This is Benjamin and in this session we're going to do a practice to nurture space for your creative self to emerge and gain confidence.
And by practicing mindfulness and non-judgment as we observe our creative process,
We invite and invoke our creative energies to play a more active role in our daily lives in everything we do.
For this exercise you'll need a sheet of paper and something to draw with.
Even though the practice itself involves visual expression,
Understand that the goal of the point of this is not to produce art.
Instead,
We're creating a little laboratory to train our creative mind that it's safe for it to support us in all our daily activities when we solve problems,
Communicate,
And of course pursue our goals.
Setting aside time to be creative during your day can have lasting benefits in all areas of your life.
It can boost self-awareness,
Relieve stress,
And help reveal new exciting solutions to problems.
And of course a bonus is that you can cultivate mindfulness while nurturing your creative mind.
So make sure you've got that blank sheet of paper and a pen or pencil or even a crayon,
Anything to write with,
And set aside about five minutes for this exercise.
Let's begin by bringing your awareness to your experience right now in this moment.
For example,
Feel the physical pen,
Pencil,
Or crayon in your hand.
Noticing its weight,
Noticing its temperature,
The texture,
The color,
All that sensory input.
Just be fully present with that writing utensil you have in your hand.
And now shift your awareness towards that piece of paper and notice any details about this specific sheet of paper.
What color or shade of white is it exactly?
Really zoom in and notice any subtleties.
Are any of the corners bent?
Anything about its thickness that you notice?
And now shifting your awareness internally,
Noticing any thoughts going through your mind at this point.
If you already notice some judgments arising around your creative talents,
Just notice these thoughts as they come up.
Now simply start drawing.
You don't need to create a masterpiece.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with stick figures and doodles.
Draw whatever you want.
It might be a happy memory,
Some generic scenery,
Random abstraction as you instinctively move your pen around the paper.
But as you draw,
Notice what you're drawing.
If it's a person,
Note that you're drawing a person.
If there's movement,
Notice that there's movement.
And watch for any emotions that arise,
Exploring whether the piece is happy,
Sad,
Fun,
Beautiful,
And so on.
Maybe there's a more nuanced emotional description that you can find.
But especially take special care again to watch for judgments,
Self-judgment.
However creative you consider yourself to be,
You might find the mind telling you that you're no good,
This is silly,
You're quote not an artist.
But note that you have set aside and created this time and space that is safe and free of all judgments.
At least free of judgments in the sense that you've decided not to react to them.
Simply let them be in the space of your awareness.
And what happens if you just keep going when those critical thoughts arise?
What happens when you allow this part of your mind to express itself openly with no pressure to share with the outside world?
Maybe,
Just maybe,
These thoughts of judgment about your creativity arose at some point in your life to protect you from being judged by others or criticized.
Take a moment to thank that impulse.
It just wanted to protect you.
But now,
From the framework of where you are now in your life,
Consider that your circumstances and your roles have changed.
Now you're an empowered,
Intelligent adult and you deserve access to this creative side of yourself.
The creativity that resides within your human being is your birthright.
And you have the privilege of accessing it now.
So thank the mind again for these contributions and continue drawing.
And when you're ready,
Set down that pen or pencil or crayon and look at what you've drawn.
Just take it in.
Examine the lines,
The figures,
And the overall piece as a whole.
Again,
Noticing any thoughts or judgments as they arise.
You may choose to save the piece or not.
The activity is the point,
Not the result.
But the more you practice like this,
Holding a space for your creative mind to play free of judgments,
The more it will join you throughout the day,
Adding its magic and insight to your daily activities and projects.
In the safe space,
In the laboratory of this practice,
It gets easier and easier to let those judgments arise without taking them too seriously and without needing to take action.
Rather than react,
We can respond.
And now that you've practiced noticing those thoughts of judgment as they arise,
Pay attention to when they arise throughout your day and your week.
And when they do,
Ask yourself,
What if I just notice those thoughts but don't react to them?
What if I move forward and allow my creative mind to enter and contribute to this situation right now?
