HOW TO KEEP CREATIVITY ALIVE?
Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Caroline Laporte. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Caroline, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Feeling inspired and creative is what makes me feel alive. Unfortunately, after years of struggling to find balance, harmony, and joy in creating, I came to a harsh realization that I might never create or dance again if I remained in the life, environment, setting, and priorities I was in. This is when I decided to face and honestly answer this simple question: “What is stopping the flow of creativity in me?”
Three clear answers came to my mind then: my current home environment, the digital world in which we are living with over-complicated processes, tools, and technologies, along with the self-acceptance of how much I can achieve on a daily basis.
The importance of the right environment
For creativity to flow inside out, I had to be aligned outside in, and it all started with securing my home base where I could resource, create, recharge, heal, and rest. The right home environment is my foundation for joyful moments, to feel secure and safe, supported by loved ones, and connected to nature. However, as a widow, with my children growing up and out of the family house, and no place to call home for nearly two years, I had to learn to be self-reliant to define and build the home environment I was aspiring to for peace and harmony to create again. It has been a scary and risky journey to do so, as such a realization calls for perseverance, determination, and faith. It has been a risky journey emotionally, as not everyone in your life will follow or understand your path. The other risk is the financial risk in trying to make a living out of your art and passion. You might even feel guilty of possibly failing and using up all your resources for pursuing something irrational. But to you, to your heart, which is led by the limbic brain in the decision-making process, you wouldn’t have it any other way because creativity is what you believe in, what makes you feel alive and vibrant. It is the source of hope and blissful moments. As Simon Sinek stated in his bestseller book “Start with Why” – Keeping my creativity alive through the art of ballet is my Why and sharing it with the world is my motive.
Navigating the digital world
The second element that was stopping the flow of creativity in the process of launching the BalletConnect fitness program was the overload and lack of seamless integration of the technologies, tools, applications, and systems of the digital world. How could I, as an artist who lives simply in music and movement, think of creating when I had to be stuck in front of the computer to figure out AI, YouTube, Instagram, e-commerce, Google SEO analytics to name a few? I am a performer, how am I supposed to learn the lighting, the video filming process, the video editing, virtual classes, and the way of sound engineering? How could I handle behind the scenes and still create? The answer: I simply couldn’t. I didn’t create for over 8 months while I was going through the intricate and overwhelming learning curve of the digital world and technologies. This was one of my biggest roadblocks to creativity. It is not until I became more familiar and at ease with that side of the business, thanks to friends and family, that creativity flowed back again. The biggest lesson I learned from this experience is to give yourself all the space and time you need to overcome any blockage that may come your way while staying open to learning and remaining creative.
Creativity does not fit in the box set by your agenda and timeline
The third crucial element that has kept my creativity from flowing freely was my personal resistance to not making things happen fast enough. I wish I could, yet I haven’t found a way to force creativity onto an agenda and a timeframe. As I am writing this article, I was supposed to be creating a special BalletConnect cardio class today! It didn’t happen, obviously, since I was more inclined to reflect, write, and dance for myself today to refill my inner well of inspiration. I used to get very frustrated at myself when things would not go as expected and scheduled as per my strategic agenda. However, I have learned to honor my body, mind, and spirit, to honor my need for sleep, nutrients, light, and self-care to stay vibrant from within and allow for the spur of creativity. My biggest lesson is to become flexible in welcoming those moments of creativity as they come and go and create a lifestyle that would allow me to capture those moments on the spot!
You know what you love and what lifts you up. Committing to your passion is the key to keeping your creativity flowing, while understanding that creativity is just like life, a cycling wave of ups and lows. The key is to stay connected to what makes you happy, and to learn to catch the waves with joy, playfulness, and consistency until you reach a more permanent state of creativity that becomes your second nature.
Beyond these three creativity blockages, I realize I can do it all, while still enjoying the journey of getting there. All is possible to a willing mind and a vibrant heart!
Blissful dancing always,
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