Balancing Intuition, Doubt, and Creativity for Personal Growth
“Let yourself fall in love with your creativity like its a love affair and see what happens. Even if you have only fifteen minutes a day in a stairwell alone with your creativity, take it. Go hide in that stairwell and make out with your art! Sneak off and have an affair with your most creative self.“ – Elizabeth Gilbert in Big Magic
I wanted to write about listening to your heart, but I have no clue where to start, where to look, or how to begin? What better way to find out than to simply listen to my heart and follow the quote above by sneaking 15 minutes away with my creativity and just writing what I think?
Get ready here we go!
Sometimes, rationally, a thing makes much more sense, but then there is another feeling that just says, “No, that is not correct. I should not do that.” That is the closest I might describe listening to my heart.
Listening to your heart is a decision.
Are you going to follow the rational part?
Or are you going to follow the whisper, the inner knowing?
From a neutral perspective, I would say, “Yeah, I will always choose the inner knowing,” but I know that in the direct struggle, there are always good reasons to follow the rational decision.
Is the inner voice always correct?
I don’t know.
How do you combine the belief in your inner voice with the doubts and fears which arise?
It is not about erasing the doubt and fear, but including them in the dance with self-belief and persisting, despite having them.
As Elizabeth Gilbert says, it is like taking doubts and fears along on a road trip but setting expectations with these friends before departure. Make it quite clear to them that they will join the trip, but they are not allowed to give directions, and most importantly not allowed to drive and take control.
In her book “Big Magic”, Gilbert addresses fear as follows:
“Creativity and I are the ones who will be making the decisions along the way. I recognize and respect that you are part of this family, and so I will never exclude you from our activities, but still — your suggestions will never be followed.
You’re allowed to have a seat
and you’re allowed to have a voice,
but you are not allowed to have a vote.
You’re not allowed to touch the road maps;
You’re not allowed to suggest detour;
You’re not allowed to fiddle with the temperature.
Dude, you’re not even allowed to touch the radio.
But above all else, my dear friend, you are absolutely forbidden to drive.
Then we head off together — me and creativity and fear — side by side forever, advancing once more into the terrifying but marvelous terrain of unknown outcome.”
Listening to your heart might be difficult because we have thousands of other people’s voices in our minds popping up and obscuring our voice. Furthermore, our doubts and fears influence us every step of the way. But it is always good to know that we also do have our creativity as a supportive friend along the way, helping us to forge the path of our truest selves.