7 Reasons to Be Creatively Consistent
Two years ago today I published my first “Conscious Writing for Creative Living” blog.
Now, with over 100 posts written and in recognition of a notable milestone reached, I’m inspired to share another aspect of what I’ve learnt along the way – the value of consistency.
Showing up regularly has taught me a great deal about myself, the authenticity of my voice and the impact of my message as I’ve engaged with readers both on and off the blog.
Stretch, Challenge and Reward
Writing weekly blogs has certainly stretched and challenged me at every level.
Ultimately, however, it is deeply rewarding as a way of following through on my core purpose to write, live and lead as consciously, creatively and authentically as I can; and to guide others to be and do the same.
Consistency is one of the defining factors between failure and success – however you define what those terms mean for you.
So here are 7 reasons that I hope will inspire you to be creatively consistent in order to experience the cumulative rewards yourself.
Consistency…
- Is essential for completing any substantial project like writing a book, creating a course, running a retreat, developing a coaching programme or building a business.*
- Trains your unconscious mind to support your conscious intention to show up regularly to take the actions you need to take and enjoy the rhythm of doing so.*
- Opens the way for you to access deeper insights and ideas, especially when combined with a conscious approach that includes aligning body, mind and soul.*
- Means you make a decision once about something you’re prepared to commit to instead of wasting energy repeatedly wondering if you’ll show up today – or not as the case may be!*
- Teaches you about your craft through direct, personal experience in a way that you’ll never be able to learn from just thinking, reading or studying.*
- Establishes a welcome sense of certainty and leads to developing trust and credibility which lie at the heart of strong relationships with others.*
- Facilitates the process for you to be and do what you’re here to be and do which enables you to realize your full potential both personally and professionally.
Adopting a conscious approach to creative consistency eventually leads to mastery. As Tony Robbins once said, “It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, it’s what we do consistently.”
What are your thoughts and feelings about consistency? Please share your comments below. Thank you!
Julia – Thanks for this. Such an important topic, and one that I think is often neglected – at big cost. For me, at least, it’s relatively easy to get inspired and dream big thoughts. And even to follow through on them… for a while. But consistently, over time, even when the doubts invade, even when it’s not convenient, even when other intruders come along … that’s the challenge. So when I sense myself wandering off the path, I’ll turn back to your 7 reasons. Any one of them should be enough, but all 7, well, that’s a wow. Thank you, as always, for your kind and wise support. Peter
Hi Peter, thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience on this topic. You’re so right that the challenge is about continuing to show up “even when…”
I’m delighted to know that these 7 reasons will support you when you feel that you’re straying from the path. I may just re-read them myself from time to time! Thanks, as always, for your comment. Julia
Julia… I struggle with this idea of consistency – not in theory (it’s clearly the only way) but in practice. Two years ago exactly I committed to writing a book. I made time and in that time I have written 100,000 words. The only way I could write those words was through immersion. Literally stopping the day-to-day client work and focusing entirely on writing. I find I am an immersive person. I need to get deep into something for the work to flow. That includes client work. When I’m working on a project I am 100% committed to my facilitation and I design work from within that commitment. So I find it impossible to divide my days into ‘a bit of writing’, ‘a bit of process design’ and so on. I find it hard to divide my attention, my soul really. I don’t want to live a divided life. Of course that plays havoc with my writing and the whole idea of consistency, which is clearly what is needed. It is now three months since I last wrote and now I have to find a way back in. I wonder if you or your readers might respond to this dilemma? Are there strategies you use that might help people like me?
Hi Paula, I understand your impulse towards immersion as I have that same tendency myself, especially on substantial projects like writing a book. However, I just wonder if it might have slipped out of balance for you?
From what you’ve written, and the underlying energy behind the words, I sense that you have a strong resistance towards what you see as “dividing” your days, your attention and your soul as a negative approach that implies the separation of “either / or”.
Yet, what if you were to find a way to re-frame the story you’re telling yourself about immersion and division, and discover the wholeness of “both / and”?
What if you were able to make a conscious choice to manage your focus from within the sense of wholeness you feel from immersion and select a “both / and” approach? One option would be to immerse yourself for the whole morning in creative work (like writing or designing, visioning and strategy work) and then follow through on everyday tasks like emails and admin in the afternoons (this is a version of what I do)?
Another possibility would be to immerse yourself in writing for a whole day once or twice a week and also immerse yourself in client or designing work for a whole day once or twice a week… This would mean you’d be able to manage more than one priority at a time yet still feel that sense of immersion. How do those possibilities feel for you? Julia
PS If you need some indivudal guidance and support with this, drop me a line to Julia@JuliaMcCutchen.com
Love this, really connect with having consistency as the basis of my creative pursuits. It has been missing for the most part. Recently have been setting monthly sketching challenges and these been immensely helpful in developing a consistency muscle;) Then today this blog and it seems that a new way of approaching creative projects is birthing!!!! Thank you:)
Hi Carol, it’s great to hear that you connect with having consistency as a basis of your creative pursuits; it really does make a difference when it comes to creative productivity and completion as opposed to simply having creative ideas and not following through.
Setting yourself monthly challenges is a good idea and I love what you describe as developing your consistency muscle! It’s very much like that; the more consistent you are, the easier it is to be consistent with the next project, and the next. Enjoy birthing your new way of approaching your creative projects! Julia 🙂
Julia, you have again offered some pearls of wisdom. No doubt there was pain and disappointment needed to reach this degree of clarity.
I am in the process of grieving the passing of my dad. At the deepest levels, I wish he had passed along such nuggets of truth. I would have helped me navigate my choices, commitments, and habits.
He died at 94 and I am 65. So that was decades that I could have used these few yet useful words.
I have copied and pasted this into an online mind map that I visit when making long-term plans and reviewing my strategies.
The topic of this blog post reminds me of a simple phrase that helped me during a season of the dark night of the soul. I was in a toxic co-dependent relationship. I began to attend Al-Anon. My mind and emotions were a swirling mess. But what I hung on to was the phrase — little by little one day at a time. That perspective kept me coming back. It gradually led me to leave the crazy relationship. It began me on my long and fruitful 12 step journey into other 2 step programs.
The bottom line was to be consistent in working my program and not bailing out due to impatience.
Thank you your comment John; I’m glad to hear that this post has been helpful for you. Being consistent and not bailing out due to impatience sounds like a robust strategy to me – for writing and for living!
I fully agree wit you Julia. One fun aproach might be to start writing ones book and once it’s “born” and taking shape, to publish it one chapter a week inviting your friends and relations to read it and give you their opinions. This induces consistancy if nothing else, and the opinions are often very gratifying and helpful!
Hi Shirley, thanks for your comment and your idea would certainly encourage you to be consistent with your writing so from that perspective it’s great. However, I’d just like to sound a note of caution about inviting the opinions of family and friends.
Undoubtedly they’ll have the best of intentions and hopefully encourage you with your writing. Yet they may all have different views, none of which will be professional or objective as they all know you, and you may end up feeling confused! So I recommend you reflect further and then follow your intuition regarding what feels right for you. I hope that helps and thanks again for sharing your thoughts on this topic. Julia