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I used to feel a lot of embarrassment in describing myself as a creative or an artist, out of the false belief that in order for me to be worthy of that title, I needed to earn it in some way. I needed to attach my worth to an outcome, to a final product, that other people would understand and also deem as worthy. That embarrassment still lingers, but is no longer at the forefront, and that’s because I’ve come to realize that we are all creative, we are all artists, and it’s not an identity but a practice, a way of being. And in working through that, it became less about me. It became less personal. There’s something to be said about claiming a title that you’d like to have. If you want to be a writer, say you’re a writer. If you want to be a musician, say you’re a musician. Teach your body what it feels like to have that title, let your body get comfortable with it. If you can’t believe it yourself, why would anyone else believe you?
I like to say that meditation isn’t just about the five, ten, thirty minutes that you’re sitting down on your cushion. That may be your concentrated practice, but it continues as you go throughout your day so long as you’re continuing to pay attention. Every moment can be a meditation practice when you can remember that you’re here - not stuck in that thought, in the memory of that cringey thing you said 7 months ago, in the fearful unknown of what lies ahead. In my young understanding, that’s what meditation is all about - returning to now, to this, to here.
And if meditation is a practice of presence, creativity is meditative. Just like how the meditation practices continues beyond the cushion, creativity is no different. Every moment is creative, every moment is a creative continuation when you’re anchored into your senses and into what’s happening right now. At its best, creativity pulls us into the present, into a state of flow where time no longer exists. At its worst, it sucks us into the inner critic’s deepest crevices and harshest stories. If, at this point, your mind is resisting with, but I am not creative - I beg to differ. We’re all innately creative, and we’re all always creating. We’re formulating thoughts into words, and words into stories, and ingredients into meals, and ideas into projects, and articles of clothing into outfits. Believing that you’re not creative is the first barrier to break through to access your innate creativity.
And so, whatever you’re working on creating - whether it’s an art piece, a book, a mug, a better life for yourself, a better relationship with yourself - know that you’re always doing it, even when you’re not. Even when you’re feeling uninspired, unmotivated, brain-fried, burnt out, you’re still actively being creative as long as you are aware that you are, as long as you are practicing being here.
“All that matters is that you are making something you love, to the best of your ability, here and now.” - Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being
I don’t know about you, but some of my ‘best’ ideas come to me when I’m doing something that is seemingly unrelated. A newsletter idea will come to me not when I’m sitting at my laptop, but when I’m driving to the grocery store. A video idea will come to me not when I’m holding a pen in my hand, but when I’m mid-workout or taking my dog for a stroll at dusk. A therapeutic thought for a client will come to me after session, when I’m throwing scraps from the fridge into a pot for dinner.
When we can practice removing the pressure that we are only being ‘productive’ when we are actively doing The Specific Thing, we open ourselves to creativity and inspiration at any moment in time. Like a meditation practice, what a relief that it can just be about being here, right now. What a relief that it’s so much simpler than the mind wants it to be.
Let’s start by arriving. Inhale for 4, exhale for 6. Repeat for as long as you’d like.
What’s something you’ve been creating lately, or have been wanting to create but putting it off?
What’s your highest vision for this creation? Don’t hold back - permission to be “unrealistic” (it’s not unrealistic).
Knowing that creativity is a state of being - what daily practices support you in feeling creative?
Thank you so much for being here, exactly as you are. See you next week!
♡ Meg