I've heard from many creatives that it takes too long to get in and out of the "creative zone" so they can't find the time to do their creative work, because they have to have big long chunks of time to get into the groove, actually do the work, and get back out of it.
I used to believe this too.
When I first set up my Sacred Writing Time on Fridays, I was trying to do some work on my coaching business and then do some writing, but I found it extremely difficult to do.
I figured it was because it was "too hard to shift gears" from one type of work to another.
What's true about this is that they ARE different kinds of work.
So I decided that Fridays would be ONLY for writing. And that helped for a while.
Creating Everyday Turns It Around
But then I started my writing community, and I made a commitment to writing every weekday.
I reorganized my schedule to include writing time at the beginning of each day, and while I've sometimes struggled to do it first, I've pretty much managed to write every single day I intended to.
I've also found that jumping right back into my writing is nowhere near as hard as it used to be.
Turns out that creating more frequently, even for lesser amounts of time, makes it easier to keep your work fresh in your mind (something I've talked about in my free tips series for writers), and therefore easier to dive back into.
Resistance Is Oh-So-Obvious
Plus I'm finding that when I really do put my writing first, my resistance is much more obvious.
And therefore much easier to bust.
Case in point: Yesterday morning when I came home to write after dropping off my son at school, I found my fear coming up big time.
See, I'm at a key transition point in my writing where I'm moving into new territory, and my fearful self thinks I won't be able to come up with anything new.
Luckily, due to the daily writing community question I answer, "What negative self-statements did you notice?" I'm more clear about what I'm telling myself than I used to be.
So I was able to say to myself, "Okay, this is fear coming up. I'm going to do the best I can to face it and do this anyway. What will help me?"
And I had the insight almost instantaneously to use mind-mapping to help me get unstuck.
So I did.
And it did! I came up with a great new spin on one of my concepts that I'm very happy with.
To Sum Up
- We have lots of excuses for not doing our creative work.
- Resistance is more obvious and solvable when you face it every day.
- Writing (or creating, depending on your "thing") daily helps keep your work fresh in your mind.
- Time to get out of "all or nothing" thinking.
- Fear is only fear. Nothing more, nothing less. It takes courage to face it, but it's worth it.
Every one has things that get in the way of what they do. Its not that you are stuck as much as it is about letting things go and finding your self. You can try to force some things but you just can’t make anything happen unless you let go of the bags that weight you down emotionally and mentally and allow your self to truly be free. Then and only then can you let the flow of creativity guide your hand and your heart to create those great and powerful masterpieces . If you have your mind full of junk then that is what you will put out.
Love the idea of letting go of the junk to allow the creative masterpieces to flow out. Thanks, Matthew!
Fear is my biggest resistance. My art is acting – and even though I know and believe that I am talented, I never seem to let myself believe it when big auditions come up. When opportunities arise to potentially break out of my little shell, I shrink like a violet. On the rare occasions I do just go for it, sometimes I am cast, and then I almost always make the most of it. But those occasions are so rare because my fear takes the wheel all the time. Actually, fear rules just about every single aspect of my life – but we’re just talking about art for now :)
Fear makes me worry about money. Fear makes me worry about the future, instead of planning for it. The “all-or-nothing” mentality that you talk about is a big issue for me.
Sometimes I can convince myself that these fears aren’t real, and just tell myself “what the heck!” and submit my names for auditions even when I’m petrified. It’s an uphill battle, and I’m not winning yet, but I tell myself that the effort can be a small victory in itself.
David, As I read your note, I find myself thinking that the biggest job for you to tackle right now is clearing up these fears — as much as you — so you can do the creative work you are called to do. I love that you are already making small victories on that front, and I believe in your ability to forge ahead into new territory. Go for it! Find someone to help you unravel these stuck places, clean up any old creative wounds, and antidote any fearful beliefs you have swirling around in your mind. I want you to be the actor you are here to be.
Jenna, great topic – I felt like you were speaking directly to me. Between not making myself a priority and fear , little gets done on my creative endeavors. It only occurred to me recently how much fear dominates my life in almost every aspect; I’ll be going to a support group to help me sort through that. And I like the idea of taking time for me at the start of the day instead of the end of the day, of making my dreams a higher priority. Fortunately, my schedule allows for that. And thanks to David and Matthew for sharing their experiences; great insights.
Robin, great to hear from you. Thanks for posting!
Fear is so insidious, I’m so glad you are so aware of it — now you can make new choices. Glad to hear you are pursuing the support group, that sounds perfect.
I love to hear you are going to make your dreams a priority by putting them first in your day, that will make a HUGE difference. Let me know how it goes. :)