Being present with and navigating the energy and emotion of endings and beginnings at the same time is a tricky process. It’s easy to fall into the pattern of creating great plans, intentions, strategies and long lists as we wrap up one year and begin another, and do it all on auto-pilot. In a way it’s a holiday tradition - finding our personal way to say goodbye to the current year and look forward to the promise of the next. But let’s be honest, 2020 has offered up a much more of … [Read more...]
Balancing the Weight of Evidence and Trust in Creative Endeavors
May 6, 2019 By Leave a Comment
There’s no way around it; embarking on creative endeavors has a baked-in requirement - that we learn the unique balance between evidence and trust. The balance doesn’t have to be equal in measure, but it does need to feel authentic, and in alignment with what we value and want to create. If we place too much focus on “evidence” we can convince ourselves right out of an idea, or into one built around safety rather than inspiration. When our values are not our own, but based … [Read more...]
Taking External Action is Only One Part of the Creative Equation
February 4, 2019 By Leave a Comment
It’s easy to focus on taking external action as the most important part of creative expression. Our culture puts a lot of emphasis on getting moving, crossing things off the list, clearing, building, growing and having something to show for our time and efforts. The actions we take also give us a feeling of purpose and worthiness, especially when we share details in conversation with others or on social media. So when we are in a creative action lull, or more … [Read more...]
Making it Through a Creative Desert to the Other Side
November 6, 2017 By Leave a Comment
It takes guts to admit when we are in the middle of a creative desert, especially if we aren’t sure how to get out of it to the other side. The experience can start out innocently enough. Distractions become more engaging than looking at what’s “dried up”, and why. Drama inflicted by others takes on a new level of importance, and there’s always lots of excuses about timing and inspiration. We might also focus on what isn’t working to a fault, instead of what we can … [Read more...]
Heal the Survival Self, Dream With the Thriving Self
January 30, 2017 By Leave a Comment
What part of you wants to create and allows yourself to dream - the survival self or the thriving self? It’s an important question to ask. The creative dreams, goals and hopes we hold dear are clearly connected to an aspect within us. So the question becomes, is the impulse to create coming from a place of pure joy (thriving self), or a place of safety (survival self)? Are you willing to hear the answer? To find out, it helps to get a clearer … [Read more...]
Why It’s Time to Embrace the Unsexy Parts of Self-Expression and Creativity
September 26, 2016 By 1 Comment
A flash of insight, the burning desire to create and an outpouring of deep, honest self-expression are definitely part of the creative process. Also part of creativity...long hours, doubt, frustration, mundane tasks, starting over and feeling like you don’t know your own voice. This is not a bad thing, it’s just not...sexy. It's so much easier to live in the dreamy part of your vision! Yet, embracing the unsexy parts of self-expression leads to more honest … [Read more...]
The Ego, Creative Identity, and Tuning into a Healthy Balance
December 14, 2015 By 2 Comments
The evolution of your creative identity is one of the most fun aspects of being human. You get to experiment, play and build something, over and over, in new ways. There are opportunities for healing through self-expression, and chances to bust out of a comfort zone and really test your potential. On the flip side, you have an ego with basic human needs that wants validation, a sense of connection and safety. To balance these forces within you takes a … [Read more...]
Noticing When Comfort Lulls you into Making Imbalanced Creative Compromises
November 2, 2015 By Leave a Comment
To find your rhythm in life and connect with what you feel is your true creative vibe is one of the things we strive for most as human beings. The search for a truthful process of self-expression that’s real and fulfills the need within you to be heard and truly seen can provide validation that you matter, that your contribution matters to someone, somewhere. This instant jet fuel for the creative spirit is a wonderful motivator and co-conspirator, helping you feel alive and … [Read more...]
Ditch Energetic Scatter and Root Down with One Creative Step Forward
October 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment
When you have a big dream it’s not always easy to buckle down and focus on a single aspect of it, one creative step at a time. The rush of emotions and excitement you feel when connecting with your vision can feel intoxicating and delicious, like it alone can feed you for months to come. The haze of excitement is a great kick-off fuel that motivates you to go all in, but what about the little actions that make a creative project a reality? What about the grounding steps … [Read more...]
Creative Zen: Releasing Attachment to How your Creativity Pays Off
October 12, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Creative zen can encompass many things. A sense of peace and calm as you create from the heart. Blending the powers of body and mind in the present moment to create with your whole sense of self. Tuning in and staying aware of your own thoughts to really “be” in the flow. All of these things (and so many more) enable you to tap into the essence of what you feel drawn to create and the ways you want to express yourself. Yet, this maybe a bit trickier to manage when making a … [Read more...]