Remembering our Creative Essence
Today I thought I would share a couple of things that have really helped me when clarifying and discerning what it is I want to be up to on my creative pilgrimage.
When we start on a creative journey, or a new venture, often we have a sense of why we are wanting to create and some ideas about what that looks like. We then play around for a bit, make some progress, have fun, and then somewhere along the line we get stuck - or frustrated or lost - or at least that’s what I have observed. Of course - this is all an essential part of the creative process, its just that we forget to love the whole experience as opposed to just the juicy bits!
This can show up as writer’s block, the frustrating painting we can’t resolve, or even a relationship that started off so well. Whether it is wanting to create a new business, a piece of art or even learn something new that we haven’t experienced before; we can love the beginning phase, get all excited and energised and then before we know it reach a point where we don’t know what to do next, or it feels so enormous that we get overwhelmed and then don’t do anything at all.
What has been universally helpful to me, is understanding what we are creating in our experience when this happens and the broader context of what is working behind the scenes. This is what I call the pre-nup to the Creative Contract. This creative pre-nup sets out the principles that govern how we are thinking about, and experiencing, our creative project or intentions, or life. A set of of loving reminders that work in every situation. This includes; -
1) That we are creative, it’s our factory default setting, so if we think we are stuck, we can create our way out of it - our capacity to have ideas and insights is limitless - so if we get out of our own way, (yes sometimes that’s leaving it and doing something else for a bit) fresh thinking will come. This is the natural process of being human. You cannot, not be creative, it is innate, for all of us. (yes you too!) Yes, no exceptions, it really is that simple. And of course the nature of being human means it doesn’t always feel that way!
2) That we are alive and we are part of the infinite creative intelligence and energy that is behind all of life as we know it (and beyond), and this is always working for us and through us. (even when we are stuck……..especially when we are stuck!)
3) That we have an ever expanding awareness, of these universal principles. The more aware we become the easier it is to remember our true nature as humans, the greater energy we are a part of, and trust in our capacity to find our flow again.
With our creative pre-nup done - we set the foundations for success and creative flow as well as having a handy oil can to fall back on, to lubricate the wheels if they get wobbly!
Next, as a coach, I realised that I had some useful tools in my toolkit that I could apply to my creative endeavours.
When I work with a new client we have an initial session to see if we are a good fit, scope out what they want to achieve from having a coach, a bit about what coaching is and what its not, and some parameters and boundaries that will set our relationship up for success.
It occurred to me that I could do a similar thing and contract with myself around my creative practice and aspirations. So I started writing my creative contract. A kind of coaching contract with my creative practice. e.g. “Dear Clare, thank you for taking the time to explore what you want to achieve from our co-creative time together - what I heard you says as your priorities are….. - what you can expect from me as your co-creative partner is…….. - What I expect from you in return is…….” . Through this process you have creative licence to really tune into what you want from yourself and creation as your partner in this adventure.
I found this process super helpful and repeat it often. I feel I have an energetic “contract” with my creative practice - and I am a willing and co-operative partner with her - for mutual benefit. By having this contract in place, having set my intentions, I can then just show up and play and respond to what arises on the journey. I can be a free range chicken within the metaphorical chicken coop of my creative contract. Essentially, I can trust the process, the pre-nup principles, and the whole field of creation, to have my back, whatever my experience.
The other helpful aspect of this is that when I get stuck I go back to the creative pre-nup and check my starting point, before revisiting the contract terms. Often I find I am either too attached to what I think the outcome should be or I am taking a limited view of my capabilities and not trusting my ever-renewing creative capacity sufficiently. Always good to see!
I hope this has provided some insight into how we can create a container for our creative practice to flourish. As always, take what resonates for you and leave what doesn’t.
Either way I hope you have a great creative week whatever you are up to!