In my last article, One of the Biggest (and Most Dangerous) Myths in the Writing Community, I talked about the dangerous idea that is so prevalent in the writing community that “creativity has to be hard.” This idea is so dangerous because it stresses writers out to the point where they are totally consumed with anxiety and they then bring a ton of resistance to their writing projects, or can’t write at all.
Today, I’m talking about WHY we are so susceptible to this toxic belief and why it can be so hard to uproot it from our creative practice, like a tenacious weed that just won’t let go.
The reason is because, as a society, we are almost wholly dependent on our brains. We use our brains to navigate our world, interpret all information, and make every decision, very rarely ever checking in with our hearts. We have been programmed and trained to operate in this way from an early age, and if we do, by chance, happen to be a person who has broken out of this way of doing things and has tried to find greater balance by reconnecting with our heart, we are usually shamed in some way, and told we are “too idealistic,” “too sensitive,” and made to feel that we’re even possibly just slightly stupid.
So, in order to get with the program and stay with the herd, most of us are accustomed to shutting down our hearts and letting our brains completely run the show.
The only problem with this is that our brains are specifically trained to identify threats and problems in the environment, and if they are not balanced with heart energy, brains can escalate quickly into a habitual pattern of worry and repetitive negative thought loops.
I talk more about this in the video below:
I just released a new video course for writers who feel like all the joy has gone out of their creative process. It’s called “The Joyful Writer” and it’s specifically designed to help you get out of your head, and get over your creative blocks. If this sounds like something that might be helpful to you in your writing journey, be sure to check out the new course HERE.
Lauren Sapala is the author of The INFJ Writer and The INFJ Revolution. She is also currently offering a free copy of her book on creative marketing for INFJ and INFP writers to anyone who signs up for her newsletter. SIGN UP HERE to get your free copy of Firefly Magic: Heart Powered Marketing for Highly Sensitive Writers.
