Ida Clare, My pom poms ain't what they used to be!

Even though I was never a cheerleader in high school and my pom poms ain’t what they used to be, I can still “you go girl” with the best of them. I bet you can too.

When I wrote Monday’s blog post, I was really feeling the need for creative life support and it occurred to me that I may not be the only one whose creativity needs to be hooked up to an I.V. 

One of the things I have often admired about the artful blogging community is that we are kind to each other and to each other’s creativity.  Any time you comment positively on someone’s work your voice may carry the exact bit of cheer that helps them to create again on another day.

Do you have a vicious internal critic like mine that can shoot down a good idea, poo poo a project or insult your best intentions?  I call that internal voice, Blockhead.

If your Blockhead lies to you like an ex-husband who owes you money, you need a cheerleader with big giant pom poms that will tell you the truth.

So join me right now for a little truth-telling Pep Rally.  Let’s start with one of Blockhead’s favorites.

Blockhead:  You are not creative or You’re not creative enough to _______ (fill in the blank).

Ida Cheerleader: We are all born uniquely creative.  Our Blockhead would have us believe the big lie that only a talented few are blessed with creativity and we weren’t invited when they were handing out the gifts.

We yearn to do our art but Blockhead wants us to define art with a capital A; something that other people with more creativity, more energy, or more education do with spontaneous ease.  I define art with a small “a” that says doing art is a natural right, something we came to this earth to do; create as we were created. 

Doing what your creative spirit urges you to do in spite of training or no training, recognition or none, support or opposition: yielding to the nudge that says, “Go ahead; it will be alright. Make it into being.”  And you do.  That is art; that is creativity; that is who you are.

Even if you have been practicing your craft for years, Blockhead will find a way to sabotage a good creative buzz.  That’s why we all need the occasional pep rally where we raise our voices to drown out the mean spirited internal critic who tells us big fat lies that can cost us a lifetime of joy.

This concludes today’s Pep Rally, my big idea from Monday.  I’m thinking I need more of these in the future and I’ll need you to bring your pom poms too.

Hugs,
Your Creativity Cheerleader:

Hey, I learned how to make this sign in PicMonkey: