Your Most Creative Act! (Isn't What You Think.)
Photo: Ahmet Kurt
When most people think of creativity they think of the arts—painting, composing, dancing, writing, etc. This is accurate, and it's a very limited interpretation.
There is a far more expansive experience of Creativity available. In fact, you're experiencing it right now.
The most creative act you will ever make is your life.
That's right.
Your life, your way of being, is your masterpiece.
Your every day way of living is an act of creation. From the moment you open your eyes to the moment you lay back down to sleep, you are creating.
Most people are unaware of this and build their lives by default. This isn't bad. It's partly how we're designed.
As humans, we have a conditioned self. We develop an identity, a personality—I'm Amber. You're Your Name. Once we have an understanding of this, the thinking mind takes hold.
In some ways this is helpful. The brain takes in 11 million bits of information per second. If we didn't have a filtering system in place we would short circuit!
Where the thinking mind isn't as helpful is in it's creation and storage of limiting beliefs and misunderstandings. When those are left unconscious, unquestioned, and unexamined, they run our lives.
This is how we end up creating by default.
An example of how this shows up for many people is with conditioning to be good. A 'good' mom, husband, business owner, student, daughter, son, even to have a 'good' body.
In my life I've had plenty of unconscious conditions in place around being good. Still do, I'm sure. The one I'll highlight as an example here is: being a 'good' coach.
I used to believe to be considered a good coach I needed to: make a lot of money, increase my income every year, have clients who got big results, be well loved by my clients and community, and so on.
{I invite you to consider where 'good' is running in your life and what your conditions are before continuing to read.}
On the surface these beliefs seem innocent enough, and maybe even healthy. Yet, living inside of this conditioning limited my Creativity and drove my actions—unconsciously—until I became aware.
For example: If I had a client who wasn't getting the results they said they wanted I would take it personally. I would push them harder or overload them with homework. I would buy into the idea that something was wrong and needed to be fixed and reach out to my coach at the time for a solution.
Instead of relaxing into what was present, trusting the process that was unfolding for the client, and using it for their deepest learning, I unconsciously inserted my will.
I was attached to the idea that their success made me a 'good' coach. That if they were successful they would see the value, continue to work with me or give referrals, and I would make more money…and feel safe and secure.
Good/Bad thinking is the first line of defense for the ego. Lurking underneath that programming you'll find song of me. Me, Me, Me, Me, Me! Because that's what the ego is about—itself. Protecting it's fragile identity.
When we run the good/bad programming, we try to control others so that we feel safe, secure, and successful. This is the fundamental misunderstanding all humans work with—where our true safety and worthiness resides.
There is a whole amazing world beyond good/bad thinking. One rich in Freedom and Creativity. I will write more about that next time, as this article is already longer than I intended. (Thank you Creativity!)
For now, as you examine your attachments to being 'good' and how they drive your actions, you may see some new things. That's wonderful because seeing brings greater choice and freedom—and, you may feel uncomfortable.
When awakening to a new discovery, there can be a tendency to judge our past self as 'bad'. Thoughts of I should've known better arise. But the truth is that those behaviors were you doing your best to take care of yourself then, given what you were thinking and believing.
Instead of berating yourself, you can invite in compassion. This is what it means to meet your vulnerability with love. (I shared a handout with steps for how to do this previously. If you missed it and would like to receive it, you can find it in this post.)
With this new insight you're getting a chance to free yourself from a trance. To touch into a truer story about where your worth really resides—inside of you, completely independent of any actions you take.
Again, I'll share more about this and how to tap into a more fulfilling experience of Creativity next time.
With loving,
Amber
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