Fear is just the passenger

One of the things I’ve been so grateful for in this time of Covid-19 is how many more relaxation and meditation tools have become available online. From celebrities to meditation experts, churches to online town halls, just about everyone is sharing what modality are working for them.

Fear and Creativity

A couple of months ago I ran across a meditation on fear, recorded in response to Covid-19 given by the author Elizabeth Gilbert. The meditation inspired me to pick up her book, Big Magic. In it, she draws the connection between fear and creativity, how the latter can’t exist without the former, but how clear the distinction is between creativity being her co-pilot, while fear is just a passenger along for the ride. Fear doesn’t get to make the decisions, only she and creativity do.

I began to think of fear in my own life and in the life of my friends, family, and clients. How does fear play out in my relationships, my business, my decisions? Where and when did I learn that fear should (and would) stop me from doing the things that I was striving for? How long had fear been my co-pilot? I had already had success in my life and I was looking to accomplish more goals and dreams. Why had I allowed fear to stop me?

The more power we give fear, the more it grows. Healthy fear is necessary–It keeps us safe, but often unknowingly the “what if…” switch gets turned on and fear shines as bright and loud as neon, buzzing and flashing to the point of distraction.

What are you nurturing

Our goals and dreams are human creativity and passion at work. Giving our time and energy to elements of ourselves that are productive is how we can transform fear into creative energy.

Having some simple creative task at your fingertips – gardening, a needlepoint or knitting project, an adult coloring book, or a simple sketchbook and a pencil–is a simple and quick way to reroute your fear and anxiety.

The next time your mind begins to ruminate on fear, have a creative task on hand. Even if the fears are humming in the background remember that fear is just the passenger in the back seat, creativity is your co-pilot. Road trip anyone?!?