The Barriers of Creativity

SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 BY ANDREA 10 COMMENTS

Editors Note: This is a guest post written by Angela Allen. You can find her expressions of creativity by clicking this link. To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. -Joseph Chilton Pearce We are all born to be creative. Imaginative. Resourceful, artistic, innovative. We come hardwired with innate desires and unique aspirations buried deep within us. As children we believe these ideas can and will be expressed in our lives. Were young and innocent and untainted. Why wouldnt our creativity manifest itself? Creativity isnt simply art or music or film-making. Its any fresh approach to a particular probleman innovative solution to issues deeply impacting our lives. Creativity isnt bestowed on the fortunate and withheld from the less fortunate. It is an immediate deposit planted deep within every living human.

Losing Touch with our Creative Nature

So, what lies behind the reality that as many of us gain maturity and experience in life we simultaneously lose touch with our creativity and unique desires that originated in us as children and young adults? A little over a year ago I began looking deeper into why there seemed to be a lid on the full expression of my own creativity. I felt I had limited access to the parts of me that cried out to be discovered, expressed and enjoyed. I longed to freely express myself artistically with confidence. So, I began asking myself and trusted spiritual leaders why I wasnt able to access the creativity I knew was bubbled beneath the surface. The longer and closer I looked, the more barriers I found blocking my creative voice. Not the typical barriers we naturally think of such as procrastination, busyness or lack of inspiration. No, Im talking about the barriers that cause those barriers.

9 Barriers of Creativity
These are barriers so deep that, if neglected, will continually prevent authentic access to the creative realm: 1. Unforgiveness. It is a prison and a poison. If ruins healthy bodies and valuable relationships, imagine what it does to us creatively. The unwillingness or inability to forgive is the ultimate form of punishment and manipulation toward someone else and self-protection for us. Unfortunately, creativity doesnt thrive at its fullest when tangled up with those behaviors. It needs freedom to flow. To err is human; to forgive divine.

2. Insecurity. A lack of self-confidence is a creativity killer. Even if no one believes in our cause or our ideas, we must believe in ourselves. Interestingly enough, a strong conviction and passion will actually garner the support we desire from those around us. But that approval comes from our own security first. 3. Approval Seeking. Pursuing creative success to impress someone will never equal authentic creativity. Ulterior motives are easy to spot. In the same way, not attempting creative pursuits because of possible criticism or disapproval is just as inauthentic. The comforting reality is that the right people will approve of us. The rest wont matter. 4. Jealousy. Jealousy is such a consuming and damaging emotion. When we focus on other peoples success and good fortune we dont have energy for own. Theres enough success for everyone and our uniquely creative voice will also bring good fortune to and through our lives to the rest of the world. Thats the key. 5. Lies. We all succumb to different lies in that set up shop in our minds. Lies hijack the truth and grossly alter reality. They can have a devastating affect on creativity as our minds try to navigate through the muddied waters of inspiration and hope. But theres good news: its possible to decide daily not entertain any lies. Ive slowly learned to just think the opposite of painful thoughts that come into my mind. 6. Unbelief. Refusing to believe that we are talented, loved, successful, unique (you fill in the blank) is unbelief. And it is toxic. Despite what we may have been told or learned to believe on our own, unbelief is a self-fulfilling prophesy. What we believe usually ends up happening. 7. Bitterness. Bitterness is relentless anguish, grief and disappointment. It is a detour to the life intended for us. It consumes precious energy that should be used to fuel creative pursuits. We are not designed to be victims. Whatever has happened in the past didnt happen in vain. Those beautiful lessons will empower our cause. 8. Criticism. The way we speak about each other is an indication of how we really feel about ourselves. Criticism is a picture into our inner thoughts and an opportunity to make ourselves feel better at the expense of someone else. But creativity thrives on the uniqueness we each contribute. Everyones voice is exceptional and without match. So whats the point of criticizing? Do we believe the lie that we arent good enough? 9. Rebellion. The world operates on divine order. We are all accountable to someone. Bosses, parents, spouses. But rebellion is as old as the human race. It is the result of distrust, pride and disrespect. Yes, weve all been the targets of rogue authority that has used its power in abusive manners at some point. But something happens in the unseen realm when we continue to submit in humility. We will eventually experience a level of freedom unachievable in our rebellion. If such freedom is released, imagine how submission to authority will impact our creative voice. I can say without reservation that it has repeatedly worked in my life. (Please note, I am not speaking about extremely abusive situations.) If youre experiencing what feels like a lid on your creativity and you havent known why, I encourage you to honestly assess if any of these barriers have a stranglehold on you.

Because the bottom line is thiscreativity cannot remain hidden when our lives pulsate with hope, truth and freedom. Lets discuss and encourage one another! Are any of these barriers stifling your creativity? Be sure not to miss a single post, click this link to receive my free eBook and Frugally Sustainable tips by email.