Creative Support: Are You "Reaching Out" But Not "Letting In"?

The saying goes that no man is an island.

Even if that’s true, many of us still try to be an extreme version of just that, an isolated and self sufficient mass that relies on nothing outside of itself, an impenetrable iron fortress constantly on guard from any approach, however friendly.

We may feel that unless we go it alone and create with any outside help or support from others, that somehow we’re not being “truly creative”. If we allow any outside input or influence in, it may corrupt and tarnish our inspiration, flow or muse.

Does this sound like something you relate to at all?

Many of the myths around creativity revolve around the tortured artist, struggling all alone against himself to create that which will set him free.

But of course this doesn’t make for a very fulfilling life!

In fact one of the easiest ways we, as creative people, can make our creative lives as difficult, painful and lonely as possible, is to take on this myth, and this behaviour, and become the isolated impenetrable island.

For those of us who realise we don’t wish to live in this way, and are prepared to give and receive support from other creative people around us, the benefits are many, and far outweigh any concerns about the authenticity or artistic integrity of not going it alone.

But even when we accept we need support, there’s a way to go before we actually allow people to give it, and further still until we let it have a positive effect on us.

For example, an artist struggling to create a certain mood in a landscape painting, may accept the need for outside support and ask a respected painter they know for their views.

This is a great first step, accepting they’re stuck and reaching out for the help they need in able to allow themselves to progress with the piece they’re working on.

But reaching out is not the same as letting in.

Upon receiving the advice from their fellow painter, the artist may reject it outright and entirely, claiming their colleague simply does not understand their perspective or dilemma.

Or they could listen carefully to the advice and, accepting that each of us are different in our creative style and techniques, take the parts of the advice that are helpful and disregard those that are not so relevant or resonant.

This is a simple example. Sometimes the difference between reaching out and letting in can be far more subtle. In fact reaching out but never letting anything in can be more damaging even than not reaching out for support at all.

Think about some of the ways you’ve sought support in the past, but, if your honest with yourself, you weren’t really seeking the input of someone else with any intention of taking it in.

Instead you were just looking for evidence and ammunition to reaffirm your belief that “no-one understands me” or “no-one appreciates what I’m trying to achieve with this creative project.”

You weren’t reaching out from a point of being openly willing to let in.

So next time you ask for help, stop and ask what your motives behind it are. Are you genuinely willing to receive the support, ready to begin letting in and enabling yourself to develop, learn and evolve?

Or are you simply reaching out for some other less genuine and beneficial reason?

Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin is the author of “Create Create!”, a FREE twice monthly ezine for people who want simple and powerful articles, tips and exercises to help them unleash their creative talents. Sign up right now and get your FREE “Explode Your Creativity!” Action Workbook, at http://www.CoachCreative.com