Three Ways to Live Your Best Creative Life, Part 1 + A Journal Giveaway

by Cathy Baker @CathySBaker

Today, I share the first of a three-part series about specific ways to combat resistance and maximize the creative life to its fullest potential.

The word create is defined as bringing something into existence. And where creativity is at work, we usually find resistance.

“Creative resistance is essentially anything and everything that prevents us from starting, developing or completing our creative projects.” - Julia McCutchen

1. Crush perfectionism. The illusion of perfection—a perfect face, body, job, or life—eventually crushes a person’s self-worth, dreams, and healthy goals. Perfectionism also has the potential to numb the creativity coursing through our veins, and yet many creatives are indeed perfectionists. So how do we crush it before it crushes us? The first step is to recognize your perfectionistic tendencies.

• Are you editing as you go? I’m guilty of this unfortunate practice. It’s like hitting the gas pedal and brakes at the same time, making it impossible to move forward. Recently, I tried writing without stopping for a set amount of time while allowing myself the freedom to insert a blank or asterisk in places I feel will need special attention next time around. So far, so good. Give it a try!

• Are you sharing your work with others? If not, consider joining or creating a critique group. Perfectionism has the tendency to isolate us for fear of feeling foolish. When we share our work with others for feedback, we’re kicking resistance where it hurts. Marcia Moston wrote a post on creating an online group you’re sure to find helpful. The link to her post is below.

• Are there multiple works-in-progress paralyzed in your files, drawers, or closet? When we allow perfectionism to determine what the world will or will not read, we may be withholding the very story God wants us to share. Our responsibility as writers is to communicate to the best of our ability. It need not be perfect. Others will help the work to shine; we simply need to stay in our lane, offering ourselves the same grace we’re so quick to offer others.

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” - Joseph Chilton Pearce

2. Engage Child-like Curiosity. If you think curiosity is something naturally lost over time, think again. Saramego, a Portugese writer, re-sets our expectations with his quote, “Old age starts where curiosity ends.” With that in mind, let’s invite the child in all of us to come out and play. Here’s are suggestions you may want to try:

• Commit to the wonder of curiosity. Intentionally choose to be curious. You may want to set the goal for doing this once a day, once a week, or twice a month. Planning moments to be curious may sound a little over-the-top for those who naturally engage their curious tendencies. But for others, such as myself, being intentional helps me move toward the goal of living a more creative life.

• Is there a road you drive past every day and wonder where it leads? Make a turn to see where it takes you. Study an intriguing subject for 30 days. Purchase a magazine about a new subject or read a different genre. Register for a class on baking, pottery, or some other creative outlet. Researchers say that the brain creates new pathways when doing new things.

• If you want to take it a step further, start a curiosity journal. Jot down ideas to try as soon as they spark, or write down what you learned as a result of your willingness to engage your child-like curiosity.

“What are the conditions of the creative attitude, of seeing and responding, of being aware and being sensitive to what one is aware of? First of all it requires the capacity to be puzzled. Children still have the capacity to be puzzled.” - Erich Fromm

Declutter, Declutter. I had to repeat this title twice to penetrate my own mind because, if truth be told, I’d much rather spend time writing than cleaning the area around my desk. Okay, I’d rather be doing pretty much anything else besides cleaning, but writing ranks in the top three. Although studies have shown that a messy desk can boost creativity (the writing world breathes a collective sigh of relief) the clutter that surrounds us mentally and physically can wreak havoc on our creative life. Imagine my delight when I recently came across Jeff Goin’s post, “Clutter is Killing Your Creativity(And What to Do About It).”

His tips are stellar. I suggest you visit his site but first, I hope you’ll take a moment to share a comment if the suggestions above resonate or if you have one of your own. In doing so, you’ll offer encouragement to others and your name will be placed in a drawing for a journal to capture your curious and creative thoughts. Thanks!

“Clutter is not just physical stuff. It's old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support your better self.” - Eleanor Brownn

TWEETABLES

3 Ways to Live Your Best #Creative Life - @CathySBaker on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Specific ways to combat resistance and maximize the creative life to its fullest potential - @CathySBaker on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Cathy Baker is an award-winning writer and author of Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Beach as well as Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Mountains. As a twenty-five year veteran Bible instructor, she's led hundreds of studies and workshops. She's also contributed to numerous anthologies and publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, The Upper Room, and Focus on the Family’s Thriving Family. In addition, her poetry can be found in several popular anthologies.

She and her husband, Brian, live in the foothills of the Carolinas.
Subscribe to Cathy’s blog at http://www.cathybaker.org and receive a free e-book, “Praying In Every Room of Your Home.”