In a Snit with my Creativity

I’m in a snit.  I was intrigued by an idea I’ve seen floating around the blogosphere that suggests choosing one word to work with for the year.  It’s the same principle I wrote about last week – choose a great question and have an adventure with it for the next year – only this is with a single word.

The idea stuck.  It stuck like gum to the bottom of my shoe. The way an idea I’m meant to pay attention to sticks.  Fast on the heels of the idea came my word.  You would think I’d be happy about the lickety-split response. Given that I pray (and often plead) on a regular basis for more direct guidance from the intuitive realms.

Problem is, I don’t like my word.  Listen.  I got listen.  Swell.  Just what I want more of – listen.

There’s nothing objectionable in the definition:  pay attention, be attentive, attend, concentrate, take notice of, tune in to.  All concepts I’m a big fan of and you’ve read about in many of these posts.  It’s fundamental to who I am and what I believe.

Here’s the rub.  This is not a new assignment for me. I get paid to listen.  Sometimes I even introduce myself to clients and groups as a “professional listener”.  I know a lot about the different ways we listen (and don’t) and what it takes to be good at it.

I’m in a snit because I hoped for something juicy, something fresh, something fun.  Instead I got more of the same.  Argh!

Listening to your inner guidance is key to creativity.  That doesn’t mean you’ll always like the answers you get.  You might think you are SO done with something only to discover you’re actually on the precipice of a deeper dive — the proverbial next layer of the onion.

There’s no guarantee that you’ll like the guidance that comes.  No promise that the idea will feel within your powers to accomplish.  No assurance that the direction will be clear.   Accept that you can’t see the whole picture and that you’ve been graced with the next step – even if you don’t like it.

Rarely is our authentic path revealed beyond the next step or two. — Unknown

Trust and curiosity are the resources to call on.  Trust that you’re given exactly what you need.  Curiosity to see what’s new and different that you haven’t explored before in this domain.

If I’ve learned anything over the years it’s that “more will be revealed” – often in surprising ways.  Stay tuned…

PRACTICE

If you dare…ask for a word to come to you to “live with” for the next year.  You can do this on a walk, in a meditation, pick one out of a set of cards or open a book randomly and let your finger do the choosing.

To start off, notice your reaction and how the word initially strikes you.  Next, look around to see where it has already made itself known in your life.  (We often get sneak previews.)  Work with it however you like:  artistic expression, read about it, explore what you think it means now.

Continue to visit your word and see how it unfolds, what it reveals as time passes.