It’s easy to say you want to be more connected to your creative flow in daily life. Yet, if I ask most people what being in the creative flow looks or feels like, it’s not easy to explain.
So, is it necessary to always “know” if you are in creative mode instead of just riding the wave of inspiration? Not at all. However, if you are feeling more and more disconnected from yourself, or if flickers of creativity seem to be missing from your life altogether, it can be a sign that your creative flow is in hibernation.
Sound familiar? Then you just had a moment of awareness about your own creative flow. It really is that simple.
Creative Connection Does Not Always Equal Huge A-Ha Moments
An open daily commitment to your creative flow can seem like just one more thing on an already full plate. It will continue to feel that way, if the brain takes charge. A block in creative flow is not about jumping into “fix” mode, (something the brain loves to do). It’s a process of relaxing and opening your heart, an awareness that’s your choice, moment to moment.
With the recent surge in marketing by speakers, healers, “gurus”, it can seem like being in the creative flow is about having huge A-HA moments that dramatically change your life in an instant. It’s also how they market what they do because there is such a short period of time to grab your attention. So while it’s absolutely possible for life to transform in an instant, big creative insights show up most often for people who are willing to stick to a simple plan that allows them to crack open their self-awareness and how they view their own creative process.
This is why meditation is often one of the most frequently suggested gateways to delving deeper into your own inner guidance. With so much noise and distraction in the everyday physical world, how would you even know what to listen to, or if the creative voice you are hearing is really your own? If you have no awareness of what you see as your own creative “mode” how do you know when it’s knocking on your door, ready to play? Better yet, how do you dive into it?
Knowing your Own Creative Flow is a Living Experiment
To me, knowing your creative flow is very much about your everyday choices. Each day is full of choices to make, some that require in-depth thought and tons more that are pretty much a reflex. Even if you spent one day being more mindful of how certain choices make you feel, you can get some really good information on when your creative flow is open or shutting down.
Doing this exercise allows the mind to step aside long enough for you notice when you zone out and go on auto-pilot, or are more in your body, in the flow of the day. It would also help you notice if a specific person seems to zap your energy, or what tasks make you feel squirmy or uncomfortable.
Creativity is not some big mystery you need to solve. It’s about stepping into the flow of something that feels so natural and comfortable that it’s effortless. It really can be ANYTHING you do. The key is giving yourself some space, every day, to acknowledge the way your creative flow speaks to you.
Photo credit: lucid-light on deviant art