A good idea from a life coach for personal development growth:

Clear a Path for Creativity

BY LEA BRANDENBURG

Reprinted with permission

This life coach suggests you notice what you can eliminate in your life to create a vacuum out of which creativity can arise.

There is a saying that Nature abhors a vacuum. And, if Nature truly does rush in to fill a void, wouldn't it make sense to clear a path for Her? Wouldn't it make sense to release what you don't want in your life to create a clear path for what you do want in your life? A gardener will pull weeds from his garden, so that the flowers he plants will have room to grow. We too, can create a flourishing environment for what we really want in our lives to grow, but first we must clear a path.

Whether you are an artist or simply looking for ways to express your creativity, here are a few ways you can clear a path:

Create an environment that inspires.

Where do you paint, draw, write, act, or express yourself? Is there plenty of sunlight? Do you have beautiful things to look at? Do you have pictures of loved ones around you? If creating such a place doesn't seem possible for you at home, is there a place you can go to that does appeal to your senses? The Art Room of the Central New York Public Library has huge beautiful wooden tables, gorgeous old-fashioned lamps on each table, volumes of books filled with art and an abundance of silence. For some artists it is a place that beckons to them and their creativity. Create an encouraging place to work or find one, so that your ideas have a clear path to you.

Ideas will show up if they are made to feel welcome.

Daydream, let your mind wander, turn off your left brain, observe and absorb the world around you. Julia Cameron in "The Artist's Way" recommends having an "Artist's Date" once a week. This date is a block of time you set aside each week to spend with the artist within. It is a time where you nurture this side of you. Go to a museum, take a walk in nature, or see a matinee. If you open the door, your ideas and creativity will enter.

Keep your ideas in a safe place.

Most creative people have a plethora of ideas, projects and opportunities available to them at all times. So many, that at times it seems impossible to actually bring any one idea to fruition before starting a new project. One of the challenges of living the life of a creative being is clearing out the influx of new ideas, so that last week's project or idea can be completed. Write your ideas in a journal or design a special idea box. Write your ideas on slips of paper and put them in this box. Your ideas will be safe until you are ready to take them on and to give them the full attention they deserve. And, as an added bonus, your creativity will have a clear path to work on the project at hand.

Set aside time to create.

The Muse will strike, but do try to meet Her halfway. The Great American Novel is written one page at a time. An actor's lines in a play are memorized through repetition and practice. A good way to be creative is to actually participate in the creative process on a consistent basis. Schedule time to write, act, play music, paint or express yourself in your artistic medium of choice. Also, be generous with yourself and build in a reserve of time when you are working on a project. One way to shut down the flow of creativity is to put too tight of a deadline on the process.

Create a solid personal foundation.

In order for a building to grow to skyscraper proportions, it must be built on a solid foundation that can support it. Human beings also need a solid personal foundation in order to have uninhibited access to creativity. One way to start solidifying your foundation is to release any myths you have as to what an artist should or shouldn't be. A common myth is that an artist needs to be self-destructive in order to create. Ask Jim Morrison of the Doors, Janis Joplin, Jim Belushi or Modigliani what they have to say about that one.

If creativity is something that you desire in your life, clear a path for it. Look around you this week and notice what you can eliminate in your life to create a vacuum. Then take a few action steps to clear a path. Just as a boat will flow more easily through the water once the barnacles are removed from her hull, your creativity will flow more easily to you once you release any barriers to it.

© 2002, Lea Brandenburg

Lea Brandenburg is president of Creating Strategies in New York, NY, and has been coaching an international group of clients and businesses since 1997. Her areas of expertise and passion are interpersonal and business communication, intuitive intelligence and creativity. She is a graduate of CoachInc, the coaching industry's premiere and oldest training program, a member of the International Coach Federation, which is an association dedicated to preserving the integrity and ethics of the coaching profession, and a Founding Member of Coachville, the first on line coaching training company and portal. You can contact her at lea@creatingstrategies.com.