I have written before about my thoughts on creative blocks. Most of us have experienced them at one time or another and have found ourselves in a place of frustration. This frustration then feeds the block making it stronger. There are tools to use to get through a block. There is also waiting it out accepting these lulls as a part of the creative process. But what if you can’t wait it out? What if you have a deadline (the word deadline is very telling isn’t it?)?

I don’t believe in forcing things, things should happen naturally. However, just like the seeds which you plant that should grow naturally they still need the right environment to begin and then of course they need to be nurtured and even protected to reach their full potential.

So what kind of environment does creativity thrive in? I have been thinking a lot about this lately as I have watched one of my sons struggle with a writing assignment; he was given a topic to write a fictional story about with a general outline of beginning middle (problem) and end (resolve problem) and he found himself stuck. He protested saying that he would rather pick his own topic and felt he couldn’t write about the topic given to him. As much freedom as I tried to get him to see he had with the topic he remained stuck. He finally did write it but it was a struggle for him and really lacked his own voice.

This struggle continued into the next week, this time tears were shed and his teacher encouraged him to “try” to get it done over the weekend with “help” from myself. Each time I would try to have him think about what might happen in the story he shut down “I can’t do it” he repeated over and over. Despite my telling him that he could do it and letting him know that I believed in him, he continued to repeat those dreaded words “I can’t”.

So what exactly was happening? Here he was getting supportive encouragement, we set time aside and encouraged brainstorming with him. But nothing worked. He had it set in his mind that 1) he didn’t want to write someone else’s topic and 2) he couldn’t do this.

Each time he sat down to write and was not able to think of something this just reinforced his belief. Each time he focused on failing he saw only failing. His thoughts were getting in the way. The very process we were trying to use to get him to write; thinking, imagining, we’re getting in the way. Intuitively I think he knew this so he avoided sitting down to write, pulling out the paints to mess around with instead. While this relaxed him somewhat we were still left with the problem of the unfinished story. He wanted to just write it not plan it, something difficult for an eight year old to do. Well he really did not want to write it actually.

Can you see the pattern forming? A self-fulfilling prophecy that occurs when we tell ourselves the same negative messages over and over again. The block to our own creativity in this case is self-created. With my son, both my husband and myself and his teacher had been giving him the encouraging messages which we thought he needed to hear. His internal messages were countering our best efforts. No quick fix tool was going to work here.

I’m sharing this with you because I know that he is not the only one who has struggled this way. He is not the only one who has countered the good intentions of others with self-defeating inner voices. He is not the only one with negative internal messages lingering and interfering with his creative process. Most of us have been there for one reason or another. Sometimes it is because of experiences we have had, sometimes it is the view we have of ourselves  influenced by a shy, not so confident personality. Whatever the reason, there is an answer. It is not necessarily a quick solution. It may take some time, some reprogramming of our thought s and our beliefs, but it is possible.

There are many actions that we can do to move through these “creative blocks”. However, if we don’t look at the root, the thoughts and beliefs that have helped these blocks grow, then sooner or later we will find ourselves facing a wall, cutting us off from our creativity and all the inner wisdom that it brings.

What kind of environment fosters creativity? Well, just as the external space must be welcoming, so to must the internal space. Our creativity thrives in an internal environment of nurturing messages, a belief and confidence in self, and a desire to share our creativity with others (which there will not be  if we feel it is not worthwhile to share). I think this is one of the reasons many of us feel stuck at times with creative expression, we either judge ourselves or fear being judged by others.

When we can move beyond the feeling that we need to please others, we begin to loosen up and express ourselves more fully, being more of whom we really are, and basking in it!  As adults the choice is ours. Which will you choose?

Special Note: Next month a new journey begins, an opportunity to explore your inner wisdom through dreams and art. An opportunity to uncover more of the you who lingers in the foreground waiting to come out.   Is it your time?  To find out if this journey is for you visit the Dream Dialogues eCourse page and explore the possibilities!  Psst! There is an early bird special rate in effect so check it out soon!