It is that time of day when the pre-schoolers walk by my house on the way to the park. Today, they saw the dog across the street and all started barking and howling! Whenever I really notice a kid making some noise and being their silly self without any concern of others, I feel a little jealous pang.
Kids just express themselves and are okay with being seen as they do so. And somewhere along the way, as we become more aware of others, most of us tend to lose this ability to some degree. And we develop some fear around being truly seen.
This can create some challenges in our creative lives. While creating things on our own can bring so much joy (I know that I am content to spend hours on end coloring, drawing, writing, and making messes completely on my own!), I also know that there is a part of me that deeply desires to share what I make with others.
Just think about when you were younger and couldn’t wait to show your parents what you made at school. Think about how happy you were when they hung it on the refrigerator! I still want a version of this for my adult self. I still want to talk about what I made, how I made it, and why I made it. I still want others to say what they see it in and how it is meaningful to them. I want it because it is a deeply connective experience and art is the best way I know how to communicate what is important to me.
And, therefore, it is also sooo risky for me to show others my work. I mean, if they hate it, it feels like they do not like this important part of me. Over time, I have learned to understand that it usually isn’t that personal, but that tender fear is still there. It is just a part of being human.
So, if we all have that tender spot, how do we work with it? How do we share our creations which embody meaningful parts of who we are with others when there is always a chance that it will not be received in nurturing ways? How do we become more brave in this process and make some noise no matter who sees it?
I recommend some investigation. What excites you about sharing your work? What kind of meaningful experience do you hope it will create? What scares you about sharing your creations? What scary experiences are you wanting to avoid?
Write about those things for a while. Really be specific. Grow your awareness around your excitement and your fear. This video will walk you through getting clear and what to do with what you discover.
It’s good to make some noise. It is good to be seen. It is freeing to feel like we can express ourselves authentically and to be okay with others turning their heads to take a look at what we have going on. I think I’m going to do the exercise again and then go howl with those kids the next time they walk down the street…
It’s time to make some noise. Who’s with me?
If you think you might want some tools, professional support, and an awesome community to help you on your journey to making some creative noise, I welcome you to fill out the Creative Journey Roadmap Assessment so we can connect and get you one step closer to your creative dream.