Being creative is out there. It’s a bit risky or risqué, even. Making something that didn’t exist before is challenging and it takes some nerve to bring it forth.
How dare you think that you can feel and honor a creative urge, germinate an idea, have a vision, gather materials, grow a project, make mistakes, manipulate techniques, and manifest your intention? How dare you?
You are the one doing this process, not your creative friend. You are the one being daring; not that guy on TV. You are the one persisting, adjusting, deciding, taking a detour, chasing an idea; not your teacher. You are the one overcoming obstacles, being passionate, and being a dreamer; not your peers, not your coworkers, not your heroes and certainly not your critics. You are the one riding a wave of discovery and isn’t it delicious? Others may be following their path, but you’ve got the guts to follow yours too.
You’ve got a lot of nerve! Creativity is scary and because you are gutsy, you risk the canvas, the page, the materials, your new manicure, your families understanding, and the time, energy and money to experience the thrill of doing.
Creativity requires courage. Don’t act like you aren’t brave. Don’t hide your light. You are the dare devil of your craft and you have what it takes.
Overcoming fear makes us feel significant, strong and more certain about who we really are. Our creative daring helps us to experience growth and adds a spicy variety to life. Here’s a salute to daring and having a lot of nerve!
Creativity Energizer Break:
This exercise will take about two minutes:
Be sure you read step 4 all the way to the end before you act upon it.
Think about the last time you took a big creative risk or any kind of risk for that matter and walked through your fear to the other side. Feel how proud you are of yourself that you kicked butt. (This is not about the outcome of a project, but about overcoming the fear.)
Feel the elation that you lived through the fear and lived to remember it.
Thank the parts of you that are willing to feel the fear and do it anyway.
Now see this brave, nervy, gutsy, ballsy, creative genius that you are and hold that vision and that feeling in your mind and in your heart for a minute till you feel the moxie all over your body. While you are doing this place your hand over the center of your chest and breathe it all in. Revel in it until you are ready to allow the energy go easily back to where it can be accessed whenever you need it again.
You have just created a courage touchstone. The next time you aren’t feeling so gutsy, put your hand over your heart and think of this incident where you were daring and nervy and powerful. Your body will remember and you mind will agree and it will be easier to have a lot of nerve!