Electric creative change. It’s everywhere. In and between people. Around big, community shifting issues. Among business connections and collaborations. And as fresh creative ways of thinking and being are coming to the surface right now, it’s time to decide; same old comfy shoes this round or time for a fresh, sparkly pair of new kicks?
Sometimes fear chooses for us. “Same old shoes for me, thank you. I have enough crap I’m dealing with already.” Other times we pull out the dusty old excuse of “no time”. So, yeah, neither of these get points for originality BUT they are the most common and often used excuses that have become so acceptable as a social norm, that no one bothers to question it. And most of the time we are just using these excuses to placate ourselves into feeling better about passively avoiding creative change.
For many of us, change usually comes as a result of something bubbling to the surface that can no longer be tolerated. Few people feel free to change for the sake of changing, but what an amazing opportunity to dig in and create; it’s the root of where everything starts. It’s a universal gift no matter who you are and where you come from to decide to change how you think — we each just pull from different “tools” of personal experience. It’s the one creative opportunity that never leaves you, even if you aren’t always sure how to use it.
Wiggle It, Just a Little Bit
And as life wiggles along, you also have amazing creative opportunities that suddenly show up, sometimes sending you into a panic, because you are surprised. You forgot that you are actively creating each and every day by how you think, act towards others, and what you embrace or reject in your mind and heart. So when a big creative change appears (and you may add judgment to how it looks or shows up) it can rock the foundation of everything you know or feel is true for you.
Look, I get it. Change means actual CHANGE. Thinking and doing things differently than you do right now and it can have far reaching consequences — meaning — you may need to do it differently from NOW ON. And the thought of creating or building new momentum is often what frightens people. Why? They focus on the long-term upkeep and challenge ahead before they even start off, and that’s enough for them to say F-IT. Soon there is a pathway created that has a default setting of F-IT, and then you are where you are, doing and thinking the same thing over and over, wondering why the world looks so much sexier outside of you.
The Temptation of the Mind
I know and deeply understand the temptation of thinking. Mastered it. It’s safe. Protected. Comfy. It’s also a flat line for your creative spirit and joy in life. What’s there to expect when you already have it all figured out?
Life is not comprised of one BIG creative idea or opportunity that is going to come give you a fresh slap in the face. It’s in the everyday thoughts and connections with others that the real creative spark lies hidden, waiting for you to uncover it like a little kid hiding under a blanket. The kid is so excited you found them, and the joy on their face is simply amazing as they wait to see what’s next.
This is something I have to remind myself of often because my brain DOES and WILL take over. Soon I’m out thinking myself in a chess match and I didn’t even realize I was in a game. At times it can be so subtle and ingrained it’s second nature, sending my brain into a fit and my intuition (one my biggest and useful assets) gets frozen out entirely. Then I really feel out of balance and everything is that much harder.
Creative change is a process and how we manage it will morph and develop as we become more aware and learn to balance the new within the change. Just remember it’s not the end of the world, even if it feels like it. It’s just the end of the world as you currently know it.
So now it’s time to create something brand, spankin’ new! Get to it! Have some great tips for moving through change? Share them here so we all can learn.
Photo by Send me adrift on Flickr