Secret #1: Acknowledging Your Creative Self
I am participating in the book blogging group - 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women.
This is the first image that sprang to mind to illustrate this post - it's one of my SoulCollage Cards that always speaks to me about creativity and creating.
I notice, today, that there is no woman in this card and it strikes me that this isn't really the right image for acknowledging my creative self - perhaps I should work on that this week 
I have no trouble in acknowledging that I am a creative person, it is a label I can easily apply to myself. The thing is I also have to acknowledge my procrastinating self, my low self-esteem self and my depressed/anxiety self. These are the selves that inhibit my creative self from coming out to play. Sometimes it is even more of a burden to know my creative self is in here but feeling/being crushed by the other lot, or external forces.
Listening to this week's Highly Creative Blogger Interviewee, Jennifer Lee, I was struck by the part where she talks about muses - and the way we tend to perceive muses as being outside of ourselves. She spoke about getting in touch with her inner muse, naming her, giving her a manifesto and a voice.
Thinking about that, I have already named my inner muse - she is right here writing this blog... Taexalia. I've learned, through this blog, to give her a voice... but this manifesto thing well I'm going to have to ponder on that.
I think my biggest issue with creativity and letting my muse out to play is external forces. It doesn't really matter which outside distractions are at play, it's the fact that I allow them to impede on my creative life. Someone said to me the other day "I need to be on my own To Do list" and that rings great big bells for me. I need to structure my time to allow for creative pursuits - and put them at the top of the day, every day!
Another part of the interview that struck a chord with me was the part about taking names for myself. Calling myself a photographer, or a writer, or an artist is often uncomfortable for me because my I'm-not-good-enough self sneaks in there and tries to dilute the word with other words like "amateur" or "aspiring".
So here are the names I going to acknowledge today, and even as I type this I'm hearing "but! but! BUT!"
- Artist
- Photographer
- Storyteller
- Writer
- Polymer Clay Artist
- Knitter
- SoulCollager
- Entrepreneur
- Thinker
Now I feel all naked *laughter*
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Tags: 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, acknowledging creative self, book blogging group
Posted on January 9, 2009 in Creativity.
Ignore all those big buts!
The point is that you hear them and still go on, still name yourself those things. What is that saying, “Fake it till you make it,” and at first, you will feel like a fraud, but that feeling will pass. I promise.
Hi Blisschick ~ and welcome
“ignore all those big buts” hmm and my giggling self-deprecating self added a “t”… even though my butt is shrinking lol.
But yes, I think Fake It Til you Make It is a great saying to live by. And I do
[...] amongst the portfolio companies that were in attendence at his networking lunch reception Secret #1: Acknowledging Your Creative Self – taexalia.me 01/09/2009 I am participating in the book blogging group – 12 Secrets of Highly [...]
great post, and yay for claiming the power behind who you are! (i know exactly what you mean!)
i look forward to this journey with you!
pen*’s last blog post..{inner muse}
How empowering to proclaim yourself! I can totally relate! I have a hard time calling myself many things that others see in me. I guess it is that old thing where I haven’t gone to “school” for it. I realize I have so much to learn that it is hard for me to feel good enough for the titles. At times I feel daring enough to call myself an artist.
Hooray for you to make yourself a priority. Way to go!
{soul hugs}
k
Kathryn – Collage Diva’s last blog post..Chapter 1: Ackowledging My Creative Self
Love your “naked” self portrait.
I so relate to the paragraph about the many selves and how they get in the way of each other and creativity. Thanks for that honesty and wisdom.
Naming is powerful. Good for you for naming yourself and your talents.
Congratulations on taking on the 12 Secrets Challenge, really like your vibrant creative image here.
Am enjoying everyone’s posts and will be posting my contribution over the weekend, waiting for the glue to dry can be a long process!
Pearl Maple’s last blog post..Sky Watch Friday
Wow! What a wonderful post! I said the same thing to my husband today about writing in creative time and sort of daring anyone to interrupt me. I went for a job interview today after reading so many wonderful posts from this blogging group and then came home to Jennifer’s interview. I decided to turn down the job and put all that energy into my creative pursuits!! I am so happy! And so looking forward to this journey with you and all the beautiful creatives.
lisa’s last blog post..Creativity Spirals and Loops
I have another title for you to add to your list:
Inspiration
Genie’s last blog post..Garnet Moon
pen* Thank you
Kathryn ~ I agree, we are taught we must have “gone to school” to claim a name… but then I think of some of the things I did study and the really bad teaching – including art… and I wonder if we aren’t just better teaching ourselves.
Lisa ~ thank you
Pearl Maple ~ I look forward to reading your post. So many wonderful blogs to check out!
Lisa ~ I honour you for choosing your art over the job. I am finding that making a morning routine that puts my writing first, before I’m even out of my jammies, is really working. There’s something magical about writing before sunrise..
Genie ~ thank you
Way to live out loud!
Yes, writing in the morning helps those little but..butt
voices go away. When i work with those inner critiques, i always imagine telling them that there is a time for me to listen to them, but it just isn’t now. They seem to subside for sure, and little do they know that i will never give them the time of day to put me down!
Even just writing that feels good!
I look forward to sharing and learning more on this creative journey!
Lisa Pijuan-Nomura’s last blog post..Next Chapter
ah yes, but what a beautiful form the naked body! thank you for sharing with us today – I wish we could all stop listening to the nay sayers out there. and I for sure need to put myself on my own to do list! I look forward to seeing what other insights you have along the way. Maybe you need to add teacher to your list – maybe we all do!
Lisa ~ I think it’s about being able to stay focused on what I’m doing, which I’m doing quite well at the moment.. it’s when I stray off into thinking too much that they can take hold. Also, when I’m writing morning pages I’m doing something other than dozing in bed *thinking* until I *have* to get up. Distracting myself with creativity is good for my self-esteem, that’s so obvious so why do I have to keep re-learning it?
Connie ~ I agree – I think we learn from each other