It’s Valentine’s Day!

Yes, it's the day we celebrate love. But whoa! What a lot of baggage poor St. Valentine must carry these days: the anxiety, resistance and desperation felt by all those who aren’t currently “spoken for”, stirred up by marketers with products to sell. What have we lost in this disconnected definition of love?

Even as we find ourselves flooded with the hues of love and passion, February is the perfect moment to cast a wider net on what love means, especially for those of us on the creative journey.

“The soul of creativity is love, love, love.”

These words are attributed to the young, passionate, prolific prodigy Mozart. 

In my experience, the entire process of creating is a practice of love. Sometimes it’s glorious and effervescent; other times it’s agonizing and dark. What if this month, instead of judging ourselves by our opinions of our work, we were to let love be our guide? It’s time to change our focus. 

Eric was a dear and deeply gifted artist friend of mine who came from France. He used to describe moments of connection by saying, “Love is coming through.” Make no mistake: when we feel love for another or for our creative work, we are not the origin of this love. The flow of love comes through us, nourishing us as much as the one we love, whether or not they love us back.

To consciously allow love to flow freely through you is to be transformed by it.

The creative act – choosing to reveal your innermost passion to the world outside – is to choose to love yourself. But this process takes time. So you have to learn, even while you are figuring out how to bring forth what only you can see, to love your imperfections along the way.

One of my coaching clients is learning a new tool. Re-learning actually. Once-mastered skills now stiff from lack of use must be relearned. After leaving the camera in the closet for a couple of decades, he's a beginner again. So he’s been frustrated with his challenges to materialize what he sees. So we’ve been talking about other ways to hold her relationship with her method.

“Nice to meet you! Now make me happy.”

Think about someone you have deeply loved. Think back to the first time you met. 

Did you immediately put them to work? Did you expect them to do what you told them right away? Were you angry when things didn't "work out"?

Or did you meet them with surprise, wonder, excitement? Did you feel curious? Did you want to spend time with them and get to know them?

If you look at your creative process as a machine you have to dominate to achieve your aims, you will certainly block its beauty. But what if you can meet your tools – your brushes, your pen, your computer, your keyboard, your camera – like loved ones? What if you show up for your creative work, not with your demands, but with curiosity, vulnerability and tenderness? 

Choose Love.

In the Wheel of Creativity®, the word Love appears in Station 3, “Anorexia”. Here, the Automatic No comes up again and again to block you from realizing your dream. Though you may project the voices outside you onto unsupportive people and systems, ultimately those voices are yours.

Here you’re confronted with everything in you that would have you quit. And when the voices grow loud enough, you are a deer in the headlights, paralyzed and unable to respond to what calls you.

The task in this station is to choose what you love – to turn toward it, curious, dewy-eyed, and vulnerable – and be brave. And when you do, something breaks open and suddenly you’re moving again. Like magic.

Your creative love story is nurtured by your decision to show up day after day, vulnerable, doing the work, feeling the fear, feeling the joy. It is not just falling in love' it's an intimate connection that grows over time, through which you create something beautiful together. 

This is the kind of relationship, like any true love connection, that asks you to be better than you’ve been before. And when you keep showing up for it through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, as long as you live, it will transform you to your core.

So let's unwrap this relationship, exploring how you can nurture a bond that transcends the ordinary and elevates your life to creative endeavors of unexpected beauty and innovation.

Six Rituals for Romancing Your Creative Muse:

1. Daily Love Letters: Begin each day with a brief note to your creative self or project, expressing your intentions, hopes, and affection for the day's creative journey. This act of love and anticipation sets a positive tone, welcoming inspiration and fostering a deep, personal connection with your work.

2. Gratitude Rituals: At the end of each day, jot down what you're grateful for in that day's creative practice. Acknowledging even the small victories and joys can deepen your love and appreciation for the process, keeping the relationship fresh and invigorating.

3. Date Night with Your Craft: Schedule weekly "date nights" with your creative practice. This could be a dedicated evening when you explore new ideas, play with materials, or simply engage with your work without the pressure of productivity. Make it special—light candles, play music, whatever signifies a nurturing environment for you.

4. Creative Adventures: Once a month, embark on a new adventure specifically designed to inspire your creativity. It could be visiting a museum, exploring nature, trying a new art form, or even traveling to a new location. These adventures can rekindle your passion and provide new perspectives.

5. Meditative Moments: Incorporate meditation or mindfulness exercises focused on love and creativity into your routine. Visualize your creative energy as a partner with whom you're building a life, and use these moments to strengthen your bond, clear your mind, and invite inspiration.

6. Feedback Feasts: Organize or attend gatherings where you can share your work and receive feedback in a supportive, loving environment. Celebrate the act of sharing as an expression of love for your craft and community. These sessions can reinforce the communal aspect of creativity, reminding you that love thrives in shared experiences and growth.

Love's Creative Promise

The celebration of Valentine's Day, with its myriad expressions of love, invites us to ponder a deeper, often overlooked aspect of love—the profound connection between love and creativity. As we weave these rituals into the fabric of our daily lives, we cultivate a relationship steeped in respect, admiration, and profound love. 

Today, and throughout the month, let us commit to love ourselves by embracing our dynamic, transformative love affair with our creativity. Let this love guide us, inspire us, and propel us forward in our creative endeavors. Here's to choosing what we love, in all its forms. Here’s to allowing it to illuminate our creative path, turning every challenge into an opportunity for growth and every moment into a step towards our best lives ever.

Love in The Virtual Yurt

Come share your creative breakthroughs with a loving community of artistic minds and hearts, join us on Sunday for a virtual celebration feast in our monthly creative community call. Join us this Sunday, February 18. Get the details here.