From Where Do You Create?

This morning I got a lovely email from a friend that said: “Create from a place of love, never from a place of fear.” Though the email was referring to idea that we create our own realities each day with our thoughts and expectations about life, whether you subscribe to that or not, I think most us of would agree that when we are fearful, desperate, angry or jealous – any of those top negative emotions – things never go that well for us in general. If you are dreading and I mean really dreading a visit from your in-laws, that predisposition of resistance and preconception of conflict puts you in a bad mood. Bad enough to go nuts over the first spilled coffee and now the visit spirals down into the negativity you had predicted in the first place. See how that works? Again and again I have heard people say they met the love of their lives in a strange moment when it was the last thing on their minds. Why? Because when meeting someone is first and foremost on your mind, the vibe you give off can be needy, sad or even desperate. When you are just being yourself and you don’t care, then hey, suddenly you draw a like-minded person to you. When you really, really, really desperately want to get the job and you interview, there’s a tiny little ball of fear in your stomach praying that you get it, please, god, and that translates to not coming off as very relaxed and authentic. The adjustment of the dial from nervous, intimidated or undeserving to confident, sincere and not living or dying for the outcome is often times enough to tip the scales in your favor.

Writing is hard. It’s the hardest thing to do and mostly, it’s hard because one gets so very little validation and reward – immediate, medium or long term. Sometimes writers get so frustrated, they write from a place of fear and frustration. And suffice to say this is never your best writing. Why are you writing today? From what place within yourself are you creating? Check in and make sure it’s for the love of it, because you’re excited about what you’re writing today or because you can’t imagine not. But if you feel a tiny little ball of tension within you, because you are SICK of not SELLING a script or getting repped, be careful. You really do write your best self when you are calm, relaxed, inspired and happy. Do it for the love of the thing itself, not for a result. If you can let go of the outcome of your writing, neither thinking that you’re definitely going to sell this book/script/article nor dreading in advance that you won’t, then you can just flow with this great gift you’ve been given and enjoy the process of the writing itself.

In other words, write from a place of joyfulness and your writing will show it. Write from a place of resentment, fear, pressure or desperation and that will show up in your writing as well. Which do you choose?

Reading:

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield