It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post. I’ve been busy finishing up my latest book and submitting articles for publication and that’s where my writing energy has been channeled lately (and of course, into my obsessive journaling habit).
Folks have been congratulating me and some even seem amazed at my ability to produce books and articles. And while I appreciate the kind support, I really don’t want this to seem like something particularly special or mysterious.
We all have things we’re good at and things we love to do. (Sometimes we love to do things we’re not so good at and that’s cool too). I write because I love it and I need to do it for my sanity and well-being. If it’s of benefit to others, then I’m honored and thrilled. But I do it because of a fire inside of me. I do it because I can’t imagine not doing it. And I’m starting to share it because I keep being reminded that inspiration comes to us, moves through us, in order to enter the world.
Yes, it takes intention, focus, determination and dedication to write a book. It’s a lot of work, don’t get me wrong. But it’s a labor of love. The older I get the deeper my gratitude and awe for the mysteries of creative inspiration that move through me, you, all of us, to enter into culture.
I think a lot about the creative impulse – the urge to act on it and the decision not to. Like all creative people (and I believe we all are), I have my own peculiar dance with creative inspiration. I live with two artists and work with a lot of arts-identified folks in my private practice and in the groups I lead, so I have plenty of real-life case studies at my disposal.
Something that comes up a lot in my work with folks is a deep longing to live a creative life – writing, painting, singing, cooking, landscaping, etc. – and the paralyzing fears, doubts, self-criticisms, etc. that stop them. It’s so incredibly painful for them and it’s painful to watch. And I am not immune. I know this intimately from the inside…needing to create and at times denying myself the right to do so.
One of the biggest blocks seems to be a fear of criticism – from self and others. I know brilliant, intelligent, talented people who habitually beat themselves up for not being “good enough.” When I hear this I always wonder and usually ask, “Good enough for who?” Sometimes it’s the usual suspects: myself, my parents, respected teachers, talented peers, and so on. Sometimes it’s an imagined heartless, hostile, and condemning “public.” (Pretty easy to imagine given the critiquing, criticizing, and even bullying that goes on in social media and other online platforms).
One of the things I find mysterious and fascinating about creative work (of any kind) is the way it seems to take on a life of its own, during the creative process (and certainly, after it’s completed as well.) I recently completed a mask that I had started a few years ago, then set aside. Sometimes my life moves at such a pace that it’s hard to keep up with my creative work. I’m sure many of you can relate.
