Creative Wounds

Creativity is a dynamic thing.   It ebbs and flows.

When you're in flow, it's awesome.  You're creating great stuff  - or learning great stuff and you don't care that the finished product is less than stellar.

A creative ebb is not so awesome.  Staring at the blank paper, brush in hand, wondering if every successful thing I've done before was a fluke is not my idea of a good time.

I was talking to an artist friend recently about what causes creative block and we ended up talking about the notion of 'creative wounds'.

Since then I've been thinking about the things that have caused creative wounds for me.   Wounds serious enough that I just don't want to try any more.

The most serious wounds for me come when I come face to face with my mindset problems.  And they almost always center around Expectations. 

• Others' expectations that my work should be better.  More original.  Less colorful.  More urban.  Less rural.  More sky.  Less sky.  More floral.  Less like me.  More like something else. 
• Others' expectations that they are the gatekeepers of beauty and they have the right to judge my creative output. 
• My expectations that my work should be better.  That it should be easier.   That I should be able to do things faster.  That I should have better composition, or color harmonies, or subject matter, or something.  That I should get into more juried shows and that if I don't, it means I'm a bad artist.  That someone else gets to decide what 'good' is and if I can just figure that out and spend 24/7 practicing, then finally I'll be 'Good'.  
• My expectation that all efforts that aren't great [frameable/sellable] are a waste:  of effort, of time, of materials.  And that all waste is evidence of a deep character flaw.
• My expectation that my worth is completely and totally tied to the worth of my final product - and that is determined not by me, but by Others.

Geeze.  It hurts just thinking about it. 

The only way to get over these types of wounds is with a lot of care.  Creative Therapy, if you will. And that's going to be 90% deciding how to think about things differently and 10% practice reminding myself to think about things differently.  These are my current mindset shifts:

• My opinion of my work [and my life] is more important than anyone else's. [I'm going on a juried show hiatus for a while.  I'm generally just fine when I get rejection letters, but this summer I want a break from that.]
• All great artists do the equivalent of piano scales for.ev.er. before they get great and those resources are not wasted, but merely stepping stones to a more satisfying-to-me place. 
• My worth is completely independent of my creative output.   A stack of 'bad' paintings is evidence of practice, nothing more, nothing less. 
• Learning and experimenting can be fun.   Actually fun.   I'm good at learning, not so good at fun, so I have given myself the task of learning how to have fun.  [Which makes me laugh, so I think I'm on the right track.]  I think that will involve a lot of paper and paint and exploration and experimentation and stacks of things that will never see a frame.  

And I'm Ok with all that.   I can feel my Creative Wounds beginning to heal already.  

Overcoming Obstacles

This photo is of early slippery elm seeds. It's another sign that spring is on its way, taking her own sweet time.  Often things happen in their own sweet time and in their own sweet way and we perceive those delays as obstacles.  We wonder if the fact that things aren't going easily is a sign from the universe.  But what does that sign mean?

Maybe it means, 'Be patient.'   Or, 'Try another tack.'  Or, 'This isn't right for you.  Let it go'.   Maybe it doesn't mean anything except they've closed a lane ahead and traffic is slow, 'It's not about you.'

At any rate, obstacles happen all the time.  When I hit an obstacle to my plans, I use this mantra. 

Stay Calm.  Stay Positive.  Think Creatively.

Staying calm allows me to see past the immediate frustration and get a look at the bigger picture, which often isn't about me.  Staying positive helps me not feed ugly drama and keeps me in a place where I'm most likely to notice new strategies and opportunities.  Thinking creatively helps me remember to look for new ways of doing things, new perspectives, new input. 

I cannot tell you the number of 'impossible' situations we've been able to solve or work around by using these ideas.  And in case you're wondering, it took a long time and a lot of practice for me to remember to use this strategy first instead of falling into frustration, rage and despair.   I wish I could tell you some inspirational story about how I made this switch, but the truth is I learned it as a homeschooling parent of a dyslexic.   So many things that had worked with my older daughter just didn't work with my younger.   I didn't want my youngest to associate frustration, rage and despair with her situation, so I came up with the new mantra, wrote it down and whenever we hit a roadblock, I repeated it.  Over and over, until I believed it.  And miracles happened, again and again.  And then it was easy for me to hold onto those ideas and repeat them for her as we got to the really hard stuff in high school and college.   I'm telling you, this stuff really works.

My Best Life Now - Retreat 2018

My Best Life Now

Weekend Retreat

October 12-14, 2018

Bloomfield, Indiana

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You are going to LOVE what 
WE have planned for YOU!

Do you crave more creativity in your life?  More balance?  More 'Yes!'?  A lot of us do! Now, imagine yourself spending a weekend in a luxurious space with a group of supportive women who are all looking to move forward on their journey to living their Best Life Now. 

You will be immersed in an experience carefully designed to support big shifts in how you think about what is possible in your life.  By the end of the retreat, you will have a clear idea of what your Best Life looks like, strategies for making it a reality, and a support system to help you live your Best Life Now.

This retreat is for all women who want to move forward on the journey to living their best lives now.   

Facilitators:

Robin Edmundson is an award winning artist and blogger who has been teaching creativity since 2003. Her professional and artistic path has been full of twists and turns so she has a lot of experience blazing new trails. She's excited to help you get started on your journey to a happier and more creative self.

Amy Kimmel is a Women's Empowerment Mentor, Certified Intuitive Reiki Master, and Yoga Teacher-in-Training focusing on discovering the magic we all have inside that allows us to live our soul purpose. Her loving, no-nonsense approach will help you fully tap into your power so that you can learn to shine your brightest inner light and live your best life.

Embrace your present life
Unleash your Inner Power
Dream big
Visualize your Best Life
Organize your ideas
Identify your struggles
Make it Achievable
Gather your Support
Celebrate the journey
 

Highlights of the retreat include: 

• Mini-workshops: spirit dolls, affirmations, dream boards, creative journalling
• Optional creative activities: watercolor for relaxation, exploring essential oils, dancing, personal ceremonies and rituals for creativity, spirit names/totems.
• Great food and sisterhood. [All meals included]
• Meditation, yoga, reiki.
• Luxury accommodations: fireplaces, heated outdoor pool, lake with kayaks, tennis courts, walking paths, etc.
• Retreat tickets and accommodations priced and listed separately.

Venue:

We will be staying at an estate just north of Bloomfield, Indiana.  We get this whole place [33 acres] to ourselves for the weekend!  Staying at the house gives you unlimited access to the lake, kayaks, pool, tennis courts, walking paths, fireplaces and companionship of other retreat participants. Overnight guests may stay up as late as they want to take advantage of all that this luxurious venue has to offer.  Even better - our experience is that some of the best Aha! moments come after hours when people are relaxed, getting to know each other and really talking. 

Prices for accommodations vary.  There are two private rooms [queen bed] with private bath.  There are two rooms with several beds and a shared bath.   

For more details, see my website HERE