Sunday, February 15, 2009

Secret #4 – Surrendering to Your Creativity Cycles


Surviving the “void


The void or the times when I feel so empty of ideas is part of the process of life and creating. I need this time to heal, reflect, rest and re-charge my energies to get ready for my next adventure!

I underlined the entire first page of the segment called “Surviving the Void”. I really, really, really liked the message here! I ended up circling some words and phrases that rang out to me and this is what they were:

~ wise women accept them
~ trust
~ will percolate again
~ fear
~ surviving
~ following the clues
~ remaining true to yourself
~ it’s time has passed, even if we wish otherwise
~ courage is mandatory


Gail wrote:
“You can’t hide from the void – it envelops you and keeps pulling you under like a relentless octopus. When you have discovered the truth the creature will let you go”.
This void does pull me under and begins to destroy me when I fight it! When I accept the void for what it really is (a time to rest and heal) and when I go with the process I don’t get so afraid, upset, depressed…
I see the void as being vital to the journey into the next step in my life or creative venture. Whatever that next step might be, the void is not only the time to deal with and sort out my shit it’s also the time to reflect on what I’ve learned, look at what I’ve done and then to release it (with love) if necessary and then begin to move forward in to my next step or adventure.


The void is the time to get ready!



Once I realize I’m actually in the void and I remember it’s a time to re-charge and get ready than I’m not so mad, lost or afraid. Or not as much anyway! I know I do have a purpose and I become sure of myself and not confused.


The void lasts as long as it needs to. It depends on how much shit I have to sort out, how long it takes me to let the shit go and then how long it takes me to become calm and rested.


The idea here is for me to remember how natural this void time is go with the process but not get to so comfortable with it that I don’t want to leave it! I can see that I would do that!


It's a creative cycle!


Watching for clues:
I am clearly in a void time right now. Although I’m not afraid I am impatient. It seems I keep hitting dead ends with so many of the things I try. My alone time art seems to come together in small steps but art classes, art groups, taking or teaching hairdressing classes - although fun, all seem to end up nowhere. They just end. Maybe my clue here is they don’t need to be going anywhere right now. Hummm.


Note to God:
I’m ready!
Thank you, Bec


Quote I love:
“Diamonds are only chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs - you see”.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with this....

I am in a void too...although part brought on by a bad run of colds....run...ugh...part something else.

I hope you find the way out soon....Come out, Becci!!!

ps- you ever notice that when you don't feel well, your hair doesn't either? ;)

TesoriTrovati said...

So awesome Becci!
Greetings from the Northwoods. Thank you for commenting on my post (I see that we are at the same place in the book! So glad to know that I am not alone...I will get there...limping along!).
I so agree that we need to shift our thinking about voids. Perhaps it is just that word that conjures up negativity. That is why the fallow season rang true with me. I am in one right now. Partially self-imposed, partially circumstantial. But I can see the light and I am rushing toward it!
Do come back and visit. I so love to hear what others are thinking.
Enjoy the day!
Erin

Anonymous said...

That was the perfect quote, about the diamonds, to cap off this post. Thanks for stopping by! It's good to "see you." I wish I'd jumped in and participated with 12 Secrets, but I don't think I could have kept up with it right now if I had. Nonetheless, reading about everyone's experiences on their blogs has really got me wanting to get this book and do this journey at some point this year.

Cindy Jones Lantier said...

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and leaving such a delightful comment! I'm right there with you on voids, obviously. They are part of the creative cycle, and now that I've learned not to push against them, they aren't nearly as scary.

Cindy Jones Lantier said...

Oh! To respond to the comment you left on my blog ... For me -- and I'm the only person I can speak for! -- there is a difference between voids and fallow times; I've experienced them both. For me, the void is a time of no creative movement at all. It's almost painful in its lack. There's no internal growth happening, no movement at all. It's a dreary place to be. Fallow times are just times when I'm not actively creating, but I'm still interested in my creativity. I'm still reading books and maybe taking classes, even though, as you say, they don't really lead to anything. I'm still priming the pump (or filling the well, as Julia Cameron would say).

I'm not sure if you can lead a whole life in a fallow time, or a void. I think the creativity is bound to sneak out from time-to-time!