On Becoming An Artist....facing fear

This is a page discussion from one of Julia Cameron's books on what blocks people creatively.  You may think this does or does not relate to you or you may have a different belief system about how the universe works, but there is so much truth to what Julia says about being a perfectionist, setting ourselves up to fail, and the ways we keep ourselves from achieving that I think you will find it valuable to read no matter what you belief system may be.  

"People that are blocked Creatively, ususally tend to be perfectionists (ah-hem I know this very well). There is no room for perfectionism in Creativity. The minute the judging mind is involved, the Creative flow has stopped. Because now you are second guessing yourself or thinking it is too different or weird aka authentic, beautiful, inspiring. Creativity and Freedom go hand in hand. To allow our Creativity, it requires us to face fear so we can liberate ourselves. Especially facing fear of the unknown. Living a Creative Life where you are following your Bliss, forces you (in an oh-so loving way of course) to embrace the unknown.

It’s simple to follow a path that has already been carved out by society, your parents, you-in the past, friends, etc and to play it “safe and small” in Life, but it takes a hell of a lot to not have a set goal or plan and trust that everything will flow. It takes courage to follow your heart. What our mind shows us as images of the goal may not really be the goal. When you are living Creatively you are in tune with the moment. Picking up on signs, feelings, gut instincts. Trusting in what Source brings you. Not allowing obstacles to stop you out of fear, but passing through them by dissolving them with your Love/forgiveness. It takes courage to let go of your dependency on “others” and their approvals and to only seek your heart’s approval. This may seem like a scary life-style, but this is what we all yearn for. The reward of taking these risks are soo worth it. Freedom to LIVE. To have freedom, certainty must be let go of. ”In order to discover new lands, one must be willing to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” ~Andre Gide This allows us to flow like Water and blow like the Wind. This flowing becomes the certainty we seek. Our security is now in what is real and not anything that can die or be lost.

Asheville, North Carolina        Young Artist taking Risk
      photo by Elizabeth Gordon

This is when you take risks and realize that the biggest risk is to never live your Life. To never LIVE. To live someone else’s Life. To never live authentically. Because deep down inside, you know you are not this fearful person. You know that this “security” you think you have in material things will all be gone after the body passes, but Liberation stays with you even after the body passes. So the risks don’t have to be huge, but you can start living your Life Creatively right NOW by staying grounded in the NOW and allowing yourself to be guided to do whatever it is your heart desires. We can use this guidance for everything in Life. Even the simplest things like when to take a shower or now. Easy: Do what you feel regardless of what the mind tells you. Allow the Universal Will."  quotes by Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way