Creative Director: Subtle

I Create: Creative Director of My Life

I’ve noticed something about intuition training. Working on listening and paying attention to my intuition. That it’s very quiet and subtle. Which are some character traits that I believe myself to have: quiet and subtle. But what I’ve noticed is that along the way of watching for intuition, listening, not missing the signs, I’ve realized that I’m paying more attention to the subtle and quiet signs of just life in general. When something feels good, I notice, oh that feels good, pay attention to that good feeling as it’s happening. And how do I feel specifically as I’m noticing the good feeling. Where does it feel good in my body? Is it goosebumps? Is it a bursting heart? Is it a warmth through my torso?

Over the last month, I’ve been in the midst of a work piece. A painting for a specific task. I’ve procrastinated, and I’ve felt like I need to work through it in my mind first, think over how I might complete this, what paint to use, what colour combinations, the technique.. everything. So not very much of anything concrete has gotten done. It has given me some stress and anxiety.

I know everything good is on the other side of the stress. Once I work through the hard part, deciding what style I wanted to do, what colour palette, I know it would get easier. Once I’ve made some ‘crap’ art, some practice sketches, and paint mock ups with both acrylic and watercolour, then I notice, yes, the other side of that initial stress is rewarding. I recognize it. I know I can get through that bit of anxiousness. And then I’m more appreciative of the good that comes after.  I’m thankful for it. I can recognize that at a certain part, it may make me uncomfortable, I may be worried about it and not like that part of the process. But I know on the other side, is the sweet spot. I know it presents itself in a subtle way. We might miss it as we are just so relieved to be over the painful part. Glad to then gain momentum and know that the work is closer to being done. Now I notice. I notice the mid-process part. I notice and appreciate the subtle goodness of the work before completion. And this means that I take joy in the work itself.

Normally, we are too hurried with day to day tasks that we feel appreciation when a thing is done. After the feeling has happened. We think, ‘that was such a good feeling, I really enjoyed that.’

Noticing while the feeling is happening in your body, is a subtle shift. I’ve found there’s a lot of magic in the subtle. It often gets missed if we aren’t paying attention. Creating a life I love means I’m all in for the subtle clues that life gives us.

Until next week,

Devon