A personal thought...
A personal story about me..... Wow!This is incredibly difficult to write, as I would rather talk about others. Focusing on the things that they are doing to inspire me. so.... Here it goes...
I have always been creative, and a problem solver. People just naturally come to me and ask me for help with everything from "Hey, can you draw a tatoo for me" to "Hey, will you take pictures for me" to "Hey, will you create a video for me" to "Hey, will you help me with my website". Each of which I always feel honored and sometimes overwhelmed, like they could do too and I'll teach them how. So, trying to come up with a specific experience that I have had is hard for me. The Bigger thing that I have always struggled with is truely pursuing what drives me creatively. Finding that nitch or two and focusing on it. I have gone to schools since for ever. For years I have poked my head in and out of that creative door, but never walked through it fully and 100%, and this is mostly out of fear of financial security and failure.
So, in order to figure this out I randomly joined an "Artist Way" book group in phoenix a couple of years ago. Hoping to get some direction and who knows what. 'Artist Way' is a course book that has weekly tasks at the end of each chapter and focuses on creative type people. As anything, when I walked in the door I knew not everyone that is there at the beggining will be there when I finish. HA! I NEVER, saw myself as being in a a type of 'Support Group' before. I was supprised, and humbled by the different struggles everyone else had. However, I didn't expect the major results joining would have. Kind of like going on a diet or excersising. You only get out what you put in, and I was going to put as much in as I could. I met some amazing people who kept the topics positive even though they were deep. Everyone is complicated, but being creative is just an extension of that complicaton. For the first time in years, I pursued my own art show, and really started to have flow with making art. I started getting myself out of the way a little so I could just do. You know, the thing about art and being creative is that the results is just the act. The true difficult part of any art is the coming up with the "IDEA", and getting your ego, fear, and self doubt out of the way. The other part, and most important part is allowing, and letting yourself to fail. This is where my fear steps in. Falling down, is how we learn and grow and how we get better and better. What I have learned is that falling-down or failing is OK! It's never as bad to everyone else as it is to us. The tricky part for me is not letting it stop me in my tracks, and forcing myself to push through to the other side. I found the biggest inspiration for me is other women creative types in thier pursuits and struggles. It keeps me in awe, and thinking about "what am I doing next". and propelling me forward in my own adventures.