Anyone can experience creative blocks whether they are writing, painting, sewing, crafting, cooking, coaching, or the creativity to be an entrepreneur.
If you a writer yearning to midwife a book onto the best seller list at Amazon or the New York Times, writer’s block can keep you tossing and turning in your bed at night while fears and doubts haunt your dreams. As a published author it may be that you’re afraid you’re a ‘one hit wonder’ — can you create your next successful book?
Writer’s block can be especially troublesome for entrepreneurs writing an email, website copy, newsletter, blog post, or article. It’s no fun struggling to craft your perfect video script or signature talk. How irksome it is to sit looking at a blank screen, struggling to create content for online courses. Journaling can be a helpful tool for reflection and resetting but even that can be a drag if you start – then come to a screeching halt.
Journaling can be very soothing, reflecting on unprecedented times, racial unrest, uncertain economic conditions, and the upheaval in your home life with home schooling and the now ever–present use of technology. There can be gifts of clarity, but what if you are blocked, feeling stuck and overwhelmed?
Your muse is nowhere in sight due to stress.
Your mind plays tricks with your body. Stress is a natural outcome and creates the fight or flight response. It’s no wonder you’re prevented from your creative flow when you’re in survival mode. It is like you’re in a kayak focused on navigating a river of Class 5 rapids to avoid crashing into boulders and capsizing. And the fact is — many of those boulders aren’t real. They are the limiting beliefs from birth, as well as evolutionary and karmic memories, programmed into your subconscious. The danger may not be as real as you perceive it to be. Your imagination may be hijacking your reality.
By learning how to interrupt your stress response you can reprogram your mindset so that the rapids reduce to a Class 1 – and with time you may just choose to bypass the rapids and paddle into the calm stretch so that you can float with ease into creativity — and life. Instead of the stress and overwhelm, take a moment to breathe, soak in nature’s glory, and revel in gratitude for the positives. Sense your creative flow turning on. Now how does that sound?
Creative blocks shut off the ease and flow of inspirational downloads from your soul connection. With a quiet mind and being present in your body, there is a feeling of grace, peace, and expansive, eternal energy available to you. There you may experience the stillness of mind — a cessation of the money mind chatter. You ‘know the truth’, receive inspiration, ideas, signs or whispers. You intuit creative directions for which inspired actions to take next. Characters will come to life, dialogue will spill onto the page, and ‘the perfect words’ show up – almost magically it seems. Trusting these when they feel aligned with your heart’s passion and highest values brings success.
Here are 7 steps to help you reconnect to your creative flow:
- STOP just stop. Breathe for a moment and realize – life it what it is, your circumstances are what they are – for today. People are being who they are from their physical, emotional, mental, moral, and spiritual levels of development – just as you are. External circumstances in the world are what they are. You can control some of these so take compassionate right action. Be realistic about what you can’t change so you’re not exhausting yourself needlessly.
- Breathe and ASSESS your challenges, your ‘boulders in the river.’ Become aware of the situations which crop up repeatedly. Hint: you’ve probably been telling the stories of your drama, AKA ‘wild ride’, you’ve had to anyone who’ll listen Identify the Class 5 rapid situations that are traumatic. Now realize that you are creating the problems in your future from this mindset rehashing the vibration of past events and experiences. What are the belief structures involved that may not be realistic vs. perceived? ASSESS what is really happening versus the illusions your mind traps you in.
- ASSESS positive aspects of what’s going well, what strengths you have, and what you can be grateful for. Look 360 degrees at what is really happening – including being accountable for your co-creating the situation. Stop and breathe, lean into clarity instead of denying or distracting by coping with addictive behaviors: eating, smoking, drugging, drinking, sexing, shopping, gaming, binge watching television, etc.… These drain your energy and disempower you.
- CLARIFY what resources you actually have, what knowledge, skills, and abilities have you gained over the years that the fearful part of you may not be acknowledging. What supports, mentors, coaches, courses, or practices will enable you to grow beyond? Write a ‘Light List’ of your positive attributes. Are you noticing your stress reducing, feeling less of an emotional charge, and calmer and more hopeful? With clarity comes a feeling of “I’ve got this; I can manage this.” Ah, that’s a good feeling, isn’t it?
- Now you are ready to PROBLEM SOLVE from a different perspective with a quiet mind. It’s easier to connect with soul to receive inspirational ideas, messages, and an expanded version of what’s possible. This is a great time to journal or use a voice recorder to capture your spoken thoughts – great for auditory learners. If you’re a visual learner grab that paint brush, marker, pastels or colored pencils and give yourself permission to interpret through color and form your thoughts and emotions.
- Great job! Now you’re ready to take ONE inspired ACTION aligned with your highest values. Your mission may be to change the world; however, it is achieved by focusing on one S.M.A.R.T. goal at a time with strategic action to achieve results. By making the goal specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-defined even a trip to the moon was possible – so what is possible for you on planet Earth?
- TRANSFORM YOUR MIND by Tapping (EFT): If you find you stifle your creativity with an overactive or even mean Inner Critic, a harsh Judge, a powerful Procrastinator, or pummeling Perfectionist voice in your mind, then meditation combined with voice dialogue Tapping can be the solution. The Courageous Heart Writing Program uses Evolutionary Mystic Meditation to support your drive to implement your inspired actions. This creates the next level of breakthrough to uplift your life, putting your turbulent stretch of life behind you.
Know that you have your creative ideas for a reason – they are unique, connected to your soul’s purpose, and contribute to the good of humanity on the level that is just right for you, right now. Each of us has untapped potential waiting to be nurtured into results. We may not always see what’s around the bend, but resolving our creative blocks is a great way to move forward. And life is a whole lot more enjoyable when you’re paddling downstream in calm waters with your muse by your side. Creativity is so life-affirming. Freedom from your blocks is possible so start today — the world is waiting to enjoy your unique expression.
If you’re having difficulty making the changes yourself, research and hire a coach who is a great fit that resonates with you. Contact Denise for a 30-minute Courageous Confidence Consultation to discover your untapped potential. Visit denisemsimpson.com to leave a comment – love to hear from you!
