Finding Courage: Creativity Rehab! Part 4

A Guide To Recovering Your Creative Soul Through Life’s Simple, Guiding Principles

Courage: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

The bedroom I shared with my sister as a child took a variety of forms throughout the years. For most of the 70s, the room was flooded by a sea of orange and brown shag carpet topped with orange and white formica furniture which included a large dresser with six orange drawers, and matching twin beds. Periodically, a blue bedsheet would be hung down the middle of the room, serving to clearly delineate my sister's tidy space from my chaos.

For awhile, an old, wooden desk you'd normally find in a classroom sat in the corner by our closet: the perfect spot for homework or play. The top lifted open to store paper, books or crayons, and across the top there was a ridge carefully carved into the wood to keep pencils handy and prevent them from rolling off onto the floor. I loved that desk. My first writings sprung from there, where I'd write fictional, fantastical tales about people falling in love, or short poems about things like broken rocking chairs, green forest trees or high-heeled shoes. There, with just paper and pencil I scribbled whatever came to mind, expressing my innermost thoughts. I never showed the writings, and if a family member asked what I was writing, I'd quickly hide my paper in the desk or crumble it up and throw it away. I was too insecure to show it to anyone, and unjustifiably feared ridicule or shame. I lacked courage.

Years came and went and, as life does, I was thrown curveballs that forced me into being courageous even when I didn't think I had it in me. Divorce, going back to college, motherhood, sobriety: these things have required me to show up to life in a way I'd never done before. I've had to get vulnerable and put one foot in front of the other, to be open to stumbling and showing the world my imperfections. Over the years, I've decided that for some of us, just getting out of bed in the morning can be an act of courage. Life can be scary and intimidating and oh-so-big. It can also be beautiful and rewarding and oh-so-lovely. So what does Courage have to do with our creativity? How can it help us as we explore our most creative selves? Finding and showing a little courage as it relates to writing, painting, singing or any other creative endeavor can be tranformative. Try asking yourself these questions as a starting point:

• What does courage look like to me?

• How have I shown courage in the past, and how can I apply it to this project?

• Who have I known to be courageous? What did that look like?

• What am I afraid of?

• What am I specifically willing to do to overcome my fears and display courage with this project?

• As I find my courage, do I need to talk with a coach, therapist, doctor or spiritual advisor?

I'd love to learn more about how you've shown courage in your personal life, or in your creative projects. Feel free to drop me a line anytime at alipat6@gmail.com. Want to learn more about how the spiritual principles of Willingness, Hope and Honesty can apply to your creative pursuits? Click here to read past blogposts.