.

Living Creatively:
Avoiding Routine When You Own an Art Home-Based Business
by Carolina González

There are certain artists who are never blocked and can produce art
continuously, even in different forms. Their designs are constantly evolving and
art skills improving and renovating. They seem to go ahead of the pack and are
usually copied by followers. What is the difference between that people and the
rest of mortals?
There are two sides to home-based business: if your products sell, you can
easily get trapped in the routine of making always the same things over and
over; but if you pick on too much different things, customers can feel confused
about your work and you will sell less for sure. To get a business started and
going can take months of long hours a day; once your business is going, you
work exactly the same hours, if not more. It is not easy to find time for
“hobbies” when a profession gets in the way.
Routine is probably the most powerful enemy to your mind. Routine KILLS
creativity and leaves you blocked and worn out. It is a fact that your neurons
create connections by habit: that means that if you constantly repeat something
(could be a statement like “I'm not the creative type” or any other process,
mental or physical) you are fixing it in your brain until neurons make
connections that insure that you will always use that connection; that may be
very useful for social habits, but not for creativity! Once your neurons have
made the connection, that becomes the “accepted” way of working, and usually
when that happens we hardly ever question that procedure.
There is no such thing as an artistic/creative personality type, but there are
certain artists who are never blocked and can produce art continuously, even in
different forms. Their designs are constantly evolving and art skills improving
and renovating. They seem to go ahead of the pack and are usually copied by
followers. What is the difference between that people and the rest of mortals?
That they have an improved ability to avoid routine: instead of producing,
they are living creatively.
We were all 100% creative when we were about two years old; as we were
discovering everything and looked at experiences with no prejudices, we had to
create the ways to approach them. Our creativity was not bounded within what
we call art; all things in life – relationships, conflicts, self-image – were
approached creatively. We were living creatively.Then, parents and school fixed the connections on your neurons about what you
were, what you were able to do or not, or how should you behave in life to gain
success and self-satisfaction. I'm sorry to say this, but most of it was wrong. So,
it doesn't matter if you're 20 or 60 – we all started acting like 70-year old brains
when we were 5 or 6.
Thankfully, all this patterns can be changed; we may never reach the freshness
of a 2 year old kid, but we don't need to! It's time to revise our attitude and see
if we challenge ourselves enough from day to day. A good way to understand
how deep we are into routines is to keep written track of our actions; for two
weeks, make a brief resume of your day every night. After that two weeks,
check your activities: how many times did you eat the same thing? How many
times did you watch the same tv shows? In the last two weeks, did you do
something that you had never done before? Did you learn anything new? Who
did you talk with? Did you meet anyone?
The answers to these questions are more important than what you may think:
they are the diagnosis of your routine problem.
If there is one thing that is important to understand, is is that being creative is
not a goal, is a method. As school and parents fixed that wrong ideas by
repetition, we can alter any belief using the same method. Kids do not learn
everything in one day, and nor will we.
The power of words and sentences is universally known; a mantra is a sacred
sound that connects us with our divinities, but also with our Higher Self: the
Creator. You can see this process through its spiritual side (this is, in many
ways, a self-enchantment) or through its scientific side (you are teaching new
connections to your neurons) – I prefer to see it through both as I don't see,
really, any contradiction in this. Our first mantra would be:
I am a Creator. My infinite creative potential manifests in every one of my
actions and thoughts.
Of course, you can write your own mantras, as long as you use always assertive
sentences (never use “don't”, “never”, “not”) and be as general as you can. You
can print the mantras and hang them around your craft room, add them to your
scrapbook, diary, book of projects or wherever you want to remember important
things. Other useful mantras for this topic could be:
I am aware of the infinite Beauty and Love of the Universe and I am
constantly inspired by it.
All my choices lead me to a more creative and free life.
I am creative in everything I do.
Every time you feel blocked and tired of what you're doing, remember these mantras. They will help you fix the right stream of thought and, sooner than you
think, you will have an instantly positive response – you have reached the habit.
This will not only enhance your art production, but your entire life; then your
art production will only be one of the many fruits that you will draw from your
new creative way to see your life and your world. This theory is so simple that
is hard to believe, I know, but if it worked for you when you were 2, why
wouldn't it work today? You can have back what was taken from you – and I'm
sure you will.
Carolina Gonzalez Acosta
Self taught artist and Eclectic Witch for 20 years, has been publishing articles
on creative living and marketing for home-based art businesses for three years
online. Her articles have been featured on more than 50 websites – you can find
her work at http://magickshop.wordpress.com/