What's Stopping You?

In this week's Bandcamp we're asking: What' stopping you?

Wherever you're at in your current project, your career or your process - what's stopping you from taking the next step toward your goal? Let's throw a few questions on the table and explore this.

Q. Is it internal? Have you stopped the creative process because your heart, mind or soul is unsettled, struggling or simply hit what feels like an insurmountable obstacle? How are you going to pinpoint this internal struggle, address it and get back to creating?

Q. Is it external? Are you wrestling with band-mates, business, finances, work, social or regional issues, family, equipment - there are an endless number of external issues, obstacles, distractions and even options, aren't there? How are you going to narrow down the top three external issues stopping you from moving forward? How will you respond to each?

Q. When will you pick that song, canvas, film or story-line back up?

Q. What can you begin or continue praying about, meditating on and journaling through?

Q. Who can you seek healthy, unifying and ultimately wise advice from?

What's stopping you? Is it a break? Is it much needed rest? Or did you give up, lose your focus and give in? Make some coffee, think it through and take one bite-size step forward.

Cognitive Control

There are two key avenues creatives take when generating ideas, fostering inspiration and developing the next project - we wander or we guide.

Wandering is the practice of freeing our minds from current parameters, environments and experiences hoping to wade into the spontaneity of a novel idea. Wherever the mind goes, new or old, it goes. These ideas are out-of-the-blue.

Guiding is the practice of intentionally acknowledging and setting apart the information, practices and options we already know, and instead choose to think about the opposite or the other in relation to what we're already aware of.

Sometimes we need to wander, right? To force nothing. Sort of like taking a walk and letting old story ideas ruminate while new thoughts break in from the outside simultaneously.

Other times we have no choice but to put our current music on the hot seat and evaluate, unwrap, develop alternates and ultimately wrestle with the creation of something different than what we've done before.

Q. Are you in a season of needing to wander a bit? Not tear down the old but simply find refreshment or stir up inspiration? What will you do today to take a breath?

Q. How about a guided tour of your current / previous projects? What can you do to honestly and constructively review what you have done in order to create a new and different path / project forward? When will you start?

Excuses Or Engagement

Ever hear an artist excuse their addictions, bad attitude or habits for the sake of their creativity?

Ever spend time with this person? Angry at the world, bitter toward their past, soaked an impersonal alcoholic haze... for the art.

The reality is, art is only one part of your life. A big part, no doubt. But still only one part. An idea, song, canvas or book may arise out of anger, but it also spills over onto friends, family, community, faith and the very culture you want to invest in with your art.

In the end, if your creative lifestyle isn't building, uniting, coloring, enjoying, engaging, inviting, hope-filling, faith-building and every other healing and constructive -ing for those closest to you, well, what's the point?

In other words, maybe we shouldn't pretend to create change for the world if we're not willing to invest in the much needed, nearly impossible, painful work of creating and being re-created, made new, healthy and whole, in our own creative space. Here and now.

Q. How are you sharing a healthy creative life rhythm with those around you?

Q. When will you release the toxic muse for a better life beyond the art?

Q. If you're living your message, but your life is toxic and destructive, is your message worthy of sharing with the world?