Your creativity is not a static experience. It flows according to your thoughts, desires, interests, expectations and passions as well as your frustrations and disappointments. When you are stuck on a particular thought (positive or negative) it sets the stage, and focus, on whatever keeps running through your mind and heart, limiting or expanding creativity.
However, that doesn’t mean that you have to think positive thoughts at every waking moment (unless you want to). It does mean that your thoughts are a barometer for your heart, helping you tune into things you may not realize consciously – until you make an effort to listen.
When you notice a particular experience is hard to shake, take note. If there are words that keep replaying in your mind and lift your spirits, say them often, mindfully. When there are unexpected challenges that seem more work than they are worth, just breathe, be patient and see if you can let go of it all looking the way it’s “supposed to”.
Then be open to letting your creativity inspire new solutions.
Wading Through the Rough Patches with Self-Awareness
Last week I got a bit stuck in a negative thought loop and it really drained my creativity. I’m attempting to get myself set up on Quick Books online and it has not been smooth sailing. Not only has it been sucking every ounce of patience in an area where I already have little, there have been multiple technical difficulties in getting the tool to properly align with my online accounts to smoothly pull in the information I need.
In a situation where positive thinking would have been more helpful, I saw myself repeating thoughts about how hard it was and why the whole experience was such a hassle. I also jumped to the worse case scenario and let that energy impact my mood in all directions.
It took a few days of continued blocks and grumpy thoughts for me to finally say – OK, I release the need to try and figure this out right now.
As much as I want to power through a task that I see as unpleasant in order to get it over with, that’s not how it’s all working out. At the moment there is no way to use my creative problem solving skills to fix an issue that’s out of my hands – which is why it was time for me to step away from the tug of war rope. My pushing for perfect was not getting the problem solved and it was discounting the natural flow behind why it all might be happening this way in the first place.
Instead I focused on trusting my ability to know what to do when the time is right and find a new creative solution that works.
If there’s an area of your life that feels sticky, blocked or frustrating, instead of holding on or pushing, be willing to take the burden off your shoulders for a while. It might feel strange at first, but if you can put energy into something else that lifts your mood, you can come back in a few days with a refreshed perspective as well as a more flexible mind and heart.
Holding on creates the same ripples over and over. Isn’t it time to release what’s heavy and let your creativity guide you in new, exciting directions?
Want to read a little more on creative blocks and judgment? Check out my post called Can you Tell When Judgment Creep Snuffs Our your Creative Spark? Have some areas where you get blocked over and over? Share them in the comments and I can help.
Feel ready to chat about what might be standing in your way? Connect with me for some creativity coaching or an intuitive reading. You can also check out my new podcast called Flirting with Enlightenment where my me and my spiritual coach partner talk about mindfulness, creativity and finding your spiritual groove.
Photo credit: Wading water – sarah-ji