Heart of a Muse – mixed media –

Do we need permission to create? 

These six very direct words can be a somewhat daunting question for many.

The reality is…No… No one needs to give you permission to create. You are 100% responsible for being creative. There is no right time or right place. For many of us, household chores, work, children, commitments all seem to take precedence over taking time to be creative. 

But the reality is…you need to give permission to yourself. 

Permission to allow yourself to create without placing everyday obstacles in your path. 

Perhaps you have to let go of anchors like the past or your perceptions of who you are, so you can be free to pursue your soul’s true calling. Just set your intentions and see what happens. This doesn’t mean to completely abandon your current life. Allowing yourself one avenue to express your creativity may be the catalyst to greater opportunities to come. 

And if you take the time to “indulge” in your creativity; do you feel like you are being…well…selfish? You think to yourself, “ I have so many things I should be doing,       like ____.” I bet you can fill in the blank with a whole list of things…other than being creative.  

“Creativity is a selfish joy that replenishes the soul.”

Are you lacking self-confidence to express your creativity? You feel that other people are so much more experienced than you, more talented than you or that you shouldn’t waste time on your creativity because you are not an expert. 

What if you could spend an entire month in pure creativity connecting with your inner muse?

Close your eyes and savor that thought for a moment. How would you feel? Joyous? Less stressed? Happier? Calmer? I bet you would feel all of these things, plus a feeling of accomplishment.

Would you feel like you were getting reacquainted with your “old self” or “authentic self” or “who you were meant to be” ? I’m betting your answer would be, “Yes!”

Close your eyes again and picture this… What three creative goals do you have? What if you envisioned yourself achieving those creative goals? What time frame would that be months or years? What if you accomplished them in less than 6 months? How would you feel then? Does that sound unbelievable or unattainable? 

Simple answer…Make it official, just take 30 minutes each day to take part in your creative endeavor. At first, it may be difficult to focus and get started, but just write or paint or whatever your creative outlet you enjoy. At first you may even feel a little uncomfortable fulfilling your “appointment” time. But in a week or so “your appointment” will start to become a priority. 

For me on some days it still is a mental battle of “I need to do this ____” instead of jumping in and getting started on my creative time. But once I start, within 5 minutes or so, the nagging voices of responsibility fades away and the creativity takes over.You and I will always be amazed at what we can create, and how good it feels to contribute your creativity to the world. 

After all, replenishing your spirit and soul, and doing things that make you happy, is an important factor in maintaining mental and physical health.