You’ve likely heard by now about mindfulness and mediation and maybe even used these practices in your personal routine. What about in your business?
Have you ever gotten all excited about a project or art you’ve created then put it out there and then – you have little to no response? Maybe your show isn’t well attended or your project receives only brief glances – what do you do? Do you give up?
Let’s say the wind is like responses from fans, collector’s and peers that powers up your motivation to take action on your goals – when this ‘wind’ is missing – it’s the time when most artists give up.
When you invest your time, sweat and resources you naturally expect to see results from your efforts, I know I do. Unmet expectations are one of the biggest causes of let down and are among the main reasons we use to give up.
What if it’s just a pause?
What if the wind is simply gathering strength, like inhaling, before blowing your way? If you stop now, you’ll never know. You could use the pause to allow yourself to take a step back and review your steps and check your progress.
During a pause like this, you may see that you need to course-correct, decided to scrap a project or you may find — that you don’t really need the wind at all.
Since we’re talking boats here — (you’re still on this metaphor ride me right?) – who needs wind? You could ROW. You could SWIM. Let’s get back to what this might mean for your art and business.
Most often when things feel off track, we’re in our heads – leading and deciding our next moves with our thinking mind instead of our hearts.
If you mediate, then you know that by taking even just three breaths in succession – each breath in and out more deeply – you reach a space of calm surrender to the whirlwinds around you. You are instantly conscious of your heart brain when that happens. Thinking stops, pause feels right and you are able to reset and regain clarity.
How to use the pause
I am pondering these thoughts and did this quick sketch today as I am busy plotting, planning, tweaking and ironing out the creases in projects I have going on behind the scenes of Creative Tempo. Knowing how to pause and regain clarity during times when your projects are intense or things around you are chaotic, can help you avoid being swept up with it and help you stay calm and clear.
Even here, I pause to review what’s here on the site and what more I can create to show you the ropes, support and guide you each step of the way, like bite-size workshops that help you with your next steps within days instead months and accelerated learning and group support.
Knowing when to pull back – is a skill you can learn. Allowing space for insights, inspiration, refueling and course correction is as important as taking action and cranking out projects.
If you listen to your heart, you will find yourself in sync and receiving messages and support in unexpected ways.
As I sat drafting this note today, emails begin to come in with similar messages, a friend sends a line from Shakespeare’s Tempest “…but doth suffer a sea of change, into something rich and strange.”
What happens when you feel the nudge to pull back? Let me know in the comments.
Painting Goes to the Beach