EMBRACING CHANGE AND GROWTH

There is a great challenge that comes with growth, change and evolving - the dance we take with the unknown. And this dance makes us extraordinarily uncomfortable, as humans and artists. It taps into a very primitive place in our brains that, in the past, helped us to remain safe in our world.

When we are on a path of change, we know we want something different for ourselves, and most of the time we are not even clear on what that is. But we sense it and know it’s absolutely necessary. So we begin, moving forward to an unknown destination – trusting as we go. It’s a true leap of faith.

Art-making is so very much about this process of trusting the unknown and convincing ourselves to stay in the process as we move forward. While we would prefer a roadmap to show us the way, there simply isn’t one. This is a solo operation, a personal tract we’re on, and one that is asking us to follow our intuition.

When we practice being comfortable with not knowing, and remaining with the discomfort that can generate for us, we are developing a powerful skill-set that will serve us in our lives and in our art-making. It requires both trust and surrendering, allowing for the paradoxical aspects of art-making to be embraced.

We have to trust the process we’re in, lean into that discomfort and the fear of what we might discover, and stay very present for what shows up. We meet whatever arrives with curiosity and willingness, trusting that not knowing how it fits, what it means, is okay – in fact it’s even essential to our progress.

At these times our self-compassion aids us greatly. When we’re frustrated with ourselves we close off and stop learning. We may feel like we should be “there” sooner, that we are somehow flawed and others know what they’re doing and we don’t. We wonder if it will be worth the effort we’re putting in. What if we don’t discover anything worthwhile on the other side of this process we’re engaged with?

All of these thoughts, natural as they are, hamper our progress of change, and we need to be mindful of this transitional space we’re in. Can we think differently about this process we’re in? Can we hold it as a great adventure with endless possibilities for us?

If we can give ourselves permission to just be where we are in the process of change, we release the resistance to that change, and things begin to flow for us. It can be as simple as turning your gaze towards the adventure you’re on. It may feel hard at times to offer yourself this, but artists are built to do the hard things.

If you’re in a process of change or growth right now, what could you offer to yourself that would feel helpful? What kind of things can you tell yourself that will encourage and support you, and allow you to stay the course? Where else in your life might you be comfortable with discomfort? What helps you to let go and trust the process?

This short version blog post is a part of my Mindset Moment series, an accompanying edition to my bi-monthly blog post. My intention for these Mindset Moments is to speak to some of the common challenges artists face with their creative work, and how a mindset shift can make a difference.

They are short reads, with a suggestion or writing prompt that you can work with…as well as an invitation to join in the conversation, sharing your experience and insights.

You can join the conversation by leaving a comment under this blog post, or on my social media posts. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, wherever you find me.

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