The Mind Loops Blog – Aug 2023
Maybe you consider yourself an artist. Maybe you don’t think you have a creative bone in your body.
Either way, the truth is:
Everyone is creative.
But Mind Loops will tell you different.
Mind Loops about your ability to be creative or not were originally instilled into your brain (ie, your internal dialogue) by “helpful” parents, siblings, friends – and especially early art and music teachers. Now, those critical voices are your own.
Even the people who feel creative and artistic have them too. They’re just different internal phrases, that can sadly lead to perfectionism and/or procrastination (fear of criticism, failure, and success).
I put the word “helpful” in quotes (above) because those people in your early life who squashed your creativity with harsh words may have actually thought they were helping you. Maybe they thought you wouldn’t make enough money to raise a family if you followed your dreams, or it would take too long to learn that instrument and you’d give up (just like they had done all these years ago, and and bitterly regretted it ever since).
Those Mind Loop-instillers also may simply be hurting so badly inside from their own bitter regret of lost dreams, that they really shouldn’t be in the role of teachers or critics. But they are. And many of us unfortunately loop on their words years later.
Our job now is to unravel those Mind Loops we inherited.
The Sweet But Scared Ego
One of the functions of our sweet but excessively afraid egos is the survival mechanism which keeps us from trying new things and “going out on a limb” (say, by sharing a poem we wrote while in 4th grade) – because if we are laughed at, we are “out of the tribe.” As humans, we are deeply social animals. Being out of the club is not a happy place – and it doesn’t lead to pro-creating (the literal kind) down the line, so the ego says NO WAY JOSÉ.
But Life isn’t here to make your life miserable. It is here to help you grow, learn something new, and love yourself.
So… might it be time to open the door to that creative side of you, and give it a little love and care? (Yes, even you who is telling yourself, “I am not even remotely an artist!”).
Creativity Isn’t Only Art & Music
Your creative self may not be passionate about learning an instrument or putting pen to paper. But you don’t have to be an “Artist” to be creative.
Creativity is in your blood.
Ever notice that one of the names for the mysterious power some call God, or Universe or All That Is, is, The Creator? Because you see creativity everywhere:
In the dahlia’s extravagant color and shape… your pillow’s fabric and design… the shape of the chickadee’s beak… and the sleek look of your toothbrush.
Creativity is lodged into the invention of your iPhone… the airplane you hear overhead… every Netflix series you binge-watch… and the faucet you receive your water from.
It’s in the philosophical ideas that have shaped our belief systems, religions, political systems, and schools (all for better or for worse…?).
It’s in Julia Child’s recipes, the Gardens of Versailles, the “I Have a Dream” speech, and every self-help book you’ve ever read.
We take creativity for granted because it is so intimately intertwined within our lives.
And what about you?
You sing with delight in the shower, and bake peanut-butter cookies your friends beg you to bake again.
Your vegetable garden is bursting with color and flavor, and your ideas at work are implemented with success.
You are seeping creativity – whether you play an instrument or not. So is it time to allow more of it to flow?
3 Books I Recommend! (plus 1 more):
Here are 3 books I recommend to help open your own creativity. I love them all dearly, and have read them multiple times – whenever I’m feeling creatively “plugged up”, or uninspired because of a case of Mind Loops:
For creators of all stripes, but especially people who want to begin or re-ignite an artistic endeavor:
The Artist’s Way – by Julia Cameron
One of my all-time favorite books. It will spark you! – whether you want to be a more effective problem-solver (which requires creative thinking!), or whether you want to write a NYT bestseller:
Big Magic – by Elizabeth Gilbert
Brilliant for you writers (or writer-want-to-be’s, and hooray for you!):
If You Want To Write – by Brenda Ueland
And a 4th book – which I haven’t yet read but I hear is incredibly inspiring:
The Creative Act: A Way of Being – by Rick Rubin
Each of these books are fun to read and profoundly inspiring: You will find yourself constantly putting any of these books down – because you can’t wait to start creating something.
And Remember…
When those Mind Loops appear in your head about whether or not you’re creative, or talented, or have time to “dink around with paints”, or that you’re too old to start, or you should be doing something more “productive,” or nag nag nag… DE-LOOP THEM. If you read my book or attended my workshops, you know how.
Believe me, from one creator to another: It is worth the effort! There is inexpressible joy in creating – however you choose to play with that energy.
Xo Barbara
Barbara Ireland
Author of the #1 Amazon Kindle Bestseller, How To Stop Negative Thoughts
Contributing author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller, The Transformative Power of Near-Death Experiences
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