“We can’t always choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it.” – unknown
There’s not a lot we can control in this life, but we can control our reactions.
This may be a cliché statement, but it’s true, and I have discovered personally how important this reminder is when creating and bringing forth your art.
I believe art is sacred, and when the creative process is in flow, there is something that goes far beyond our own physical beings to create the full work. For me, I believe in a higher being and that God is behind every work that I create. My hope is that the readers of my books and articles feel the spirituality, love and intention in my work.
For you, there might be another entity that you feel when you’re in the flow and creating your work, but whatever you call it, there is something very powerful about bringing something forth that never existed before—a story, a painting, a craft, a dance, a melody.
Art is something personal
And this is also why our works always become something quite personal.
Since our works are personal, though, there are inherently ups and downs in the creative process. This is also why the finished piece is a great act of love. To stay with a project when moments of doubt and uncertainty cloak your pieces shows great strength, dedication, and in the end, character.
I personally have had a habit, in the past, of wanting to be too disciplined and too controlling with the process along the way of my writing projects. I would strive for perfection, which is good, but also not good if it comes at the cost of truly appreciating what you set out to create and the heartful intention that was behind the work in the first place.
It’s important to remind ourselves, throughout the process, that sometimes we may not like the music that is playing in the moment, but it is almost always essential in finding our way towards what we want to say.
At a certain point in the creation of a work, it is inevitable that you must let go and trust the process. I have found that when I do this, everything turns out well. I have also learned that it’s better to keep yourself in a more relaxed state than to have a breakdown, so to speak, and then come to this conclusion.
If we get ourselves too upset over a moment in the process, I believe that impacts the work and our approach to the future and the completion of the project. This negativity can also be carried into future works.
Choosing how we dance
I also believe that choosing how we dance to the problems within our creative projects becomes greatly relevant when our endeavours have to transition from our own personal work into the collaborative space, with editors, collaborators, marketers, finishers and tweakers of any sort.
The key is learning to dance as the work moves, and to always keep positive energy around your work.
It is at this point that we are pushed into seeing our work from every angle, with a more open vision.
This collaborative contribution is what brings our works to life, but it does sometimes have blocks along the way, and may drift away, at times, from your initial vision. As I mentioned before, the key is learning to dance as the work moves, and to always keep positive energy around your work.
Finally, I have learned that you must always show your work grace, meaning if something didn’t go quite the way you planned—there’s something you would have fixed or changed, or there’s something you missed and now it’s too late to change it—it is so important to still love your work. Love it for the journey it took you on, the process along the way, the messages you passionately brought forth, the lives your work will undoubtedly impact and for how it will guide you more clearly into the next project.
These are all lessons I have learned. I did not start off showing myself this kind of grace and maturity throughout the process, and I still get caught up in my emotions, but having this perspective and reminder has helped me. This quote, “We can’t always choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it,” is also the perfect reinforcement.
8 tips for fellow creators
Now, here are some tips for my fellow creators out there that I continue to implement myself, because creativity really is sacred. It is sensitive. It is personal, and it is also absolutely beautiful when it is surrounded by love throughout the entire process and beyond.
- Stay loose. Put in the dedication and work, but when you’ve reached your limit, do not force your creativity. Show yourself some grace, and take a walk or do some kind of physical activity or chore that frees your mind for more ideas to come in.
- Visualize a heart around your project, especially when the going gets tough and confusing.
- Trust that your work is protected, and in the end, it will be greater than you could have imagined.
- Engage positively with problems. Step away when you feel yourself becoming emotional or irrational. There is a reason why the phrase “sleep on it” is used so often—I’m still trying to master this one.
- If there is something that cannot be fixed within your finished product, show yourself grace. You can do this by making a list of everything that you love about the work, what it taught you, what you learned that you can bring into the process for your next project, and what you hope your readers, viewers and listeners gain from the work you’ve created—what your heartful intention for the piece was right from the beginning, or what came to be with the project that you are proud of.
- Think about all the wonderful people who collaborated with you on this project and the love, care and vision that they put into this work (a great journaling subject).
- Compliment yourself along the way, and at the completion of your work, about the problems you’ve solved and the creative vision you have gained (a great journaling subject).
- Collect compliments—this has helped me so many times! Mariah Carey has a room dedicated to her fans that I believe she named “The Butterfly Room,” where she has all the mementos that they have made and given to her, and cards and notes about how her music has impacted them. This is so important. We all need an uplift from time to time. Put together a box, an album or something else in which you can store the compliments you have received for your work and your unique being. This will help you remember that you are special and have a clear purpose in this life, because you do!
Read this list as many times as you need to, especially in times of frustration.
Wishing you all the absolute best with your creative endeavours! May you continue to bless this world with your unique soul and spirit.
"СВЯЗАННОЕ ЧТЕНИЕ" CREATIVITY IS ESSENTIAL: 10 ways for artists to stay motivated»
фото 1 Pexels с Pixabay 2 изображение за Pexels с Pixabay 3 изображение за Merlin Lightpainting с Pixabay
