Do I Need Courage to Be Creative?

KAREN MCMILLAN

For many, the answer is no, it is not necessary to have courage to create. I’ve met or read about many artists who do not believe they have to face their fear or feel the strength to produce. We’ve probably all heard of artists who shared their experience of creating while feeling fear, even weakness. At times, that fear may have even informed their work and production.

Yet, others, like me, feel deeply and find that fear, pain, or grief are distracting and disabling. I find this is very much real when the fear comes from within, including doubt in myself and fear of my ability to create. In these moments I allow the voices in my head or from others to inform my beliefs about myself or what I choose to create. The words of friends, family, or even public discourse get loud and make me question myself and my dreams.

I admit that letting go of fear and deep feelings is hard for me. I get in my head and question everything. But not in a good or curious way. At times, this fear has morphed into distraction, procrastination, or even total blocks. In these moments I question my ability to find and connect with courage. Believing courage is something I must create, know, and feel BEFORE I can move forward and produce or create, it challenges my ability to actually be creative. When forced to finish a project when I’m not feeling courageous, I may be productive but not feel creative. That feeling of being on autopilot protects me but does not energize or inspire me.

I am reminded that courage does not appear when feeling all well and balanced. In those moments I am not challenged. I can grab my Apple Pencil and iPad, or my paper cutter and craft tools and create to my heart’s content.

To be truly identified as courageous, these moments must be accompanied or preceded by fear, pain, or grief. After the moments after someone has criticized my ideas or my work, and when I remember this meaning of courage, I am better for it. Even when I only connect with courage loosely, gently, and even unconsciously. This awareness helps me to move forward with my creative voice, and “do something” to produce and create my work of art. Even when that work of art is simply a complete thought, a plan-in-process, learning something new, or even creating a meal.

When I have even the slightest awareness of this courage, this strength I find my creativity is more authentic, unconventional, and “out of the box” Maybe because I have the courage to trust and follow my own voice and intuition over other, outside voices. I follow my own lead rather than letting fear or opinionated, negative feedback, solicited or unsolicited, distract or deter me. I receive the critique, feel the feelings, then do my best to breathe and move forward. This form of courage allows me to be full-on with my YINpreneur being, i.e., fully in and leading from my body and spirit over my head and distracting thoughts. I let go of the “how” and just dream and allow. Listening to my deep wisdom, intuition, and somatic messages.

This was true over a decade ago when the term “YINpreneur” came to me. Allowing myself to be a follower as I lead a virtual retreat allowed me to be in my practice of receiving. The term “YINpreneur” came to me during a group mediation and journaling practice about “Awakening Your Inner Goddess” Many wondered what it meant and why I chose it. But I trusted the message in my heart and body, allowing her to guide me to a successful realization of the term and business.

When I breathe, listen, allow, and follow I am more at ease. I allow my feelings to wash over me rather than resist them. In these moments it feels easier to follow than try to lead from a weakened place. I breathe deeply, focusing on the out-breath and release. Instead of feeling tight or constricted, I feel less stress in my body, which eventually allows my head and mind to feel less tense. Checking in with my body, I may still feel nervous, yet my heart space is open. I affectionately term this feeling, this space, as “scary fabulous”.

Scary Fabulous: Feel the fear while leaning into the fabulous.

This phrase not only captures my feelings but acts as a guide to follow as I cope with any fears and distractions. I tell myself to honor my feelings and feel the fear while leaning into the fabulous. This is especially helpful when I tell myself I can be courageous, but not feel courageous.

The fabulous is how I envision feeling when my dream is realized. Often, I come upon this feeling of fabulous when I practice a meditation focused on creative visualization - which I first discovered in 1978 in the book of the same name by Shakti Gawain. With this practice, I find it easier to choose to lean into the fabulous feelings of joy and creation over the fearful or negative thoughts.

This way of being with “scary fabulous” allows me to honor my feelings while not allowing them to overwhelm, define, or stop me in my tracks. The fear may follow me, attempt to distract me but I lean away from it and into the fabulous. Allowing each step forward, no matter how small, to be a celebration. Celebrating my ability to move forward and create something.

With even the slightest awareness of courage as a possibility, I am open to learning and exploring, both in my business and personal life. One of these moments was with my recent move from NYC to Maryland. I held tight and followed my intuition when I ordered boxes and began to pack before I knew where I was moving. Dealing with the unknown was scary but I had received the message it was time to move. A year later, the result is lower cost for a much higher quality of life. By reframing fear, self-doubt, and judgment with curiosity I found my way to my version of peace, scary-fabulous, and courage.

With each step in the creative process, I am affirmed. In this way, I am not being courageous but creating courage with every breath and step forward. This practice (sadhana) may not come easy, and like courage and creative mastery it may take much practice, failing, and more practice. Taking time to practice listening and focusing on my true feelings over thoughts. Learning to discern which voices are based on fear and which are simply my own voice, even if scary fabulous (svadhyaya).

Staying on your path is the work. With each breath and baby step toward my creation, I am affirmed -- feeling little blocks of strength and courage building within. The true feeling of courage may not be fully realized and felt until I have completed my creation. Only then do I realize I was courageous the whole time.

Karen McMillan , ACC | YINpreneur™

With a passion to bring together BIPOC women artists, solopreneurs, light workers, and change makers 55+, Karen intuitively guides women with a desire to find and own their voice. Revealing their gifts so that they may share them forward in support of the world they wish to create.

As the founder and creator of YINpreneur Village™ and Virtual RetreatU™, Karen invites women to practice the way of the YINpreneur™ via wisdom journeys and experiences in safe, collaborative spaces (sangha). Spaces where they can make peace and reframe their patriarchal history, get comfortable with tech, call on their ancestors for nurturing and guidance, practice yogic living, and blend ancient living with modern practice to manifest a life and business or online community that feels like a movement.

In college, I spent a year in the south of France, where I first discovered the Salad Niçoise. The traditional version is with tuna but it always includes the freshest, most delicious produce and a red-wine and Dijon vinaigrette.

This version is perfect for the summer grilling season and the components can easily be made ahead so all you need to do is assemble!

Grilled Salmon

Niçoise Salad (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Claudine Francois

Prep + Cook Time: 1 hour

Yield: 8 servings

Salad Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, Hard Boiled

• 1 ½ lbs Salmon Filet

• 2 TB Salmon Rub Seasoning (or more, to taste, see Notes)

• 1 lb Mini Potatoes

• 1 TB Avocado Oil

• 1 lb Green Beans, trimmed

• 2 cups Cherry Tomatoes, halved

• 1 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted

• 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

• 1 cup Basil leaves (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar

• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard (course grain, preferred)

• 2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1-2 TB honey (to taste)

• Salt + Pepper, to taste

Directions:

• If you haven’t done so already, hard boil the eggs by placing them in a small pot of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove them from heat. Cover and let stand for 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Once cool, peel and slice into quarters.

• Preheat grill to 400ºF (204ºC) and get out a grill pan for the fish and a basket for the potatoes.

• Rub salmon with salmon rub (or salt + pepper) and place in grill pan, skin side down. Grill until done in the middle, 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness. Set aside to cool.

• Toss the mini potatoes with the avocado oil to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Spread across the grill basket and grill until fork-tender, about 20 minutes.

• While the potatoes are grilling, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil until just tender (3-5 minutes), then drain and transfer the beans to a bowl of cold water and ice to cool (the ice will help them stay green). Once cooled, drain and pat dry.

• To make the dressing, combine the red wine vinegar, shallots, olive oil, honey, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, adding more honey, if desired.

• To serve, divide the lettuce, roasted potatoes, quartered eggs, green beans, cherry tomatoes, olives and optional basil leaves between plates. Top with salmon and drizzle with a tablespoon or two of dressing. Enjoy!

Notes: www.ingoodcleantaste.com

• Do Ahead: The eggs, green beans, salmon and potatoes can all be cooked in advance and assembled when ready. The dressing will keep well in the fridge for a week or two.

• Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

• Salmon Rub: I like the “rub with love” seasoning that can be purchased in some stores and at Amazon.com. OR you could make your own, combining 3 TB coconut sugar, 1 TB ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper in a bowl, stirring well to mix.

Claudine François is a Board-Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, helping driven women revive all-day energy, vibrance, clarity and boost metabolism so they can get their Mojo back and take on the world.