I’ve been silent for a while because a lot is going on. Beyond dealing with ALL THE THINGS that are part of life these days, we sold our house, moved, and are in the process of buying another one.
So I’ve been focusing on the basics: serving clients, taking care of the family, and remote schooling our two children. And of course, doing what creative work I can.
This brings me to a reflection: When circumstances are extreme and it feels hard or impossible to do your creative work, the first step is to ACCEPT.
You might be saying, “No! I create my life. I make things happen. I WON’T accept it. I WILL do my art.” So, let me be clear: I don’t mean you should give up on your creative work.
However, see your current situation with open eyes and full compassion.
These are not normal times. Maybe you’re remote schooling your kids while running a household, squeezing in a job, or doing freelance work. Or maybe you’re reworking your artistic career for this socially distanced world. Maybe you’re supporting a family member who’s an essential worker, helping people out financially, or dealing with the lingering symptoms of COVID-19. Not to mention everything that’s happening as we approach the most consequential election of our lifetime.
You’re dealing with a lot. Allow yourself to take that in and accept it, with understanding and compassion for yourself.
Once you can really BE with the current circumstances, you can stop beating yourself up for not writing, composing, or designing as much as you once did. Or stop seething with resentment over all that’s in your way.
You can look at the situation AS IT IS and find a way to do your art in these times.
Maybe you work at a different time of day. Or in a genre that fits better with your schedule or social distancing. Maybe you work in tiny chunks, or on different subject matter, or with new partners.
Whatever it is, the first step is to accept. One of my teachers once referred to “the radical acceptance of everything.” This isn’t a passive, limp slumping down and giving up. It’s a wide open, arms open ability to be with the world, in this moment, with deep presence and compassion and love.
This is a place of peace and strength. A place of quiet. A place that allows us to create.
Allow yourself to find this place. Your creative self will find its way through.
