Love Letter 17: Antidotes To Creative Blocks
(plus a PDF download!)
Dear Reader,
I hope this love letter finds you well.
In my last Love Letter, i mentioned some of the biggest causes of creative blockages. This week i'd like to give you some concrete tips on how you can get rid of those blockages. They come from 5 different sources: from my own experience; the Tony Robbins training that i attended last year; Julia Cameron's books; my husband's advice; from designer Tom Kenny. After all, it makes sense that creatives seeking help learn mostly from successful creatives, right? And i promised i'd help you get your creative Mojo back, so here goes:
TRY THE FOLLOWING TO UNBLOCK YOUR CREATIVITY:
1. Letting go of judgements - of yourself or of others. Judgement does nobody any good and is a sign of an unhealthy ego. Everyone is walking some sort of path and we really don't know what people have gone through to get there. There is no point judging others or being envious of their success. There is more than enough room for everyone in this world to be successful and being happy for someone else will only return those good thoughts to you - trifold! At the same time, please be kind to yourself, too. You've also been through a lot and your inner artist needs a lot of trust and encouragement from you in order to unfold. Only when you love and nurture your inner self will others love and nurture you, too!
2. Humility - be more humble and less ego-driven. Believe it or not, lack of humility is an ego thing and doesn't get one very far; at least not for long. You can be successful and humble at the same time. Finding the balance here is key.
3. Gratitude - be more grateful of everything you have and every talent you have been given. Every talent is a unique gift that the higher powers have granted you so that you can create amazing art! Please avoid taking things for granted and be grateful for every little thing you do and have, no matter how big or small it might seem to you. Start with being grateful about the fact that you are breathing. Gratitude opens incredible doors to opportunity that will leave you astonished! More on gratitude very soon!
4. Do less than more - often we want to do so much, that we end up overworking ourselves and becoming exhausted before we've even reached our goals! If possible, become a little less busy.
5. Avoid multitasking - taking on too much of anything at once leads to overwhelm and overwhelm leads to blocks. FOCUS is the key here. Do one thing at a time, but do it well. Really well! Then - and only then - take the next one on. (i realise that that's easier said than done. If it's two things, then just focus on two things, but no more than that).
6. Be a little less perfect - get rid of imperfection and allow yourself to make mistakes. Some people learn by being cautious and some by making mistakes. Both are fine. The latter can often be more painful, but somehow more thrilling! And when we learn the hard way due to mistakes, those things we learn we never forget!
7. Have a vision - get crystal clear on what you want and why you want it. Then, see yourself having what you want and feel how it makes you feel. Keep practicing this every day and after a while you'll be well on your way to creative breakthrough!
In 'Finding Water', creativity author Julia Cameron talks about her encounters with blocked artists and how she can relate to them, precisely because she once was in their situation herself.
I have learnt a lot from Julia Cameron's books, often having the feeling that they were written specifically for me; especially 'The Artist's Way', which you will often hear me mention. That book has been a concrete life-changer. I'll link both books in the References section below so you can grab yourself a copy.
I know that this is a very personal journey for some of you and i understand if you'd prefer to keep it fully discreet. However, if you do want to share your thoughts or experiences here, feel free to comment below and let me know how your journey's coming along or what's resonating with you the most until now.
Love & Decibels,
xx jo xx
EXERCISE IN GRATITUDE:
This is an exercise that my hubby once suggested i do when i was feeling worthless. It made me feel so much better and sparked a lot of gratitude in me for all the things that i can do that many people in the world cannot do. We often don’t realise just how much we take for granted!
Download this PDF and write down 50 things you can do well.
Take your time with this. If you can't think of 50 things right now, just jot down what does come to mind and keep adding to it until you get to 50.
Keep this list somewhere where you can see it, to remind you to think about all the things you CAN do, rather than concentrate on what you think you CAN'T do! (Remember: what you focus on, grows!).
As you read each one, say “Thank you”. These words have a spiritual vibration that we may not yet fully understand, but that opens up a whole new world of possibilities for us.
REFERENCES / RECOMMENDED READING (with clickable links):
May I be a little cheeky and suggest that this fabulous advice is not just relevant to art and creativity, but also to life? 😁
I have realised a big correlation between sleeping time and creativity. Sleeping more makes me feel safer. And, when that happens, creativity peaks!
So, maybe, it is mostly about safety :)