In the last post, you were in the "creation" phase. Creation is always happening, but it can get blocked, so we did a lot of exercises to make a safe container for the creative part of you to unfold. As you move into the next phase, keep taking time to be intentionally and spontaneously in creation–free of criticism.
And now, very gently and clearly, we're going to begin the process of editing. Many people consider editing to be the most important part of art because this is where we begin to turn toward the idea of our work being received. Many people consider art incomplete until it is in fact received–that seeing, hearing, or experiencing the work is its last phase of creation, "closing the loop." I agree with this, but I also feel that for some art works, the maker can also be the best audience. If we don't please ourselves in our art, we're not doing anyone else any favors!
So here's an exercise to transition yourself temporarily from creator to editor, feeler to thinker:
Get three actual hats. Really do this… Maybe your "creator" hat is big and silly, your "appreciator" hat is beautiful and flowery, and your "editor" hat is like a newspaper editor's?
Have your "creator" hat on while you're brainstorming, writing, drawing, singing… After your allotted creating time, take off your creator hat, and put on your "appreciator" hat. As the appreciator, you will talk to the creator for a few minutes and let her (or him) know how thankful you are to her for being so open and uncensored. Tell her how it felt (fun? silly? exhilarating?) to be with her, and how happy you are that she has come to play with you. Tell her that the next step you are going to take is to gather, organize, and edit what she has delivered so you can deliver this gift to the world! Ask her if she has any requests of how you shape the material. Ask if she will stay as an observer of the process to help keep the integrity of the work. When you are done, take your appreciator hat off and put on your editor hat.
If your creator lives mostly in your second chakra (the pelvis), your appreciator lives mostly in your heart chakra. Your editor lives in your throat and "third eye" chakras. Sitting with your back straight so all of your chakras are aligned, begin to look at your work with a warm, clear head. Look at it as if it's not in fact your work at all, but the work of your best friend. Begin to sort, clarify, and solidify what's there, seeing the best in it, and looking for places to chip away the extraneous pieces. Do more cutting than adding. Finish off your session with a quick flip of the appreciator hat and remind yourself how much great work you've just done and what your purpose in doing this is!
"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful
servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has
forgotten the gift."
-Albert Einstein