We often think of courage as a force. It seems like something that overtakes us, and we ride along with it.
But what if courage is something you can cultivate? Not just something that takes over, but something that you consciously build, nourish, and maintain?
Here's how:
Trust yourself
The foundation of creative courage is trusting yourself. With each promise you make to yourself that you keep, with every task you finish, you're teaching yourself that you are trustworthy.
When you have bone-deep awareness of your own trustworthiness, doubts dwindle and fears subside. Let yourself know that you can trust your own words and deeds, and creative courage will flow more easily.
Show up
Showing up for yourself means checking in. It means paying attention. It means listening to your own cues and letting them lead you.
When you're attentive to your own experience, you know what's right, and you have the self-awareness to be able to set that in motion.
Try new things
This is more often what we think of when we imagine creative courage. Venturing forth boldly feels like the epitome of bravery.
That being said, you can try new things in small ways, and still tap into your creative courage. Giving yourself little tastes of the new is fun, inspiring, and gives you more to look forward to.
Rather than charging forward at full speed, give yourself chances to try things little by little, and build the muscles of your creative courage bit by bit.
How about you? When do you feel most creatively courageous? What kinds of things help you feel that solid ground under your feet, from which to venture forth? I'd love to hear from you!
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As always, you can experiment with your own creative courage and curiosity via Visual Journaling classes, as well as Co-Creation Time. Our creative community is vibrant and friendly, and we'd love to have you join in!