You and your creative work in the world are in a dance together
I think of you and your creative work in the world as being in a relationship. Whether your soul’s work is writing or some other creative pursuit, like photography or creating authentic business, it has its own energy, its own sense of being.
And you both benefit by being in a healthy relationship with each other.
What does being in A GOOD relationship with your work look like?
It looks pretty much like being in a nourishing relationship with anything else in your life - with another person, for example, or with your body, mind or spirit.
It looks like spending time with your work. But not just doing the work, but also listening, deeply, and tending to what needs attention.
Of course, like in any relationship, there will be ebbs and flows.
There will be moments when you feel at one with your work. When things feel beautiful, in concert. When you're floating together in a world of creative harmony. And there'll be other times when you may feel distant and uncertain in your relationship with your work. And that’s ok too.
The key, in my view, is slowing down and taking the time to simply be with your work. You remember all the things you love about it and what drew you to it in the first place. And then you listen to your heart, searching as to what might be going on. What’s changed? Where have things shifted? Where is there no longer joy?
Then, you ask to be shown how things might be made better.
Sometimes the answer you receive is clear. Other times it's not at all.
In every case, though, underneath everything else, look for the love. It’s that – that love – that will lead you forward and let you know what to do next.