You are not your past, but you’ve shaped a creative future based on it.
The things you want to do but never tried,
Fears you’ve faced and grown past,
Desires that kept tickling your heart and never silenced,
The people who made you strong with their support or by a complete lack of it,
Dreams that seemed as big as the sky and just as far away…
These experiences, feelings and soul cries are all part of what makes your path unlike anyone else’s, influencing how you view your past – or choose to step into the creative future.
Catching Yourself in a Flashback Sequence
The siren song of a well-tread past can also feel oddly comforting, which makes it easy to hang out there even though your creative future is ringing the doorbell.
The last few days I find myself reminiscing a bit more than usual about lots of things. Friends that have come and gone yet really only new one dimension of me. The creative opportunities that offered the world on the surface and crumbled at the roots. Dreams that seemed so important, yet slipped away into the night while I was chasing smoke and mirrors. Tired, cracked heart strings that wore down to the quick because self-care came last on my list.
And of course…the story I tell myself about how certain things could have gone better somehow – even though I know in my heart it’s absolutely untrue.
What I do know for a fact about the past is how easily it can become romanticized, or how simple it can seem to rehash the details into a better flowing, more fulfilling story line.
Yet, why try?
The power of the past is not in rehashing it, but enjoying it’s highlights and lessons so you can turn around and embrace a creative future that holds possibility and promise – and use what you’ve learned in a more creative way.
The Past is Simply an Emotional Touchstone of Learning
It’s easy to feel in the thick of emotions heavily infused into a past experience. As an empath I can quickly slide right back into the emotional vibe of a past exchange, like I’m feeling it all over again for the first time.
Now I’m extra mindful of falling into memory loops that keep me reliving an emotional experience that has long since ended, and shift my focus to my best lesson from the past – the ability to choose self-love first. Everything else is up for grabs, but I’m the only one who has the power to choose me, every time.
To look towards your creative future is not about completely forgetting you have a past. It’s about knowing when you can say thank you, goodbye and step forward into something that doesn’t already have well-worn tire tracks.
Celebrate the past and what you’ve gained. Honor your path and how far you’ve come. Then turn towards your creative future and ask yourself, “What’s Next?”
Not done reading just yet? Check out some previous posts to help you re-frame change and moving forward: Change, Flashbacks and Getting Past your Backstory and Creativity Kick-Start: Forgiveness and Creative Choices.
Photo credit: BK – quote, MCAD Library – touchstone