“I don’t have time.”
That’s why you’re not writing, painting, making your film, designing, creating your line of organic aromatherapy products… why you’re not doing what your soul is desperately calling you to do. Right?
Meanwhile you’re beating yourself up because you know you ought to “make time” for it. After all, we’ve all heard that you can “make time” for what’s important to you.
That’s true–but only part of the truth.
You see, it goes much deeper. If it were just a matter of setting your priorities and making some logistical changes to your schedule, a lot more us would reach our goals and have the life we want.
The real question is, what stops you from “making the time”?
Sometimes it’s getting clear on what you want–and the basic steps to take. But let’s face it: your true desire and the basic steps toward it are not rocket science. If you want to put out an album of our songs, the fundamental steps are simple: Write your songs. Find band members and backup singers. Rehearse. Record your songs.
Where it gets complicated is everything we attach to the steps. What if my songs aren’t good enough? What if people laugh? What if I hire people and pay them and it’s for nothing? What if we don’t get along? Should I go to a recording studio or DIY it? And then–aaahhhhhhh!!!–your brain goes into meltdown.
So what’s really going on?
1. The emotions
The things we’re worrying about aren’t the problem–they’re the symptom. Some part of your creative work is scary–and is triggering your animal brain (which has three basic reactions: fight, flight, or freeze). So you’ll resist your work, avoid it, or get stuck.
This is a normal reaction to creating something new. Our brains are hard-wired to seek the familiar, because that’s what we know how to survive. When you stare the unknown in the face (and that’s what you do every time you create something), the animal brain gets activated.
When you know how to move through this discomfort, it becomes SO much easier to do your creative work.
2. You’re stuck in a habit loop
Here’s one you may recognize: In the evening, you squeeze in the last bit of work… which means you go to sleep late. In the morning, you’re exhausted, so you lie in bed trying desperately to snatch at some last few moments of sleep. When you finally get up, it’s too late to exercise because you need to do things for the kids. By the time the kids are off to school, your body feels off, you feel cranky and pressed for time, and the rest of the day’s responsibilities are staring you in the face. You’d planned to start writing, but you can’t muster up the emotional energy.
Habit loops are created from a complex intersection of physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual ways of being. And usually, one lynchpin can shift the whole negative loop.
When you make this shift, what was once hard to do becomes surprisingly simple.
3. Your creative work is no longer PLAY
Yes, even if you’re doing creative work you’re passionate about, if you’re not experiencing more FUN than WORK, eventually you’ll feel ground down… and your creative work will grind to a halt.
But, once you bring back the play and delight, your natural creative compass kicks in. You’ll follow the flow of inspiration.
And, that artist’s dream–the golden flow of channeling pure creativity–will become a regular part of your life. (Yes, really! This is possible.)
4) You don’t have the external support: a community that has your back, coaching to get you through blocks, accountability to keep you going, practical advice to get you through the bumps.
When you DO have external support, obstacles that once stopped you for weeks or months become small speed bumps–and you move over them quickly.
And that creates confidence, momentum, and joy.
If you want to find out exactly how to activate these powerful dynamics, join me in this telecircle: The Magical Keys to Doing Your Creative Work and Creating the Life You Want.
In it, you’ll discover the keys that REALLY make your creative work possible–and start using them. And yes, you’ll find out how to become someone who does her creative work successfully–and creates the life she wants.
