How is your relationship with your creativity?
When we use the term, relationship, we don’t automatically assume ourselves to be in a relationship with our creativity. But looking at it from this viewpoint can help us notice patterns or negative beliefs which hinder it.
Relationships are the bedrock of everything. We have a relationship with ourselves, with other people, and with the things surrounding us. Art comes alive when it enters a relationship with the viewer. We become attached to a story and the characters when we read. We have a relationship with our own creative process.
Often, people show similar relationship styles across several areas, e.g. romance, food, and money. Two examples are:
- Avoidance: you bury your head in the sand and ignore it/don’t want to get involved.
- Attachment: you are starting from a space of scarcity and holding on in a needy fashion.
Exercise: The Creative Chair:
Set up a space with an empty seat, a chair/a pillow/blanket. Imagine your creativity seated here and ask it the following questions, keeping in mind to listen to the answers objectively. If you find it more comfortable, write the answers instead. If more questions arise, you may wish to keep the dialogue running.
- How is your relationship with me?
- What do you need from this relationship with me?
The answers I received surprised me. I thought my relationship with creativity was pretty healthy. But it turns out it’s more akin to a passionate love affair I keep under wraps because I’ve convinced myself it will never amount to anything more. Despite my clandestine creative capers bringing me boundless joy and self-worth, it lacks long-term structure or stability because I rarely talk about them to others.
So how can I improve my creativity? First, I can add structure by setting achievable short- and long-term goals. I can also ensure I’m fully present when I am creating and stop my bad habit of thinking I should do something else supposedly more important (creativity brings you joy, Emma. How is that unimportant?). Second, I can talk about my work more (hey, I have a blog, so that’s a start). I often wish people would believe my creative endeavours are more than just a pipe dream, but if I struggle to believe in myself, then why would anyone else?
If you want to share what came up in your practice, leave a reply in the comments.