Who Are You Showing Up For?
“Close your eyes and imagine your inner Creative as an entity, a character, a creature of some kind.”
This was the instruction I gave for the opening creative exercise at the Creative Goals Working Circle earlier this week. It was followed by 5 minutes of doodling, allowing our inner Creative to introduce itself to us on paper.
Then, I invited everyone to have a brief discussion with their inner Creative to determine what they would work on during the rest of the Circle.
Why?
Because if we could see our creativity as an alive part of ourselves, then we are more likely to cultivate a happy and healthy relationship with it.
Many of us are pretty good about showing up for others and often not so good about showing up for ourselves, our projects, our joys. Even at work we will prioritize what everyone else expects first before developing an idea that could be pretty amazing if only we had the time and energy…
This is what much of my coaching and teaching is about: Helping people show up for the things that deeply matter to them. Even if we think our creative idea is worth our time and plan to prioritize it in some way, our behaviors reveal underlying beliefs and conditioning that negate our rational, determined plans.
And it takes time to root it out. In fact, I find for myself that it has to be an ongoing practice. If you resonate with this, here are a few tips to help you show up for your creativity in any area of your life:
Doodle your inner Creative or find an image somewhere that can represent this part of you that you want to show up for. Frame it like you would a loved one. When you make plans to develop your ideas, envision meeting this entity. Imagine their disappointment if you don’t show up. If you absolutely can’t show up, do what you would do with anyone else, say you are sorry and reschedule!
Don’t make it all WORK. Reframe this time as PLAY. It does NOT mean you don’t honor the time, but it does mean that you will approach it in a different spirit! If you make it feel like work, it will slowly become another thing you HAVE to do instead of something you want to do.
Watch your inner narrative. If you find yourself saying that you HAVE to WORK on that creative project - STOP! You CHOOSE to or, even better, you GET to PLAY with it! Sometimes even our most meaningful, creative projects are challenging; however, if we remember the truth that we are choosing to do it and want to do it, then it becomes positive stress (Eustress) that is motivating and rewarding. (As opposed to Distress which blocks motivation and progress.)
Know that HOW you do it matters. How is the difference between grinding work or playful progress. Take a second to reflect on what is fun about being in a creative space so you can keep recreating that experience.
Find a friend for support. I can almost guarantee that you know several people who want to do something meaningful and creative, but are struggling to create the time for it. Tell each other when you want to commit to your creative calling and make a plan for checking in.
Create various ways to show up. Sometimes showing up is jumping in and making obvious progress. Sometimes it is meditating or contemplating. Sometimes it is reading or watching for inspiration. Sometimes it is simply sitting in your creative space and seeing what happens!
Decide what is realistic to accomplish. If you got an hour, then take into account your current state of motivation and energy and determine what you could actually achieve in that amount of time. Reaching a goal, even a small one, creates positive momentum!
Write down your next step. Once your time is up, take a second to write down what you want to play with next. This will help you slide right back into the project when you show up again. Oftentimes we create barriers for ourselves because we don’t want to figure out where we left off or we had a great idea, but can’t remember it.
Plan your next play time with your inner Creative. When I love hanging out with someone, it is natural for us to make a plan for when we are going to meet up again. Build this same relationship with your inner Creative. Make a commitment to them and put it in your planner alongside all your other meetings to help your brain get on board!
If you haven’t been able to show up, there is nothing wrong with you. It takes a whole lot of practice and a surprising amount of executive function to do so! Which of these tips will you try this week?
★ Creative Challenge ★ Doodle your Inner Creative and put them in a frame next to your loved ones.