The Inner Studio - Riverside Architectural Press

PART FOUR | INNER KNOW-HOW
the creative process by not trying to get something out of it. The
moment we feel a strain, we instinctively try to overcome it. We
apply more effort and seek to increase the energy being brought to
the moment. Another of way of handling this, which is more in
accord with your inner world, is to understand the strain as a
signal from your inner life, telling you that the present energy, or
the present emotional environment, is not conducive to creative
work.
This capacity to listen to our energetic signals as a kind of
language takes patience and practice. I have been aware of the
possibility for many years and still find it much easier to point this
out in others than to activate patience within myself. Yet the possibility
is there and the results are dramatic when we can practice
patience. We can begin by remembering that drawing is the art of
recording our discoveries.
When people claim that they have no ideas or that they can’t
draw, they are usually referring to the other definition of drawing:
“to make a picture.” At this stage, when the shadow is active,
people begin to remember every negative comment they have ever
heard about themselves, especially what every careless art teacher
or parent commented about their drawing ability. Though these
memories and inhibitions can be real, our experience has shown
that they don’t contribute to creative outcome; they really aren’t
constructive to the creative work. If you find yourself comparing
what you are doing to someone else’s work, or if you are putting
your own work down, you might make progress by stopping
and searching for a more loving attitude to yourself. This is easier
said than done, but the important thing is to understand that
creativity itself is inherently joyful, and if the creative possibilities
are shrinking, compassion is probably undervalued. Sometimes
loving yourself is the best way to correct this. This can be as simple
as going to meet a friend for coffee.
The other way to minimize the power of negative states is to
engage with them. Write them out, or consciously make a time
where you agree to allow your “negative designer” a chance to
design something for you. This may mean that you take a break at
2 pm and spend 10 minutes letting this part of you express itself.
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