Today I wanted to share with you some of the questions from the Ways to Connect With Your Muse webinar and my responses:

How does the process of breaking any walls inside of you go? What should we be doing from our side in order to be aligned with the process so we seek what we want to? ~M

If we try to push too hard against something that we ourselves have put into place, without first looking at why it is there, it will be a difficult battle.  Our mind sometimes puts up blocks as a way of protecting us from further emotional harm based on our experiences.  So if we break down a wall without looking at what it is made of then we will be ill prepared for toppling it or worse we will get injured in the process.  If it was built to protect, then we will build some other barrier unconsciously.  Until there is a shift in thinking about the need for protection, any walls we knock down will be rebuilt whether we want to or not.

For example, the negative messages that we have heard and  have not dealt with or processed, can sometimes block us from moving forward with our creativity.  At a recent workshop I gave, while painting, one of the participants suddenly remembered something awful a teacher had said to her about her art: she had told her that she was “doing it wrong” and made her start over again. As she recalled this there was a shift in her perspective, she felt freed up because looking back she realized how wrong this teacher had been and she was able to then give herself permission to create in her own way.  Without recognizing that message she would have continued to hold herself back, recognizing it was the beginning of her allowing self to let go and connect more to her creative Self.

To align with the creative process means to surrender to it without expectation.  This is something we work at persistently in Painting with Your Muse e-course.

How do you hear her (your muse) when you are so blocked? I do try but I never hear her. ~ Sherry

Trust the process. Trust that she is there even if you cannot hear her. Doing is a big part of giving your Muse the courage to speak up.  If you support her by showing that you believe in her, by giving her voice a space to express, then this sets the stage for her to visit for frequently.  Taking the time to create helps in establishing a habit or routine of creating.   Just paint it, art it , draw it sculpt it, whatever it is, do it and you will send a clear message to your Muse that she is welcome.  Sometimes we don’t hear until we allow ourselves to be immersed in the process of creating.  Trust that you are creative and that you have what you need inside.

You may not like what you create at these times but shelve those negative thoughts.  Creating, (no matter what your judgements are) helps you train your brain to accept this part of you who needs to express through making art.

The other thing to remember is that often blocks are there for a reason. Some detective work may be necessary to help uncover them and why they are there. Many times they are there unnecessarily, a bad habit repeated, inner scripts we have picked up. Sometimes the reasons they are there need to be explored and processed. The first step is identifying the messages or beliefs we have about our creativity, the next step is replacing these.  Being persistent and creating about what is identified can help shed some light on what is going on.  In that sense the creative process itself becomes the “cure”  for the block.

Do you have a burning question about connecting with your Muse?  Share it below.  What have you found most helpful when you feel stuck? 

Just 3 1 days left to register for Painting With Your Muse 5 week intuitive painting e-course.  This is the last time that this course will be offered in 2012, so now’s the time to join if your Muse has been calling and you are not sure where to start (or if you are having a hard time hearing her).

Discover and tap into your creative source deep within:

Week one we will lay the grounds for creative expression preparing your external and internal environment for the to make your artist within more comfortable

Week two we begin to peel back the layers to your creative side, inviting you to loosen up and let go through different creative exercises

Week three  we explore the shadows, calling out and challenging the monsters that inhibit creativity

Week four we continue to break the patterns that block your creativity.  Following your natural internal rhythm to connect with creativity.

Week five we delve deeper. Gentle exploring your inner-landscape and creativity, and further connecting you to your creative source.