Work as play…
Humans possess the gift of imagination which is the main ingredient for any creation. Imagination is what separates us from all other forms of life on this planet, including AI. Creation, in whatever shape or form someone chooses to engage with it, is a deeply fulfilling and healing process.
Our society tends to distinguish careers (and people) in creative and non-creative. Creative work is usually related to any sort of art, while the more practical, scientific or any other type of career fall under the ‘non-creative’ category.
However, creativity is not a quality of a career but a quality of a human being.
Everyone and everything is part of creation and the creative process. Any type of work can be(come)creative, fun, meaningful and playful when it is aligned with your inner compass and purpose.
Creative careers are usually considered as ‘less serious’ and greately unstable and insecure. It is also broadly believed that success is meant for a few ‘talented’ individuals.
The keyword for any creative work is “surrender”, i.e., leaning into and trusting the process of creation; play, explore, allow space for things to go wrong, and release expectations for the end result. Allow whatever wants to be created to be created through you, by you.
Surrendering also implies uncertainty and lack of control, which tend to activate the survival mode of our human brain leading us to stress, anxiety or even panic - if they are let to take over-. The mind, as a control-freak machine that it is, doesn’t cope well with this concept of surrendering (into the creative process).
Fine tuning between “doing” and “being” , is a skill to be mastered for any creative, in order to create something truly aligned and inspired, without pushing or hustling for it. Me, I am still learning to surrender to the creative mindset and process.
Creative ‘work’ requires certain level of surrender, flow and inspiration, which usually do not comply well with control, predefined frameworks and planning. Although creation has also its own rules, a sequence and a step by step approach, is ultimately a non-linear and greatly non-predictable process. The (quality of the) outcome is often quite uncertain, while its impact to the outside world is completely out of your control.
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My mind was set up to believing that creative careers are not ‘real jobs’ that can pay the bills. And yet, here I am…
Accepting and introducing myself to others as a self-employed creative is quite new to me. It’s been essentially a complete personality shift, or better said, a shedding of an old (misaligned) identity and revelation of my more authentic self expression.
It was not an easy process. Yet, I was feeling the inner pull towards this path and that was terrifying to my ego, for years.
Slowly but steadily, I’ve learned to accept who I am and allowed myself to trust my inner compass and truth for what it is and not for what I’ve learned to believe this should be.
I had to recognize and accept the fact that I am ‘different’…at least from the people around me.
During this shedding process, I had to forgive myself for letting people down and release the deep shame I felt for being who I am, i.e., not meeting other people’s ideals and expectations of me.
The most challenging part of being a self-employed creative is organizing and focusing your time and energy when it comes to your ‘work’. Because now, when I work, it feels like I am playing! It feels ‘not serious’ enough. It’s fun, easy and deeply fulfilling. It energizes me…
For long time, however, I’d struggle with the belief that work should involve certain level of discomfort, hard work and hustling. But I’ve now come to understand that was another societal misconception I had adopted as truth.
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Creation is life. Surrendering to the creative process means surrendering to life.
Surrendering (to life) is ultimately the most natural state of being. It communicates a deep sense of safety and trust.
But in our world this trust to life is wounded. Our core foundation is significantly corroded by centuries of living in fear and buying into false beliefs, which prevent our minds from releasing control.
You see, you cannot surrender to something or someone that you don’t trust or you don’t feel safe with.
Allowing yourself to play, explore and create is the way to rebuild this trust.
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to work…let’s play!
