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Tools to Experience Freedom to Grow

Creative freedom is a gift we have as humans beings. It liberates us from a world that would be just fine seeing us lose our life to fit into their box. I started writing my For the Conscious Writer posts in 2020 with the intention of having it lead into a mentoring program. (I created a link in case you want to check some of those posts out on Medium.) I let fear and uncertainty knock me off track. I didn’t want to do it alone. I also didn’t want to make a fool of myself while developing a program that I care about so much. But no more! I’m not going to let fear keep me from being exactly who I want to be and who I’m excited to be.

Let’s break free!

I’ve taken time to gather the most important aspects to creative freedom. I came up with three freedoms for creatives that lead to the ultimate creative freedom.

Freedom to Grow
Freedom to Be Heard
Freedom to Listen

I want to take some time to focus on the first one.

Freedom to Grow

Freedom to grow, what does that even mean?

Freedom to grow as a writer is allowing yourself to expand into new places and spaces that will give you more experience, wisdom, and knowledge.

Why do we need freedom to grow?

Referring back to the definition, freedom grow gives us more experience, wisdom, and knowledge. Those things together with self reflection and inner growth give us power behind our message, confidence in our craft, and it gives us the strength to keep going when it seems all is lost. One of the most beautiful things that comes with allowing ourselves the freedom to grow is the ability to shine our light for others to see in the darkness.

When I let fear dictate my life (very recently for me) I become complacent, bogged down, and I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. In this state, I often forget what tools I have to help me feel like I’m growing as an artist. Aka the tools that help me avoid burnout.

I’m going to quickly give you the three tools but if you’d like to learn more about how to leverage each tool keep reading.

Let’s find some different ways you can use experimentation, reading, and connecting with other writers to keep you inspired and interested. Inspiration and interest are like your shields against burn out, writers block, and stagnancy. Okay, let’s dive deeper.

Experimentation

As writers experimentation helps us break down barriers in ourselves and in the world that surrounds us. Exploring different ways to share our message helps us reach different audiences with a more powerful impact. Readers want to enjoy what you have to share. What you have to say is so valuable to our collective growth. Experimenting really gives our work edge and helps us to meet those in need, exactly where they are. Here’s a list of different ways to experiment with your writing.

Formatting
Writing styles
Character development
Different Types of writing
Different mediums (painting, acting, sculpting)
Tone
Time
How you engage with your readers
How you invite the world to read your work

Being intentional about our experimentation gets us out of the boxes we create out of comfort and fear. You don’t have to master every experiment. The point is to get out there and try new things and experience the writing life. Remind yourself why you enjoy the genre you write in OR maybe you’ll find your experiment is exactly what’s missing in your life. You never know if you don’t try.

Read

Read everything.

Magazines
Blogs
Non fiction
Fiction
Comics
Sales pitches
business writing
eBooks
paperbacks
hard covers
large print
unpublished works
screenplays

Yes, I know you guys already know that reading is important, but what I really want to encourage is to take this even further. I think it’s important for us as conscious writers to make sure we’re reading more than what’s fed to us. I think it’s important for us to follow the white rabbit that takes us outside of the “norm.” So…

As Conscious Writers I respectfully ask that you read two things. Read

outside of your typical genre and
Outside of your own culture

All the books!

The only way you can become a better writer is by reading the works of other writers. Reading other writers work whether they’re someone you know or a dead poet, expands your perception. It may help you see someone else’s side of the story. The hardest genre for me to read is romance but there are some great romance scenes that melt my heart. Another hard thing for me, is to find books outside of my culture at the library. I kinda just wander around and pick up what looks good. But I’d like to be more intentional about what books I pick out. There’s too much world out there to keep reading writing from the same class and culture over and over again. I want so much more than what I already know. It’s adventurous and daring, and it takes work but writing is the path we chose (or the path that chose us) and we want to develop. Getting better takes some effort.

But to make it easier here’s a link with a list of books by international writers

Connecting with other writers

For feedback
Learning the best way for you to give and receive criticism
For support -to give and receive it
For ideas
For Friendship

Connecting with other writers takes you out of the vacuum or that spiral calling your name. I think there are times in your writing process where you shouldn’t read books (especially from the genre you’re writing in) and you shouldn’t converse with other people about your work. But outside of that point in the creative process, it’s important to talk to other writers. Why is connection with other writers important though? Because first off they understand the writing experience. They understand the woes and joys that come with writing. We don’t all experience the same thing as writers, but we have a great deal of understanding in comparison to those who don’t commit themselves to writing. Plus, it helps us better understand the human experience. It’s 2022! We have the ability to talk to people outside of our own countries!

Different ways to connect with other writers

Comment on blogs and post
Email
Send a uplifting DM
Post your own work
Respond
Find writing groups
Lead a writing group
Participate in challenges

If you like the idea of connecting with friends here’s a great post on Medium titled Friends and the Creative Process

If this got your wheels your turning just imagine how much more we can inspire ourselves if we work together.
Follow link for more details.

For the Conscious Writer

Frankenstein’s Monster

Why are we so ashamed of our own messed up creations. All Frankenstein had to do to avoid all the lost lives, was learn to appreciate his first creation.

There’s a couple memes that I’ve seen floating around that talk about how we cringe when we look back on our own writing. I laugh because I can totally relate. I cringe at my past writings and thoughts and ignorance. I think it’s part of the whole growth process for all of us.

It’s evidence of growth. It’s inspiring to see how far you’ve come. Enjoy the cringe moment as much as you can.

Just don’t get so busy laughing at your past self that it turns to shame. Take time to respect the process you’ve gone through to get where you are today. Don’t let a meme floating around make you feel like you don’t deserve to be the writer you are today. You are the writer you are today because of the days you wrote when you had no idea what you were doing.

Keep Your Head Up

FREEDOM TO GROW

Fact #1

I’m going to share the basic fact about Freedom to grow That everyone should know. Before I knew what Freedom to Grow was and felt like, I was always struggling to break free from oppression. I eventually came to realize that I wasn’t ever going to feel free inside the box I placed myself in. This led to burn out that led to so many great friendships but also back allies, bad choices, suicidal thoughts, and lovers with no commitment.

Finally I created a space where I was so free I couldn’t help but rise. Which brought me to the #1 and most basic fact when it comes to freedom to grow.

Before we even get to the number one fact about Freedom to grow 😆 let’s talk about what blocks your freedom to grow?

Here’s one example For me

I don’t have freedom to grow and feel boxed in when I can’t ask questions and speak on the things going on inside me good or bad. I know my side of the story doesn’t always need to be told but if I have the courage to speak about my side of the story around you, you are valuable to me.

🥳➡️Question Time⬅️🥳

What hinders your freedom to grow?

💡💡💡Remember #sharingiscaring co create with me 😁😁 Let’s build a world where freedom to grow is accessible for everyone. 💡💡💡

Shout out to @keithslatebuthere
And @nell_chickabee
For really getting deep with their own thoughts on Freedom to grow. You guys inspired me to keep going!

I Surrender

Not complacent. Not apathetic.

I’ve come to a place of surrender in my life. Not complacent. Not apathetic. I have reached a fully feeling, big dreaming, and pleasantly peaceful point in my life. I want all of what I dream of so bad, that I’m willing to trust the process that has been laid out in front of me for years. I’ve clung so hard to so much. I clung to what the elders in my life clung to. I clung to anxiety and not eating enough and not sleeping enough and making myself suffer in order to make my dreams come true. It’s so silly. We’ve really been raised to destroy ourselves as parents, as workers, as friends and lovers and as dreamers. I’m sorry to anyone who I looked down on because I thought you weren’t doing enough. Your actions are exactly what I needed to see was possible and ok and safe.

I’ve reached a place that I like. A place where I love myself and I love my home and coming home. I love my job and going to it. All that I do adds to making the world a better place. A healthy home to raise two strong women who will lead in our future, a job that supports a healthy community, a husband who’s growing along side me, and loving myself in the middle of it all.

When I was a kid it was hard to get me to do anything outside of my alignment. Even as a teenager being out of alignment was hard for me. They called me naïve and prude and whatever else and I probably was both of those things. I still had a lot of the world to see and learn. I had more books I needed to study but at that point, I was happy to be in a place that felt right to me. Now I can accept that part of me. The weirdo that didn’t party. That weirdo that didn’t know who the most popular actor or musical artist was at the time.

I’ve been raised by a woman that endured more than most people ever will in their lifetime. I’m so proud of how smart and creative she is and how gentle she was in raising my strong and stubborn spirit. I’m glad I left high school and that she supported me every step of the way because she believed I’d be successful no matter where I graduated from. I’m glad I chose to have my two beautiful baby girls in spite of all the chaos going on around me. My mother was the best option for who I was and who I’ve become and who I’m going to be.

And so looking back and seeing how it all led here, I also see that it was going to lead here regardless of what others might have thought about me. Regardless of all my own fears of abandonment and my own resisting, I turned out ok! I turned out more than ok. I have nothing left to prove. So I surrender.

Originally published on Mollitiam Follow link to read more

Your Character’s Path

When you’re writing a character, don’t forget to make bad choices an option presented to them as a way to fulfill their desires. We as humans have to calculate risks all the time. Those in leadership positions have to calculate risks that may affect more than themselves. Those who aren’t in leadership still have to deal with the consequences of their choices and how they affect those around them. When your character realizes what they want, they should go through a series of options. They could scratch their itch one way which may seem easier and more accessible but ultimately leads to their own demise. Or they could scratch their itch in a way that lines up with their long-term goals and desires. This of course defines who is a hero verse who is the villain. Or just defines the turning point in which your character decides to take on the characteristics of a hero or a villain. Whatever they choose, they still remain on a journey. A path toward inner destruction is just as much of a journey as a path toward inner creation.

The River of Creativity

I like to think of creativity as a river. All the creativity and innovation in the world is in that river. You just have to wade the rivers of creativity and let it come to you. Sometimes it can take hours to capture the thing that piques your interest. Sometimes it comes to you in no time at all. When I was a kid, I remember playing in house corner for hours. I’d do my baby dolls laundry, organize the little space the way I wanted it, make dinner and feed my baby doll. I’d play so long I ended up sleeping in the house. I tell that story to remind us all that we have to let ourselves play for hours. We should play so long, we fall sleep doing it. I have to admit, lately I’ve got so much going on that I don’t have time to play creatively. I keep telling myself, things will get easier soon. Things will come together and give me more time to play and create and read and write the things I have fun writing about.

Finish reading this article on Medium

Dream Home

My dream home is a four bedroom house with a dinning room. I love my home now too. It’s the idea of us all having our own room that keeps me dreaming of more. Our home now is wonderful. It’s our first home. Something about it being our first home makes it meaningful. When we first moved in, it was a whirlwind. I was trying to get pregnant while in school full time. Simon working. Gymnastics for Nov. It was all going by so fast. All the dreams I had for home improvement never happened. Now that we’ve both changed our work life, we’ve been able to do more home improvements than we were before.

I’ve learned so much about homemaking and domestics since I first moved in. (And still learning.) We’ve really come together as a family to continue to make this a place we all want to live. One thing, I decided early on in the life of homeowning was that I didn’t want to move into a new house until as a family we learned to take care of the home we already had. I don’t know what’s going to come in the future but I do know, I’m proud of how far we’ve come.

Quick Reminder

Keep going

I care about my readers. I’m grateful for every view that I receive. I say that, because sometimes I feel like I’m not putting enough effort into the writing I share. Not enough soul or passion. Sometimes I feel like maybe I’m not spending enough time writing. I definitely don’t feel like I’m reading nearly enough.

But I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I’m doing enough with the resources I have. I’m working toward big things that require big commitments. None of this will happen over night.

Self Care

What does it take to take care of yourself? What does it take to say no to the things that don’t align with your values?

My initial answer is a job. An income. But that doesn’t make much sense at all. It doesn’t take having a job to say no to things that don’t suit you. On the contrary, having a job requires you to know how to say no for your own sustainability.

It does take money to feed, clothe, and house yourself. I’m not saying you don’t need money for basic needs. I’m saying you should take care of yourself whether you have the money or not. Walk, read books, make friends with yourself, write, these things are all accessible with or without a job.

Point is that finally having an income isn’t going to instantly make you take care of yourself. If anything. it will exasperate the problem. Separate the idea of taking care of yourself from having an income. They are both important but the job relies on you taking care of yourself. It shouldn’t be the other way around.

Your Words

Don’t swallow your words before they reach the keyboard.

First drafts are supposed to be riddled with scattered thoughts. You are supposed to let it all out and organize it later. When we don’t allow our minds the space to unload, we lose that connection to our creativity. There’s writers out there writing entire novels and still starving for creativity. Letting your mind wander is one of the most important aspects to creativity and inspiration. That is exactly the place for your first draft or even your writing journal.

Don’t stifle your creativity while doing creative work. Let it flow. Let it happen.