Enrich Your Creative Process: A Guided Exercise.

Take practical steps toward a more fulfilling creative practice.

Straight from a therapists office to your inbox, More to the Story inspires self-reflection and growth through a combination of personal essays, clinical perspective, and practical tools designed to support you on your journey toward wholeness

Please feel welcome to share parts of this letter that resonate with you, or send to someone you think of. Thanks for reading, subscribing, commenting, sharing and for just being here.

READ FIRST: You can listen to the audio version of the questions for this exercise (which is recommend), or I included the questions below for those who would rather read or come back to the them.

Welcome to another Mindful Moment. This short series is designed to help you slow down and be more present and mindful of what is beneath the surface of your awareness. It’s an invitation to connect with yourself on a deeper level, something I help clients do daily in my practice as a therapist.

Today’s Mindful Moment is about re-defining success in your creative endeavors.

It’s an exercise that invites you to:

• Reconnect with your authentic creative voice.

• Redefine success on your terms.

• Take practical steps toward a more fulfilling creative practice.

This is inspired by a piece I wrote a few months ago about my father-in-law who has been a full time artist for over two decades. In it I explore what he says success has meant to him and how that can help us.

If you don’t plan on listening to the whole audio, you might listen to the first couple minutes as I give a bit more of an intro to this exercise.

Enjoy!

My daughter with grandpa in his studio.

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1. Reflection

   1. Take a few deep breaths and settle into the physical space you’re in. Pay attention to your breath and how your body feels. Allow your body to relax and any tension it’s carrying.

   2. Be honest with yourself, even if you don’t like your answer. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read the question: what does “success” means to you in your creative endeavors? At the end of this exercise we’ll come back to this question and answer it again. 

2. Exploration: 

   1. How does the digital age influence your creativity? List both positive and negative impacts. 

   2. Describe a moment when you created something purely for yourself, without the intention of sharing it. What was that process like? What emotions surfaced and how did your body feel as you created it? 

3. Values Alignment: 

   1. Take a moment to list 4-5 of your core values. Then, consider how your creative work aligns with these values. Are there any discrepancies? If so, what internal or external things are influencing that discrepancy? And how might you bring your creativity more in line with your values? 

4. Inner Child Dialogue: 

   1. Imagine the young creative part of you. What image comes to mind? What does this kid look like? How do you feel toward this version of yourself? 

   2. Ask your younger self this question and listen for the answer: What do you (younger self) need to feel safe to express yourself freely? 

   3. Then, write a short note to your inner child offering support and compassion and encouragement. 

5. Commitment and Next Steps: 

   1. What is one way you’ll prioritize creating for yourself in the next week? 

   2. What is a small, realistic and actionable step you can take to nurture your authentic creativity and honor your young creative self? 

6. Reflection: 

   1. How would you define success in your creative endeavors? 

   2. Notice if your answer has shifted at all, if so, what do you make of the shift?

   3. How do you feel after moving through this exercise?

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If you’re open to sharing, leave a comment answering one, or both, of these questions:

• How would you define success in your creative endeavors? 

• What was your support or encouragement to your creative inner child?

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