"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls."Those words were spoken by Joseph Campbell, the late professor and author of A Hero with A Thousand Faces.
Bliss, it’s our internal guidance system to show us when we’re on the right path or veering off-track. For artists, writers and creatives, bliss is so often connected with practicing our art, reaching a flow state, and seeking new inspiration.
Notice What You Notice
Often, thoughts or images will bubble to the surface of our minds and instead of sitting with these thoughts and ideas and giving them space, we push them down, keeping them submerged. Maybe you’ve had thoughts about great things you can create and achieve, or you’ve had a recurring dream of something you’d like to do, have or be. Instead of honoring these seeds of potential, instead of watering and nurturing them, so often they are ignored or crushed down.
Recurring Dreams Recur for a Reason
Originally the word genius referred to a guiding spirit and it acknowledged the divine genius in everyone. Recurring dreams happen for a reason.
I can’t count how many times, people have said to me, I’ve always wanted to paint, or I wish I could draw.
Why don’t you? I ask. Often, I hear something like – I could never do that. I’m not that talented.
Well, of course, anyone can paint and draw if they really want to. If children spent one quarter of the time practicing how to draw, as we did on the practice of penmanship, we would all be skilled artists. Passion and practice are integral differentiators in creative genius.
Before the age of 14, Pablo Picasso painted a stunning portrait called, The Old Fisherman. Anyone who sees the art piece would never imagine that it was the work of a boy of 14. Picasso was an artistic genius by any definition. Behind the scenes, his father was an art teacher and instructed his son from a very young age. By the time young Picasso was 14, his passion for art had been actively encouraged and he’d had over eight years to hone his craft with a live in teacher.
Honor Your Inner Genius
How would your genius show itself if you allowed it to sprout and bloom? If you had years to devote to your passion and perfect your practice, what gifts could you bring into the world? Too often, instead of listening to the genius within that seeks to be more, to learn more, to grow and stretch, we smother our aspirations.
How many of us have been conditioned to stay “put in our place” and not get “too big for our britches,” to play small just to play it safe?
When our creative genius is pushed into the shadows it can fester into something destructive. The creative spark feeds your soul when you feed it, but it feeds on your soul when you don’t.