Interview with Diana Rowan

Diana Rowan is the author of The Bright Way. She is a professional harpist, and has performed on six continents. She founded the Bright Way Guild to be able to teach in the digital environment, and she offers students around the world access to her system through an ongoing membership program, several dynamic Facebook communities, and videos. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

What is the “Bright Way System” and why did you create it?

The Bright Way System is a five-step path to reclaiming your creativity and following through with it in everyday life. I developed BWS over decades of struggling with performance anxiety and finally learning how to feel confident and consistently motivated. I believe performance anxiety is an intense version of creative based anxieties. And I’d say that most people have at least some anxiety about their creativity. While it’s very normal to feel that way, I don’t think it’s a given and just has to stay that way. I’ve taught music for almost three decades and developed BWS in tandem with my students’ and my own creative journeys. Over time, I came to realize that the epic journey to confident, inspired creativity really boils down to just five steps. Being creative can sound like a very lofty or longterm project reserved for the few, but I believe

everyone is creative. This is why there can be a universal path to reclaiming creativity; it’s natural to be creative, it’s our birthright. And further, anyone can regain their creativity at any time, any place.them feel like they aren’t alone and empower them to take control of their lives.

Why is being creative such an important part of life?

When I see people being creative, I see them light up. I see them energized from the inside-out. I see their confidence in themselves return, their kindness increase, their joy spread outward so that others become inspired in turn. Creativity restores you to your true self, and I believe your true, eternal self is always a positive energy. You can be creative - which I define as being actively engaged in whatever you’re doing – at any moment, no matter your circumstances. Being creative reignites your true power and brings

genuine fulfillment that lasts. Being creative gives you back your freedom because you make choices based on what you love and stand for from the inside-out, not what’s externally imposed on you. All these reasons and more are why I know being creative is such an important part of life for each one of us.

How is creativity an antidote to this kind of stress?

Since creativity is about genuine, direct engagement with what you do, vast sources of energy open when you’re creative. You reconnect to what you’re doing on so many more levels, and the flow of energy between yourself and everything around you gains momentum.

Creativity brings you back in touch with what you really care about in life, again what you love and what you stand for. If you approach your work with this perspective of actually being able to make a difference and find meaning in what you do, more motivation and less burnout will follow. And for creativity outside the workplace, it refuels you with joy and resilience, which are antidotes to burnout. As you gain confidence through your creativity, you might also find yourself contributing more value at work, leading to greater recognition and less burnout. And with your increased creative confidence, if you find your work is absolutely not in alignment with your purpose, you’ll be in a stronger position to move on to another position that fulfills you more in the long run. What inspired you to write this book?

It was a magical circumstance – one of the dear members of my Bright Way program, Claudia Boutote, asked me if I might be interested in writing a book about my creative methods. It felt both natural and like lightning striking! I stayed inspired during the entire writing process, as there’s nothing more thrilling to me than to see people regain their creativity. I kept that in mind every day, so the inspiration kept flowing. Plus I was using the very system I was writing about.

How can our readers connect with you?

You can find me on Instargram: @dianarowan or on my website: www.dianarowan.com.