Do you ever dream of making something new?
You’re the writer who can’t seem to put pen to paper.
The parent cleaning up someone else’s messes when you’d secretly rather be making your own.
A (literal) dancer with a partner who seems to be (metaphorically…or literally) moving to completely different music.
The multi-talented artist who quietly resents the chaos around them.
Have you ever had the thought, If I just had a moment to myself, I’d make/create [insert your idea/vision/image here] ?
The artists and creatives I work with rarely arrive in my virtual office focused on these endeavors. In a world that all-too-quickly discards creativity, these artists spend their days taking care of who or what’s around them — while their inner-artist takes a back seat. As the responsible parent, partner, child, sibling — they often try to talk themselves out of their quiet, persistent drive to create, make, or perform.
If I really wanted to make something, I would have done it by now, they tell themselves.
I’ve been there. And I’ve had to get really real about what’s held me back:
Socialized to sacrifice my own desires
Swimming against the currents of Comparison & Efficiency
Praised for being compliant, flexible, and easy-going — labels that stick (and restrict)
And “what-ifs” like, What if my family abandons me if I try something new?
There is MUCH to dismantle in the process of creative recovery. AND, the process promises possibility — including the opportunity to loosen the grip of shame, resentment, fear, and so many of the things we’ve internalized that keep us from living a vibrant, full life.