Pathways to Creativity:

The Journey Towards Authenticity

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 Part Two: Facing The Obstacles

In the process of creating, there are inevitably obstacles. Metaphorically, they are the mountains that seem too big to climb, the boulders in the road before us that stop us in our tracks.

These can be external events or inner challenges. Our very beliefs may be obstacles. For example, they may reflect our fears and doubts about our capacity to create (I can't do this, I'm not an artist, leader, gardener... whatever our intentions might be).

When something arises that feels daunting, we may have no clear sense of how to proceed. We may feel discouraged, stuck, or afraid. We can hold onto these feelings like a blanket, wrapping ourselves in self-criticism and frustration. Or we can recognize that we have come to a difficult place, and that it was to be expected. For truly creative endeavors always bring us to our growing edges.

We can now consciously choose to respond creatively to the challenge we face. We can seen it as an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and where we need to grow and change. We can accept our fears without self-judgment as a natural part of the process of exploring the unknown, and in this way not be devoured by them. By doing so, we become the compassionate witness to our growth. We can choose this conscious approach in our relationships with others as well as with ourselves.

The following art pieces illustrate how we work through obstacles we face when we create.