the values of contemplative creativity

75 tips on how contemplation can uplevel your creative practice.

By integrating these insights and practices into my artistic journey, I navigate the complexities of creativity with a renewed sense of purpose, resilience, and connection to my authentic self. I hope you find them helpful.

1. Journey Back to Authentic Creation

1. Embrace Silence as Your Muse: Silence is not just an absence of sound; it's a fertile ground for creativity. In the quiet, we hear the whispers of true expression.

2. The Forest as Metaphor: Approach your art like a journey into a forest—listen, observe, and move with intuitive guidance.

3. Facing the Dilemma: Acknowledge the moments when your path in art feels misaligned. It's the first step towards realignment.

4. Pause and Reflect: Sometimes stepping away is what you need to find your way back. Use this time for introspection and realignment with your core values.

5. Explore Diverse Mediums: Don't limit yourself to one form of art. Explore painting, video, sound, and more to fully express your inner world.

2. Find Your Creative Wellspring

1. Travel as Inspiration: Physical journeys to places that you are fascinated by can mirror and inspire your creative journey.

2. Learn Continuously: Understanding how the brain and body interact opens new avenues for creativity.

3. From Ego to Essence: Recognize when creation becomes more about external validation than genuine expression, and consciously shift your focus.

4. Question Everything: Asking the fundamental questions about your creative process can lead to profound insights and renewed inspiration.

5. Embrace the Mess: Allowing yourself to create without restraint can lead to the most authentic and inspired works.

3. Craft Your Unique Visual Language

1. Silence and Space: Treat your studio as a sacred space where silence speaks and informs your aesthetic choices.

2. Realign With Nature: Let the organic patterns and rhythms of nature influence your style and technique.

3. Authenticity Over Perfection: Move away from perfectionism and towards a style that reflects your true self and experiences.

4. The Beauty of Imperfection: Embrace imperfection in your work as a reflection of the human condition, adding depth to your aesthetic.

5. Experimentation is Key: Regularly challenge your usual style to evolve and find new expressions of beauty.

4. Words to Live By for the Creative Soul

1. In the quiet, the truth speaks: Emphasize the importance of stillness in uncovering your creative voice.

2. Art is a journey through the forest of the self: Remind yourself that art is not just creation but discovery and exploration.

3. Every dilemma is an artwork waiting to be transformed: See challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities for growth and creativity.

4. From dissonance to harmony, the artist's path unfolds: Recognize the value in confronting and integrating the fragmented parts of your artistic identity.

5. Let the studio hum with the frequency of your deepest truths: Encourage alignment between your inner world and your creative expressions.

5. Understand the Depth of Artistic Process

1. Creativity as Deep Listening: Develop the practice of listening deeply to both the silence around you and the noise within, allowing both to guide your creative process.

2. The Power of Detachment: Learn from the experience of detaching from outcomes and expectations to rediscover the joy in creation.

3. Reconnection Through Disconnection: Find value in periods of stepping away from your art to reconnect with your purpose and passion.

4. Creativity Beyond the Brain: Explore the connection between body awareness and creativity, emphasizing somatic practices in your process.

5. Navigating Creative Plateaus: Understand that periods of stagnation and doubt are natural, and use them as opportunities for introspection and growth.

6. Spark Your Inner Flame

1. Nature as the Ultimate Muse: Draw inspiration from the natural world, allowing its unrivaled beauty and complexity to fuel your creative fire.

2. Embrace Your Inner Wanderlust: Let your travels, both physical and metaphorical, infuse your work with new perspectives and vitality.

3. The Beauty in the Break: Recognize the creative potential in taking breaks, seeing them as periods of germination for your next big idea.

4. Dive Into Diverse Disciplines: Cross-pollinate your creative endeavors with insights from psychology, philosophy, and science to enrich your work.

5. The Alchemy of Creativity: Find liberation and inspiration in the process of making without boundaries, where true innovation lies.

7. live your art

1. Your Body, Your Studio: Adopt practices that honor your body as the primary vessel of creativity, such as yoga and meditation.

2. Movement as Muse: Use physical activities like walking, hiking, or swimming as forms of moving meditation to stimulate creative flow.

3. The Somatic Connection: Deepen your understanding of how bodily sensations and emotions can inform and inspire your creative work.

4. Embodied Experiences: Let your life experiences, especially those that engage the body and senses, directly influence your art.

5. From Physical to Philosophical: Explore how physical practices can lead to profound philosophical insights about creativity and existence.

8. Guide yourself Through the Forest

1. The Art of Listening: Teach the importance of listening—to oneself, to one's environment, and to one's art—as a fundamental creative skill.

2. Encouraging the Pause: Advocate for taking deliberate breaks to reassess and realign with one's creative intentions and goals.

3. Exploring Inner Landscapes: Use coaching to help others navigate their inner worlds, identifying and overcoming blocks to creativity.

4. Cultivating Creative Resilience: Offer strategies to deal with rejection, self-doubt, and the other emotional challenges of the creative journey.

5. Embodying Your Practice: Guide others in incorporating somatic practices into their creative routine to enhance connection and flow.

9. Echo the Creative Spirit

1. In silence, we find the songs of our creativity: Highlight the essential role of silence in the creative process.

2. Art is the soul's journey through the wilderness of existence: Reflect on art as a profound exploration of life and self.

3. Embrace the chaos, for it is the birthplace of order and beauty: Encourage embracing uncertainty and disorder as sources of creativity.

4. The true artist’s studio is the vast landscape of the inner self: Remind that the most important creative work happens within.

5. Let your art be a testament to the journey, not just the destination: Emphasize the value of the creative process over the final product.

10. The Inner Work of Art

1. Meditation as Creative Fuel: Integrate meditation into your daily routine to clear mental clutter and open up space for new ideas.

2. The Art of Being Present: Practice mindfulness to enhance your awareness and presence, both in life and in your creative process.

3. Contemplative Walking: Use walking as a meditative practice to stimulate creativity and gain new perspectives.

4. Journaling for Clarity: Keep a contemplative journal to explore your thoughts, feelings, and insights, using it as a springboard for creativity.

5. Yoga for Creatives: Incorporate yoga into your life as a way to harmonize mind, body, and spirit, fostering a conducive environment for creativity.

11. Center Your Creative Spirit

1. Mindful Creation: Approach each act of creation with full presence, savoring the experience beyond the anticipation of the outcome.

2. The Breath of Inspiration: Use breathwork to center yourself before and during your creative work, ensuring a flow of calm and focused energy.

3. Attuning to the Moment: Practice mindfulness to enhance your sensitivity to the subtle cues and inspirations that surround you.

4. Embracing Impermanence: Reflect on the transient nature of life and art to cultivate a mindset that values process over perfection.

5. Gratitude in Creation: Start or end your creative sessions with a moment of gratitude, acknowledging the gift of creativity and the opportunity to express it.

12. Wisdom for the Creative Path

1. In every moment of creation, we touch the essence of eternity: Remind yourself of the timeless nature of the creative act.

2. The heart of creativity beats in the quiet spaces between thoughts: Encourage finding creativity in the gaps of the mind’s chatter.

3. Let your art be a reflection of your deepest contemplations: Inspire artists to infuse their work with the insights from their contemplative practices.

4. To create is to converse with the universe in its own language: Highlight the connection between creativity and the universal flow.

5. In the forest of creativity, every step is both a question and an answer: Emphasize the dual nature of creativity as exploration and discovery.

13. Nurture Your Creative Essence

1. Prioritize Rest: Acknowledge the importance of rest and sleep as foundational elements of a sustainable creative practice.

2. Nutritional Wellness: Focus on a diet that supports brain health and energy levels to fuel your creativity.

3. Emotional Self-Care: Develop practices for emotional resilience, such as therapy, journaling, or peer support groups.

4. Physical Activity: Engage in regular physical exercise to clear your mind and invigorate your body, enhancing your overall creative capacity.

5. Nature Therapy: Spend time in nature to recharge your creative batteries and find inspiration in the natural world.

14. Protect Your Creative Energy

1. Energy Awareness: Become attuned to your energy levels and the impact of external influences, learning to shield yourself as needed.

2. Boundaries in the Studio: Set clear boundaries around your creative time and space to protect your energy and focus.

3. Creative Community: Surround yourself with a supportive creative community that energizes rather than drains you.

4. Detox from Digital: Regularly disconnect from digital devices and social media to prevent overload and maintain mental clarity.

5. Replenishing Practices: Incorporate practices that replenish your emotional and spiritual reserves, such as meditation, reading, or spending time with loved ones.

15. Navigate the Tides of Creative Feelings

1. Acknowledge Emotional Landscapes: Recognize and accept the full spectrum of your emotions as integral components of your creative process.

2. Emotional Authenticity in Creation: Strive to infuse your art with the authenticity of your emotional experiences. This honesty not only deepens the connection with your audience but also serves as a cathartic process for the artist, transforming personal narratives into universal truths.

3. Use Art as Emotional Exploration: Treat your art practice as a safe space for exploring complex feelings and unresolved emotions. Through painting, writing, or any other form of art, you can confront and articulate feelings that are difficult to express in words.

4. Emotional Resilience Through Creative Expression: Develop emotional resilience by channeling challenging emotions into your art. The act of creation can provide solace and a sense of accomplishment, reinforcing your emotional strength and resilience.

5. Reflective Practice for Emotional Insight: Regularly engage in reflective practices such as journaling or meditative drawing to understand the emotional undercurrents of your work. Reflection helps in recognizing patterns, triggers, and sources of inspiration, facilitating a deeper engagement with your emotional world.