When a painter starts to create, standing in front of an empty canvas, he begins from the idea of what he wants to create. He may have a very detailed plan or only an intuition, a sparkle, a feeling about how the painting should look like. But however vague or concrete, analytical or intuitive it may be, the idea of the painting that doesn't yet exists is there and without it, the painting could not be created.
In order to build your life in a creative, generative and harmonious way, you need to start by answering the question “what do I want to create in my life?” - says Robert Fritz, the author of the wonderful book “Your Life as Art”. We need to answer it, because the authentic purposes, the ones that give us the energy to act, come from a desire. And we have desires, diverse, mixed desires every day.
And still, why it is so hard to answer?
It is hard to answer because we try to find the correct answer, the noble answer that once found, would bring with it fulfillment, happiness and so many more. Certain people live with the illusion that if they would discover that something they want (a person, a talent, a vocation, a relationship, a fortune), they would be happy and everything would be fine forever.
The bad news is that “something”, the correct answer, does not exist and the longer you are looking for it, the longer you paralyze the creative energy, you do not act, you linger.
The good news is that any answer is correct as long as it appoints a real desire. You may very well answer “shoes of all colors” as long as you are absolutely honest - as the desire is more sincere, the more it will be a stronger creative engine. Have the courage to name what you want in your life, with your own words.
It is hard for us to answer, because we are used not to create the desired things in our life, but to eliminate the undesired problems.
Problem-solving orientation is so deeply rooted in our minds that it is possible that the first answer would be about the problem you want to eliminate, for example, “to live life like there’s no tomorrow... to live without stress... to no longer have health problems”.
But what about replacing all “no”-s with a big “yes” about what you truly want to create?
For example, if you would not have to worry about tomorrow, what would you do instead? Where would you invest your energy? A big family, world exploration, a business, a passion, a party life with lots of friends?
It is hard to answer because instead of desires, we are used to set our minds on “resolutions” - exactly those hard things that, in fact, we don’t want for what they are.
How about the fact that when you are a kid, adults ask you “what do you want to become when you grow up”, “what do you want Santa to bring you?”, and when we grow up, we hurry to make lists not with what we want (few people have this habit), but with what we have to do?
“What do you want to create in your life?”
Answer truly, with desire, with burst, with aspiration. Your answer will be the primary choice around which you will focus your energy. And the famous resolutions only have meaning if they become a secondary choice - namely that something you have to do to fulfill your desire.
Discipline doesn't come from resolutions, discipline comes from the desire behind the resolution.
If I truly want to build a business, I will naturally make the choice of the working weekends, numberless working hours, even if there are days when I feel overwhelmed. If I want an athletic life, I will naturally adopt a balanced diet, even if there are days when a big plate of sausages would appeal to me more.
What do you want to create in your life?
Close your eyes.
Open your eyes.
Draw.
Give yourself time.
Imagine. And then start to create.
What do you want? - the hardest and, at the same time, easiest question