ARE YOUR THOUGHTS SERVING YOU?
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Strengthening our relationship with ourselves allows us to create more authentically. The more we accept ourselves and allow our expression to reflect our truth, the more our art embodies the qualities we are after. The art becomes stronger as we become more of who we are and allow that to show.
As artists we are often working in isolation, managing a lot as we traverse the unknown, which is what art-making is all about. If our thoughts are not aligned with supporting the process we are engaging in, we might notice some anxiety arriving for us, and resistant feelings towards making our work.
What we need to learn and understand is how to deeply listen to our internal dialogue and become mindful of the energy that we are bringing to our creative work. We then become observers of our inner world, paying attention to the ways in which we might not be supporting ourselves – and the ways in which we are.
What we want to do is bring light to these places and learn how to accept ourselves and be more at home with who we are. What we acknowledge, we can change, as long as we meet it with acceptance and set aside our self-judgement.
If self-judgment is a part of your inner life – and for most of us it is – then knowing it’s a natural part of our human-ness is important to understand and accept. What we want to work on is becoming aware of the role that we play in energizing that self-judgement with our next thought.
As the creativity coach Eric Maisel tells us, there are only two kinds of thoughts – thoughts that serve us, and thoughts that don’t. Simple, but only if we bring our awareness to the thoughts we’re having. If you find yourself stuck, frustrated, fearful or resistant to making your art, listen to the quality of your thoughts and then ask yourself these questions:
Are these thoughts serving and supporting my intention to make my art?
If not, how might I rewrite or reframe these thoughts so that they are in alignment with what I am wanting to create?
What thought would best serve me now?
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.
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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