Have you ever had the problem that you have a great idea but then think to yourself. How in the world can I do or make that? As a self- taught artist, I’ve had the same thing happen to me in my more than 20 years of working with my creativity and what I’ve found out is that the best thing to do is just get started.
The Artist’s way is a life changing and transformational book which I highly recommend for anyone who feels that they want a more creative life. In it are creative affirmations. Here are two of them: “As I create and listen, I will be led” and “As I listen to the creator within, I am led”.
This has been very true in my life, and not only for creative endeavors. I’ve found that it is a little like going on a path.
If you want to get somewhere it doesn’t help to just stay at home and think – Gosh, I wonder what problems there will be on my journey and try to solve them all before walking out your front door. Not that planning isn't important but without action it amounts to nothing. The best thing to do is to just get started. Take baby steps towards your goal and ask yourself. “What can I do today to get me closer to what I want to create?" If it is going and buying some paintbrushes, (or in my case usually it is some new woodworking tool) go and do it. Take the little doable actions. Then you’ll find that you are a little closer and can see more clearly how to proceed. We can almost always do one small thing right now that gets us closer to what we want to create – whether it is a piece of art or a new reality.
A great book that deals with just how to create a new reality is the book Wishcraft: How to get what you really want by Barbara Sher in which she shows how to make plans and use baby steps to achieve big goals and changes. Here is a picture of my well used and much borrowed copy.
Even if we have bumps along the way as long as we keep going and with each challenge ask ourselves – How can I solve this or what can I do now? If we ask then I really believe that we will receive the answers. Sometimes this can be like when I walked into the bookstore right after a meeting with my business consultant. I was feeling afraid to put myself out there, afraid of failing, afraid of not being good enough. I asked God to please give me some direction in what I should do and the first book I saw was Big Magic: Creative Living beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. I opened the book to flip through it and the first thing my eyes land on was a story of how she takes fear along with her as if on a road trip but that she basically lays down the rules…I laughed, and said to myself Thanks God for the answer.
Sometimes our answers can be in the form of a passing comment from someone on how they know someone who does just what you’re looking for. Sometimes it can seem like a lightning bolt of inspiration - Wow, I could use plug cutters to make beautiful inlay – think how many possibilities…No matter how the answers come to us I believe that as long as we are asking the questions and continuing on the path that the answers will come. I think of it as Divine Providence-God watching over us and helping us in our journey. But that means that we have to be moving, doing, seeking, asking to actually find. Psalms 126:5 says “Those who tearfully sow, will reap in glad song”. In other words the people who put in the hard work even though challenging, will be have the rewards of their work paying off.
I believe that God gives us our dreams and ideas so that we can achieve them and help bring to the world our unique perspectives and gifts, making the world a better place. Take your ideas seriously and work hard to see them happen. Don’t deprive the world of your voice. Believe in yourself and your abilities, and get out there and create.
Yael Enkin
