Trust the Process

In a society that values 24/7 access, lattes with laptops and cell phones intruding on private moments, is it any wonder that 'wasting time' is right up there with the 7 Deadly Sins? Too often we run from one thing to the next without taking the time to stop and observe. So if the universe slows us down or calls a halt to our headlong rush, we wonder what's wrong. We may even judge the fallow times in our creativity as "bad".

But what if time is exactly what your muse needs? Rather than fight it, you could choose to relax and look around, see what's there for you to pay attention to. You might be surprised. And it will never be a waste of time.

Recently a friend of mine took a trip to South Africa and found herself face to face with the history of apartheid. As a black woman, she experienced South Africa in a way that was very different from the white tourists in her group. When she returned to Canada she found herself unable to write about it for quite a while. Here is what she shared with me:

"I’ve been bemoaning the fact that I’ve not been writing/producing. However, a friend of mine who currently has a provocative exhibit at the Whitby Station Gallery told me that I’m processing a lot of information and experiences about my recent trip, which touched every nerve of my body and every avenue of my soul. She was adamant in her belief that I am an artist whether I admit to it or not and that time spent in a so-called creative limbo is really about the incubation of ideas and responses that’s taking place. I welcomed hearing that. I thought I was being indolent."

What a gift her artist friend gave her - permission to process.

When we go through an experience that resonates so deeply, our mind, body and spirit need time to assimilate all the shades of meaning. That ‘fallow’ time is vital but our culture is so attuned to ‘DO’ that we sometimes forget the ‘BE’.

Give yourself permission to assimilate your experiences, whatever they may be. They may not be as dramatic as disaster or cultural displacement. It may simply be your own creative rhythm needing to be honored. Find that rhythm and it will serve your creativity.

It's okay to take a deep breath and get back in touch with your muse. Turn off the cell phone. Shut down your laptop. Sip your latte and relax. Don't push the process.

When it's time to produce again, you'll have a rich, deep well to draw on.