What Might Be Constricting Your Creative Work
A look at how to uncover the beliefs impacting your work in the world
Wow - there's a lot of “New Year, New You” energy around us right now. Now that the mad holiday buying season is past, the hungry ghosts of capitalism use the turn into January to have us believe that now is the time to commit to making a new and improved version of ourselves.
And oh, there’s an avalanche of products and experiences to help us do just that: productivity tools, self-help books, planners, workshops, self-improvement journals, gym memberships, etc.
Have you felt this too?
Limiting Beliefs
What also might be true is that you may have some creative gift or work that you want to bring into the world, and you might be struggling with one or more aspects of doing so.
The good news is that finding a way to move forward with your work in the world might not mean you need to buy a new set of workout clothes.
Chances are, if you’re anything like me or some of the clients I work with, you probably have one or more (or even a whole constellation of) limiting beliefs that could be impacting you bringing your creative work to life.
Some of the limiting beliefs my clients, colleagues and I have struggled with are that I’m too old. Who am I to do this? No one will read/buy/look at/listen/______ to my book/art/photography/music______ anyway. I’ll never be successful at this. I just have to take care of my daughter/dad's house/kitchen remodel/health first. I'm not sure I know how to do this.
I could go on and on.
You may recognize one or more of these thoughts as ones you might hold yourself.
Or maybe none of them resonate with you. That could be because your thought patterns, family history, genetics, ancestry, DNA, culture or lived experience are unique to you. And your limiting beliefs sound different.
Or it could be because these beliefs aren’t at a level of conscious thought yet for you. They’re like the water fish swim in, they just are. Lurking around the shadows, swimming just under the surface of your awareness. And yet, they still can have a tremendous impact on the emotions, actions and results you're experiencing in your work.
So how do you know?
If you’re wondering if you’re struggling with thought patterns or beliefs that might be restricting your creative work, I offer a few short steps to give you a deeper glimpse. It should only take 5-10 minutes at most to complete.
Get Ready
Find a pen and paper (bonus points for a fun fountain pen or fancy journal) or open a new document on your laptop. Try NOT to peek at the questions below until you’re ready to do this short exercise 😉
Quiet and Center
Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and ground into your body. Settle in, especially if you’ve been running around all morning or have just hung up from a meeting or class.
Now, turn your attention to your work in the world and what you want to bring into form.
This could be a dream project or a creative idea you had over the weekend; or it could simply be about spending more time with your creativity and doing the thing you love.
What Pops In?
Now, focusing on your work in the world, jot down the VERY FIRST thought you have when you read the following prompts:
If I had the money, I would…
If I could ensure everyone loved my work and wanted more, I would…
If I could change one thing about myself, it would be…
If I just had the time, I would…
If it weren’t going to hurt anyone’s feelings, I would…
Bring in Creativity!
Now, review your list. Embedded in your answers and the prompts are clues to beliefs or thought systems that could be impacting your work. They’re a starting point, offering you areas to explore..
When you review the list, you can pick the one that seems to have the most energetic charge for you and then you can play with dismantling it. For example, what if you didn’t need the money or the time to do what you want to do?
Explore what could be possible using your favorite creative medium, either as a means of expressing yourself or to focus on while you create. See what you uncover! Either way, I guarantee you it will be a more fun (and probably way more fulfilling) way to bring in the new year than signing up for another Get Organized Challenge!
If anything in this article sparked an insight for you or if you try the exercise and uncover something, I’d love to hear from you. Just hit reply to this email and send me a note!
And, oh, I have an anti-capitalist free thing I’d love to tell you about. See details below if you’d like to uncover more about your creative work or purpose in the world. Happy new year!
Free Energy Readings
As I was writing this blog, I got to thinking about all the push and buy messages and how I’m just full up on it all, and I got this intuitive ping: what if I offered some free energy readings focused on your creative work or purpose in the world?
No, this is not an upsell. Or a chance to talk you into something else…! It’s just something I feel called to offer as an energetic counterbalance to the omnipresent capitalistic extraction economy.
The only thing I'd ask is if you gain insight during your reading, that you let me (or someone else) know about it. That's it.
Anyway, if you feel like you’d like this, use this coupon code FREEREADJANUARY and the first 7 people to sign up and go here to book their spot, will get a free reading.
This’ll be fun!