For anyone who does creative or artistic work of any kind, take the time if you haven’t already to watch Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk on nurturing creativity.
Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, shares her views on why we should consider ourselves to be conduits rather than the embodiments of genius. Particularly if you feel stuck or uninspired, if you wonder whether you will ever again live up to a past success or creative effort, or if you are ready to give up on having anything worthwhile to share with the world, Gilbert’s moving plea to have “the sheer human will and stubbornness to keep showing up” may be what you need to start creating and working once more:
“[D]on’t be afraid. Don’t be daunted. Just do your job. Continue to show up for your piece of it, whatever that might be. If your job is to dance, do your dance. If the divine, cockeyed genius assigned to your case decides to let some kind of wonderment be glimpsed, just for one moment through your efforts, then ‘Ole!’ And if not, then do your dance anyhow.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
