In Search of Your Creative Fire: A Guest Post by Silky Hart of Expressive Hart

The creative process is much like an archaeological dig or expedition; it is an adventure laced with mystery, fun, and anticipation of great discovery. And, there is no treasure greater than that of self discovery.

The creative process requires digging and sifting through your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. As rewarding as this process is, you may sometimes encounter a boulder blocking your way or find yourself in a rut wondering under what rock your creative desires and longings lie. Or, maybe you have glimpsed the sparkle of an idea in the sand, but don’t have the shovel you need to unearth it.

Still, the promise of self awareness urges us to overcome these difficulties. The creative process always stretches us, grows us, and leaves us feeling better and uplifted. It is a promise we can’t ignore.

You Need a Map

When you are disconnected from your creative spirit, you feel lost, and like any good treasure hunter, you need a map. So, let’s take that first fierce step into the unknown by going on a little creative adventure to reveal some layers of your creative yearnings. Let’s transform your creative spark into a creative fire.

Read the questions below, and write your answers on a piece of paper or in your journal. Let your answers flow as fast or as slow as they come. Be sure to include everything. It is important to track, no matter how small, any flicker of inspiration. Your answers will offer clues about where your treasure lies.

Where do you find your curiosity?

What books do you reach for?

What images are compelling to you?

What lectures, art exhibits, and people are you drawn to?

Where do you find yourself feeling better?

Who do you wonder about?

Who do you find fascinating?

Which daydreams make you feel better?

What is it you’ve said you’ve always wanted to do?

What is effortless for you?

Where have you been the most creative in your life from your window?

Everyone has a flicker or a flame. Right now, where do you see yourself as a creative being?

The Four Portals

I recommend taping a big piece of butcher paper to the wall. For one month, write your answers to the following questions at the end of each day on the butcher paper. As the days go by, patterns will begin to emerge, and you’ll have a treasure map pointing you in the direction of what engages your creative fire.

1. What inspired you today? Wherever you are expanded and uplifted always takes you into the creative fire.

2. What challenged you today? Being stretched takes you out of your routine, wakes you up out of your rut. Bypassing habitual ways of looking at something gives you a fresh perspective.

3. What surprised you today? How do you handle the unexpected? Have you moved into control or lack of trust? Children loved to be surprised; they giggle when they are surprised. If you love surprises, you are connected to your capacity for play, spontaneity, and authenticity.

4. What has heart meaning? Wherever you are touched or moved is a sweet moment where your heart is still open.

The above four portals also help you track how connected you are to the gift of life. Are you in a life affirming or life negating pattern? Now, that you have uncovered some valuable clues, how do you bring your creative fire into your life?

Often, we are very sophisticated and clever in our rationale as to why we can’t do what we want to do. What is the story you have going on about your creativity? Maybe you are relentless in claiming your creative dream. Or, maybe you are telling yourself another story, such as; I wish I had the courage to following my creative dream, BUT…

I don’t have enough time.

I’m probably not as creative as I imagine myself to be.

It’s safer just staying where I am.

I don’t know how to make it happen.

What would people think?

And then we go into the dead zone.

Isn’t it interesting how we sometimes push away what we really want? We put the big BUT boulders in the road. Any BUT is a story we keep telling ourselves; whatever follows the BUT keeps us from realizing our creative dream. So, stop yourself on every BUT; this is a story that doesn’t need to happen. It is where you disengage from the creative fire. What is the payoff for not doing what you want to be doing?

Dig in Your Own Backyard

Are you living your life for someone else’s expectations instead of living your own dream? The BIG secret is people who truly love you want you to be happy in what you are doing. Where do you give your power away to other people’s wishes and abandon yourself? The need for approval squelches the creative fire.

Another BIG creative fire drencher is comparing. Up to around age five, kids have an insatiable curiosity. They don’t evaluate or judge what they’ve created. It is magnificent. Children don’t compare, they share. When we compare, we are stating, “I don’t believe my creativity has worth.” Somewhere along the way we learn to compare.

Silky Hart is an expressive arts goddess who relishes in empowering and inspiring people to realize their creative dreams. For more than 15 years, Silky has passionately led workshops, classes and retreats in creative expression. She has also led expressive arts sessions in a wide variety of settings including psychiatric hospitals, schools, shelters, treatment centers and healthcare facilities. Silky is a Certified Expressive Arts Therapist with a BFA in Dance and an MBA in International Business. Next April, she is co-leading a yoga and expressive arts retreat to Costa Rica. Recently, she started a blog called Expressive Hart. Silky believes in the transformative power of the arts and creative expression to restore, expand and transform physical, emotional and spritual well-being. She lives with her husband, three cats and dog in the historical section of McKinney, Texas.