Through the years I’ve encountered several experiences when
I’ve moved away from a circle I was in. Sometimes this was by choice. Sometimes
it wasn’t. No matter the reason why I left the circle, I can look back and
respect how the sudden change altered my creative life.
Leaving circles has influenced me to…
Say Goodbye to My Comfort
Zone
When you’re inside a circle you feel a strange sense of
protection. Maybe it’s the invisible boundary. Maybe it’s how all is contained
within. So it can be terrifying to step out—to not know what the world holds
for you beyond the boundary. But it can also be eye-opening. After all, there is a whole world out there.
Shed People’s Opinions
of Me
I haven’t mastered this yet, but with every circle I’ve been
nudged out of I’ve gained a better sense of who I am and who I want to be. I’ve
learned the value of not placing my sense of worth in what others think of me.
It’s unbelievable what this can do for creativity. Without the fear of
judgment, the mind has few limits.
Inspired Me to Become
More Resourceful
This is especially the case when I’ve been sent packing. I
remember some sad seasons when I felt like I lost my closest friends in life,
only to realize I knew some really cool people I hadn’t paid attention to
because I was so busy keeping my eyes fixed within the circle.
Break up My Routine
There’s something about circle living that invites monotony.
Do the same old thing in the same old way. Seek approval for that thing. Stay
within the confines. Parting circles taught me the beauty of doing things
differently. Of trying new things. Of stretching myself.
Increase My Empathy
It’s never fun to be shoved out of a circle. But it can
teach so much. In the aftermath of circle living, I had a choice. I could
wallow in the pain or I could allow the pain to inform me about the kind of
person I wanted to be and the way I wanted to treat others. This is creativity
at its best. Receiving pain in life and being able to knead it, turning it into
something else.
Brought My Goals into
Focus
Change inspires focus. It’s interesting stepping away from a
circle could actually conjure a better sense of attention, but as soon as I was
stripped of things I’d relied on, that’s exactly what happened. I was left
asking the question, “What now?”
In full disclosure, after leaving some circles I’ve had to
adjust to a drawback as well.
Loss of Support &
Connection (whether real or perceived)
It’s taken me a long time to accept how there are seasons
for everything. Can’t it always be spring? But even in the heartache that’s
come with circle evictions, I’ve grown. I’ve garnered a strong sense of what
fuels me and my creativity. I’ve grown more discerning. And, hard as it is for
a sensitive soul, I’ve learned to move on.
When’s the last time
you left a circle? Looking back, can you see how it influenced your creativity?
Beautiful words, these are all so true.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne Marie. Think so many of us have gone through this.
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