Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Apr/May 2018 Aspire Magazine Full Issue | Page 59

CREATIVITY KILLER BELIEF #2: Other people are more talented than I am. Yes, some people seem to have talents by the mile and others may be less talented than you are. The comparison isn’t helpful to owning your special creative sauce. Meryl Streep is an amazing actor but does that mean that Octavia Spencer isn’t? Or that an unknown young woman shouldn’t aspire to her own acting career? Does their acting talent mean your quilting talent is worthless? Of course not. REMIND YOURSELF: I look to others for inspiration about what is possible. I connect to my own creative spirit and I claim my own journey. CREATIVITY KILLER BELIEF #3: It is taking too long! There is a myth of overnight success. Most creatives spend time learning to develop their gifts. They go through dry spells. You do not know how many drafts it took to get that fabulous book completed. You do not know how many starts and stops that artist made along the way. You do not know how many programs that entrepreneur launched that went nowhere. Each project has its own gestational period. Don’t compare your process to someone else’s final project. MANTRA: This project has a timeline of its own. I stay committed. CREATIVITY KILLER BELIEF #4: I am doing it wrong if someone criticizes me. It is natural to want praise and try to avoid YOU HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE FLOW OF THE UNIVERSE THAT CAN BE CULTIVATED AND EXPRESSED. YOUR CREATIVITY COUNTS. have a connection to the flow of the universe that can be cultivated and expressed. Your creativity counts. ASK YOURSELF: How does the universe want to express itself through me? criticism. Reality check: everyone is a critic. We like to dissect why we like certain things and don’t like others. No matter how good the creative work, it will not be everyone’s cup of tea. Read the bad reviews of writers and movies you love. See what others have said about that book or movie that changed your life. There are people who can help you advance your creative project in a loving way. Find the editor, mentor or coach who will do that. Make an agreement about criticism. I will only listen to constructive feedback, which will help me grow. CREATIVITY KILLER BELIEF #5: I think I will die. Most creative people have this fear at times. I call it the, “I will be burned at the stake” fear. Maybe we are remembering times in our collective human history when it has been dangerous to stand out but 59