lurking underneath.
It’s also when you are willing to create and explore how to connect with your own inner knowing are you free of huge, vast open-ended questions like my big “pet peeve question”. Instead, you get to what creative ideas are just germinating — without the weight of pre-set conditions or expectations.
I would love to hear more about how other people approach similar inner creative connection. What works or falls flat?