And just like that, it’s the last main episode of the season and the year – eeek! (don’t worry, we’re planning a year roundup/review one to sneak in too!)
We were so wowed by Lorraine (The Painless Piano Coach)’s story from our last episode that we knew we had to talk about our own creative mindset and how we overcame struggles we experienced for our creativity.
Like many of our chats, this one wasn’t about answering specific questions but it delved into a thorough exploration of our own creative journeys and the things we overcame to continue them. Listen in for some excellent back and forth on this topic!
What we talked about
Buckle up, we did some meandering and excellent tangents on this one – it’s a huge subject! We talked through:
Suffering for your art, and how this is not only accepted but encouraged as a belief. The similar expectation and acceptance of pain in sport including dance, as well as creative pursuits (more physical for sport, more internal suffering in creativity, but emotional for both). Beliefs that result from this which can be actively damaging.
Frustrations and mindset shifts and always learning. The physical things that can affect your creative output & performance. Having an emotional attachment to creative things and how that can both increase & decrease discomfort.
Lorraine talked in her episode about unlearning society’s ideal posture in favour of one which actually worked for her, and this felt like a great parallel with what we learn about art & creativity, and how much unlearning we usually have to do in order to progress creatively. Our personal experiences with messaging around not being able to make money from creative things, of having to have a backup.
Flow! What it looks & feels like, and how elusive it can be. Cultural norms & stories from fairytales about dreams & how they’re achieved. Writing from depression and the journey to finding joy in creativity (and that being allowed!). Creativity helping with dark times vs the void, creative block and how that feels physically.
How essential self expression and fulfilment are – however they appear and whatever role they have in your life. Learning and growth, discomfort for growth, and trying to change the beliefs that have been instilled into us.
Criticism, confidence, and mindset – the things which influence how we feel and the rebellion against societal norms and expectations. Rebellion later in life than might be expected.
How broad creativity can be – not just traditional arts, and there is creativity to be found in almost everything. Transitioning from hobby to professional (mostly about photography and writing, as that’s what we’ve both done, but the underlying message applies to all sorts!).
Shoulds vs wants, intrinsic and external motivation, doing things for love or from expectation, and how these things can all impact on the process and our mindset and approach. Of course we also talked about instinct and intuition, and how education can knock these out of you so you have to re-learn them.
How important creativity and the arts are to society as a whole – and how the pandemic really helped to emphasise this on a huge scale. Creativity in the context of small businesses, multipods and the gig economy, how the growth of side hustles mean more people are starting creative businesses on the side of a “proper” career, and why creativity is more important than ever – as is nurturing your own creative drive & inspiration.
We did say it meandered! But hopefully you found it as thought-provoking and intriguing a subject as we did.
What’s next?
We’re recording a December episode to round off the year, and we’ll keep you posted about next season! Stay tuned on our mailing list & socials 🙂