Life Orgasmic

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Rescuing Your Muse

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lifesaverA guest post from Petrea of arttherapist.ca.   A big thank you for sharing herself with us.  Please be sure to check out her site listed below.  

Creativity is something that can be quite elusive. There are many things that can get in the way of our creativity. One of the biggest obstacles to creativity can be one’s belief. Beliefs about creative potential or ability, beliefs about the importance of creativity, beliefs about what being creative should look like. These ways of thinking interfere with our ability to listen to our inner muse.

I use to believe that I was not creative enough, that I lacked the skill or talent to create something worthwhile. So I put it off, avoided it. When I did begin to create I kept it safe, never going beyond what I believed I was able to. As a result I didn’t create as fully and didn’t feel as connected to my art making. I was a creative underachiever, afraid to make a mistake, to really let loose.

I use to not believe that being creative was a priority, so guess what? I never made time for it; instead I told myself I did not have enough time.

Luckily this began to change when I embarked on my career as an Art Therapist some 20 years ago. I began to see the power of unleashing ones’ creative self to heal self and to enrich ones’ life.

I began to see that many of the blocks people experience, which keep them from moving forward in their lives, have to do with the way they think about the world. Creative blocks are no exception. You see, if you believe you are not creative, then you are not, why bother trying if you have convinced yourself otherwise. Or if you feel you can only create in certain circumstances then you have boxed yourself in and are unlikely to experiment. If you believe that being creative has to look a certain way, once again you have boxed yourself in. If you believe all those messages you heard growing up about yours and other peoples’ creativity, well your creativity is likely limited to some extent by those beliefs as well.

If you want your Muse to come out of hiding here are some suggestions:

Stop being so serious:
If you want to engage your Muse then be prepared to loosen up a little and stop being so serious. If you find yourself making excuses not to create then yes you are being too serious! Your Muse needs the freedom, the room to be playful. She doesn’t like to be confined to restrictions and expectations. Don’t scare her away with your serious face. She wants to have fun, throw those rules out the door

Stop judging yourself and your muse:
Allow yourself to have fun with your creativity. Your Muse can be very sensitive she doesn’t like to feel judged. Be gentle with her.

Give yourself the time to be with her:
If you are always rushing about busy with other more important things she is going to feel snubbed and likely she will feel like she is not important enough. Be sure to set aside some time to play with your muse regularly.

Make creativity a priority:
Trick your brain into thinking its important enough to do by scheduling it in you make it a priority. If you have a doctor’s appointment scheduled- you go right?

Plan ahead:
Schedule the time in your calendar. Don’t’ just say you are going to paint or play with your art materials when you have time on the weekend or maybe some other time this week. Actually schedule it in and make it part of your routine – like you would brushing your teeth. Start with a small amount of time and work your way up.

Be prepared:
Set up a station where you can access your art supplies easily. It can be in an old desk, a portable toolbox with supplies and a plastic drop sheet. If you don’t have art supplies, it can be as simple as using magazines, a glue stick and paper for collage.

Stop the drama:
Identify the messages that have others said to you in the past or present. Which ones have become the stories or excuse you tell yourself that keeps you from letting loose and creating fully?

Replace these old scripts with new ones:
Remind yourself the other benefits of your creating, how do you feel, why is it important to you, what do you like about your creative process when you are in the flow?

PetreaIf you would like to discover more ways that you can engage your creative muse, join me online for 5 weeks of exploration and adventure with Painting with Your Muse.

Petrea Hansen Adamidis R.C.A.T. is a Registered Art Therapist, a mom, artist, & an avid nature nut with over 18 years of experience working with children, families and adults. Join her at ArtTherapist.ca where she offers a free e-course “Free Your Inner Child” plus other creative resources to draw the self out.

What Others are Saying

  2. “Schedule it in.” Absolutely! Love that. I never thought about scheduling in play time for myself to experiment with my artistic side. I always did well in art classes in school and am quite creative but it’s a side of myself that I never had time to develop. And so as I type that I ask myself the question…”Is that true?” Maybe the truth is that I never thought I was good enough to invest any energy in it. Thanks for your inspiring thoughts today.

    Reply

  4. That would be a fun class, Michele! lol…. ah, perhaps a bit risque, but fun!

    I am so glad that you guest posted with Michele, Petrea! How fun. I love art but it does not get enough time on my schedule. I write, though, and this does get lots of time. I think the key with this is play. I do need to play more. These are some great tips and I look forward to checking out your site!

    Reply

  5. Very interesting with a guest post! I really liked Petrea’s suggestion about allowing yourself to have fun with your muse. There are times when I am way too serious. That’s when I have to turn on the music and let it flow! These were great reminders.

    Reply

    • I think having fun is an important aspect! I have this dream of taking a big white sheet and a bunch of cans of paint and just myself and painting that entire sheet in bright colors suing nothing but my body and what I might find in nature around me. I see myself covered from head to toe in paint, laughing, smiling, completely letting loose.

      Then I start wondering how I’d clean myself up and where could I go that I could mess up the grass like that and they wouldn’t care…all those silly thoughts. I sure hope I can get past them one day:)

      Reply

  6. I really like Petrea’s guest blog post. I’m one of those who says she doesn’t have time for creativity. I feel that I’m forcing myself when I do give it a try, and am constantly judging what I create. I need to make it a priority, start scheduling it in and to replace my old scripts and messages that are stuck in my head. I need to make time for fun in my life and let my hair down a bit more. This was great to read.

    Reply

    • I know, Suzanne. It can be a challenge. I crave it all the time and it’s one of those few things that perfectly balances out our energy body. I sign up for classes periodically and call it my “forced creativity time,” which I mean in a good way. Signing up for classes requires me to make a commitment to the class and to myself and that’s a positive.

      Reply

      • it is a challenge. Sometimes I find myself just dreaming of a canvas and paint but I have work to do and not a great space to paint in where I’m at. I definitely need more of this in my life regularly and the classes do help!

        Reply

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