Unleash Your Creativity
The only block that holds you back from unleashing your passion and taking your creativity to new heights, is your mind. If you were to analyse the cause of this, you would undoubtedly agree that it is the fear of comparison that kills creativity and confidence. So often I have heard artists say while installing their paintings at an exhibition venue, “Don’t place my paintings anywhere close to —. I am not in the same league as her”.
As children, we all raised our hands without a moment’s hesitation, when the teacher asked, “ Are there any singers here?
Somewhere along the way, the teachers identified the good singers from the others, leaving the others to believe that they had no potential to be singers – a sad reality a lot of us have had to deal with.
The truth is, that we can be whatever we want to be – we just need to have the sky above, earth below and fire within. Haven’t we all heard the adage, ” Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire”?
The key to overcoming fears and insecurities in your creative journey is perseverance. Great talent with little effort will not take you far. Here are some tips to take your creativity and confidence to the next level.
1. Get into the flow
“Flow” is a term coined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in his 1975 book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.
When we feel and perform our best, we may reach a heightened state of creativity and productivity, otherwise called “flow”.
Artistic pursuits are an exercise in mindfulness. One of the most important rewards of creative activity is the ability to help your mind focus on what is in front of it. In other words, when you are creating something artistic, you are in a meditative state where you focus solely on one task. This is what is meant by being in the flow.
2. The best form of perseverance is the daily discipline of trying to do things better than we did yesterday.
Set aside time in the day to be in the flow. This is the only way to hone and improve your skills. Daily or regular practice is critical for getting better at what you love doing.
3. Find a mentor
Connect with a senior in your area of creativity. Find someone who is accomplished, established and respected by fellow creatives. A word of caution here – your mentor should be someone who encourages you and gives you constructive criticism and helpful feedback – not someone who demolishes your confidence, for the fear of you out-shining him/her.
4. Never miss an opportunity to work along with fellow creatives.
I was once persuaded by a friend to participate in a group project aimed at beautifying and “artifying” my part of town. Reluctant at first, I enjoyed my foray into street art. I interacted with a lot of other artists, emerging and established, young and old, artists from a wide cross-section of society. I was recharged by their energies and inspired to imbibe new technics from my fellow artists, share my skills with them.
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5. Creative visualisation, meditation and spiritual activities help you tap into your creative potential.
Inner reflection, prayer, meditation are all a very important part of the creative process. A spiritual practice helps you bring out that which is within.
6. Lastly, avoid self-sabotage by being putting yourself down falling prey to negative thoughts.
Creative expression is also one of the best self-care strategies for stress relief. So create away with confidence, put yourself out there and show your work to others with pride😊
