The creative curse

Everything out of nothing.

Welcome to this week’s tornado of creative thought, brought to you by yours truly (backed by decades of journaling, art making and research).

I noticed a flurry of new curious creative peeps who’ve joined us from the Designer Boss Summit I spoke at last week – yay! So glad to have you here :D

I’ve been writing this weekly newsletter since July last year and, let me tell you, we’ve been on a JOURNEY.

The creative life is one of mind blowing highs and earth shattering lows (and everything in between). But one thing remains constant: the help you find along the way.

Today’s creative urge is dedicated to the people who see your gifts better than you see them yourself.

Put the myth of the isolated, struggling artist, locked in their studio, IN THE BIN

That’s right – we’re not even going to entertain the idea that you need to shut yourself away to do your best work.

In fact, your best work is only your best work once it’s witnessed by the people you created it for.

By hiding it away, you rob yourself of one of the biggest benefits of creativity: CONNECTION.

It’s what keeps me coming back, week after week, to write this newsletter… knowing that you, my courageous creative friend, are on the other side of the screen reading it.

It’s what makes it so hard to share our work: we’ll be SEEN

And I’m not talking about the “content” you produce either, though it might feel that way when you first start posting on socials.

What I refer to is when you take a sliver of your soul and embed it in work you truly believe in and care about.

When you lay your heart bare for the world to see, that can feel excruciating. All of the self-doubt floods in to wash away all that confidence you built while you were creating the damn thing.

It hardly seems fair, does it?

But in my experience, the bigger the personal risk I take, the greater the connection. Yet this doesn’t mean you need to bare everything or dredge up a painful piece of your history.

But when you refuse to hide behind what you think you should create anymore, you leave the door ajar for something real to walk in when you’re sitting at your desk working.

When you put yourself in your work, it magnetises what you need

This ain’t a call to whip out the crystals and tarot cards (but let’s be honest: I never put mine away, ha).

I heard Gabby Bernstein in a podcast say that when you are in the joy of creating, doing or being, you can’t help but manifest.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m working on something that taps into a part of my ‘self’, even if it’s painful, I feel joy: the joy of self-expression.

A word of warning: If you do choose to finally stop hiding and take the path less travelled, be prepared for the most amazing kinds of help… from every direction.

I’ve been gifts weekends away in the country, concert tickets, brunches, introductions to incredible people, events and opportunities.

And while I may not be sending out invoices for thousands of dollars of cash right now, I am cashing the most VALUABLE CHEQUES with the Universe.

So if the cash ain’t flowing as digits in your bank account, can you take a step back and look at all the other ways you might be getting taken care of?

The people who see, appreciate and support your dreams are worth more than GOLD

I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of you, showing up every week, to read my words – so thank you, for making all of this possible ❤️

And I want to level with you: I’ve been chipping away, longer than you know.

Not only working on my craft (writing) but also healing my brain and heart (we’re still going, there was A LOT of shit).

My work has taken many forms: creative agencies, clothing stores, art galleries, universities, bookstores, summer camps, babysitting… but at the end of the day, it always comes back to YOU.

Your struggles starting creative projects.

Your pain in the process.

Your fear in sharing your gifts with the world.

I want you to know I’m right here with you – and I’m not going anywhere

I’ve been holding in a deep sadness for a while now, keeping my eyes on the horizon, yet underlying it all is grief.

For what I’ve let go, what I’ve lost, what’s left me and what I’ve had to leave behind.

Being able to create it all is such a blessing… and a curse.

So if you’re feeling out of place, uncomfortable, blocked or just plain fucking over it – I get it.

Don’t forsake this time either, it’s laden with lessons, fresh perspectives and new experiences.

When you sign up for the creative life, you have to LIVE it all – the highs, the lows and the shit you just won’t ever understand.

But guess what? You’re the one who gets to look it square in the eye and use that beautiful brain of yours (and then your hands) to create something magical from the depths of confusion.

Hang in there – I won’t ever give up if you don’t.

Creatively yours,

Dr Maz xoxo

PS: I’m going to announce the next dates for The Expression Sessions this week. So if you’ve been wanting to start a conversation with yourself on paper but not sure how, keep your eyes peeled!