This is a big one – around me, I hear a lot of people say that they wish they dared to go after their dreams or have the guts to start something of their own. Now I can talk about this topic from first-hand experience!

Years ago, I was studying at the school of the arts. Everywhere I looked there were insanely talented people, how I even got in was a bit of a mystery to me sometimes. I felt enormous pressure. If I was going through this whole thing, that would mean I HAD to become an artist. How would there be space for my art with all these incredibly skilled and creative people around me? Only a few lucky ones really make it – right? I felt so much fear and it became harder and harder for me to create things. Nearing the end of my first year I had convinced myself; art is more of a hobby to me, it won’t be my job. So better quit now and focus on something ‘real’.

 

 

I stopped studying, took a year off to make money, travel and re-evaluate my life. Now the funny thing here is that in this year I stumbled upon the inspiration of what would, later on, become my crystal grids! During this year I, without really realizing it, started making so much. I was writing every day, made a chakra wand with crystals, created a dreamcatcher from scratch with feathers I found on my travels. I did all these creative things effortlessly because the pressure was off.

What I’m getting at here is that sometimes when we start creating something, we take it so seriously. Especially when you have put a lot of resources into it. And I understand,  I do it too. But one thing that I have learned in this lifetime is that creativity needs space, movement, playfulness. My best creative ideas came to me in moments of casual conversation with friends …or pure boredom! All we need to do is to stay curious and open. As Elizabeth Gilbert says: ‘’Take it seriously, sure – but don’t take it seriously.’’

The moment my creative journey really started was the moment I got an injury that took me from moving my body or even walking the stairs for that matter. I really had to sit still and organically -like magic- I started creating. As a means of moving, flowing in another way. I started creating because there was space. I started creating because I simply felt like it. And I sure as hell didn’t start creating because I wanted to do this for a living for the rest of my life. But life works in funny and mysterious ways, and the Caressa that said ‘’art is more of a hobby to me’’ 3 years prior, was very much mistaken. Because when ‘the burden of the world’ melted, I let go of fear, creativity returned and ironically, I became an artist after all. This was always my destination.

 

 

Does this mean the only thing I do now is create art? – No. I still teach yoga, I host workshops and retreats. To start something doesn’t mean to stop another thing. See where life takes you organically, make space for the things that matter to you. You don’t have to quit your day job immediately, don’t put that pressure on yourself but just start playing. I switched from studying fulltime to part-time because I wanted to make space to flow with the opportunities coming up in the other aspects of my life. This is what brought me joy. That was my balance. What is yours?

Some great further reading on this topic is: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. — My most favorite book ever. This will change your world.