Yeah, but I’m not creative…and other lies I told myself.

It took me years (many many years) to consider myself a creative person.

Managing artists for a living, I was convinced that my role was one of support and in comparison, I was not worthy of feeling or identifying as a creative person.

I believed that creativity was a magical power that only certain people posses. An attribute assigned to those who draw, design, paint, write music or make really cool things.

My own ideas rarely had a voice. I kept them locked inside my mind and private journals and only allowed them to see the light of day when I first embarked on Julia Cameron’s well known course “The Artist’s Way”.

For those who are yet to read or experience this powerful tool, The Artist’s Way is a 13 week guided course to recover and awaken your creative gifts. Well known by established artists all over the world, this course can undertaken by anyone, because we are all innately creative.

While embarking on my own journey of creative discovery, I started asking questions to the artists I admire. I came to learn that many of the writers, designers, musicians and photographers I worked with didn’t think of themselves as creative either, they were just doing the thing that lights them up. They didn’t see creativity as a choice, it was part of who they were.

Like many of us, I carried a deep seated belief that “I wasn’t good enough”, which often gets in the way of tapping into our creative voice. 

This mental filter has the capacity to limit the way we see ourselves. We continue to feed this story by running an internal script of -

“There is always someone better than me at …”

“I don’t know enough about…”

“But that’s just something I do for fun, that doesn’t make me creative”

“No-one is going to care about…”

“I won’t make enough money doing …”

“I’m too old to ….”

Sound familiar? 

All of these stories are just that...stories. These inner narratives can be shifted once you decide to get curious. Take a closer look at the things that have been calling you inside, the things that make you feel alive, excited and expansive. Get quiet and commune with deeper parts of yourself through meditation, solitude or work with a mentor to help you find the confidence you need to share your creative ideas with the world. No great leap comes without fear, we need to befriend it, face it, overcome it and do the thing anyway.

Creativity is not a rare quality that only certain people possess, it is a naturally, abundant resource that is available to all who choose to awaken it.

Sometimes we just need some help to see our creativity, activate it, quieten the inner narrative and find the courage and take action.

Creativity may not be your money maker (although it could be) it may be the tasks you get lost in, or the way you speak, learn and interact with the things you value most.

Clues to your unique creative expression are often hidden in your talents, your passion and the things that deeply fulfil you.

Being creative is about living truly from the heart. It’s about continuously learning, remaining focused and playing in life instead of existing.

What if you believed you were creative? What could that look like for you? What if you just did the thing, took the leap, made the move, wrote the screenplay...etc, with the purpose of seeing how it felt to grow into a new version of yourself.

Whether you believe it or not, you are creative. So find your infinite flow of unique energy and follow it home.

If you’re feeling called to lean into your creative calling to bring your inner stirring to life, but you need some help to get clear, access and harness your creative power, then check out my Creative Advisory work and Creative Treatment Programs here.