Thinking Like an Artist … (or how to do things in your business when you don’t feel like it).

I’ve been exploring the idea of thinking like an artist.

I don’t mean BEING an artist, but evoking the attitude and approach of an artist and bringing it to our attitude and approach to life, to problems and to pursuits that we can get caught up in, overwhelmed by the scale of, or feel weighed down by what we believe “should” be done.

Thinking like an artist is a way to sidestep these obstacles and see a new clear path … and feel energised to step into curiosity and experimentation.

This feeling that things “should” be a certain way, or that you “should” be doing x y or z, in order to succeed, is natural.

• There are lots of voices telling us what we should be doing;

• Comparissonitis frames the possibilities that we think we should be able to replicate;

• Unquestioned assumptions form the basis of our vision and plans and priorities;

• And the weight of expectation that we think others have on us or for us create pressure that is hard to live up to.

Thinking like an artist is a reminder.

It is a note to self that says:

”Watch what you believe and how that impacts the way you feel because that determines the energy you bring to everything.”

What happens when we get stuck in what we “should” do or try to do is…

• We find ourselves pushing to do things despite our feelings. That creates dissonance, doesn’t bring love or help you bring your best self to the work, and leads to substandard work … and potential, ultimately to burnout.

• Or we learn not to push, and instead, we avoid the work. We look for alternatives or diversions.  This means important problems don’t go away - they weigh on us. That can lead to shame and greater resistance. It also means we can spend our time chasing dreams that we can’t bring ourselves to realise because we never get to the point of feeling like going there.

Or 

• We feel blinkered, unable to see possibilities that we are so close to being able to access.  Our creative flow, imagination and openness to potential are interrupted by what we see and know rather than what could be.  That means that solutions don’t present themselves, or if they do, we aren’t open to really stopping and tuning in and exploring.

• We lose our ability to trust the process and think outside the square and be willing to experiment.

So …

What would it mean to be able to apply this thinking in our lives and business? 

And how do we do it?

Thinking like an artist means deciding to worry less about what others may think or say, or what we believe we should be doing or who we should be … and to tune into the heart … asking yourself questions like:

What would really light me up?

How can I find something here for me?

What can I learn here?

How can I approach this in a way that is fulfilling or fun?

How can I do this again a bit differently this time in order to get a different result?

How can I experiment with this and see lessons instead of failure, and opportunities instead of limitations?

How can I understand more about why the last experiment didn’t go as planned?

How can I tweak the way I communicate to see what resonates and what comes back?

How can I ask questions that can inform a new perspective?

How can I listen better to discover what others really feel or believe or need?

What difference can my work actually make?

What problem am I solving?

What kind of ripple effect can my work have through my clients and into their families or communities or the planet?

If you are into journaling or mind mapping, these questions can be powerful questions to explore.

and/or

If you notice resistance or feel stuck or overwhelmed at any time, or you are struggling to prioritize or take action or articulate what you believe or think or want or feel … you can remind yourself and shift into this frame of thinking to help you step sideways and see what is ahead with a new perspective and with new energy.

I invite you to evoke the mindset of an artist … and ask how you can move forward from that place … from the heart.

There is no “should”.

Finding ways to access this feeling and perspective more easily and automatically is part of what I teach at Yellow Brick Road Academy.

It’s a membership rather than a course so that you can explore the tools and training and resources that align with where you are on your path at any time … and can be revisited in the context of your growth as it happens.

If you want to connect to these ideas a bit more to see if they speak deeply to where you are and what your dreams are, join me in my Facebook group, HSP Oasis for Highly Sensitive Women Entrepreneurs.

I’d love to continue the conversation with you.

Love, Vic.