Into the Woods: 5 Tips for Clarity in Your Creative Path

Autumn…makes a double demand. It asks that we prepare for the future—that we be wise in the ways of garnering and keeping. But it also asks that we learn to let go—to acknowledge the beauty of sparseness. ~Bonaro W. Overstreet

It is deep autumn here in the Northeast. Most of the trees, except the oaks, have lost their leaves. Suddenly, the woods or forest that seemed deeply mysterious and impenetrable is now revealed.

In the summer, in its cloak of green leaves and vestments of undergrowth, the forest convinces us that wolf, bear and cougar hide waiting. Stepping within means risking getting lost and never finding one’s way out again.

But in the autumn, one can see the bones of the forest, the jut of rock, and the doorways to previously hidden dens.

Our creative work often feels like stepping into the summer forest…rich with potential and possibility, scary with the unseen. And in the midst of all that opulent creativity of blooming ideas and tantalizing possibilities, we can wander for days without achieving anything, unable to see where we are headed.

But the stripped down quality of our creative autumn forest brings new vistas and perspectives. How do we arrive at that bare bones clarity for our creative direction?

1. Let go. Just as the trees release the leaves, you have to let go of ideas and projects that have passed their time, that no longer have the vitality they once had and only create clutter in your mind and in your creative space. Acknowledge the passage of time, the change in goals and priorities. Let go of what is old and dusty.
2. Stop moving. If you do too much moving around, like those lost in the woods, you’ll merely keep traveling in circles. Instead, stop and survey your surroundings. Did you pass that project already and decided it wasn’t what you really wanted? Why are you back at it again? Mark where you’ve already been, through the use of a journal or detailed calendar, or even lists so that you don’t find yourself walking in circles and returning to reconsider projects and directions you’ve already let go of.
3. Know why you are in the woods. What is your intent? Motivational fuel for your creative fires? Sparks of inspiration? Materials to build on that idea? If you don’t know what you want when you step into the woods, then you won’t know when you’ve found it…or will waste time and energy looking for it.
4. Practice patience. Completion is a much-desired goal. So the temptation to hurry through the woods until you’ve hunted down your prey is strong. BUT, just as the hunter will put himself in the path and wait for the game to come to him, wait and listen, for the rustle of a leaf or the song of a bird to signal that your Muse is stalking you.
5. Take a guide. Even in the autumn woods, sometimes you can’t see far enough ahead to choose the path that will take you where you want to go. A guide who has traveled those paths before can get you where you want to go efficiently while at the same time pointing out opportunities and views you may have missed on your own.

Like the seasons of the year, there are seasons to our creative work. For clarity and confidence in your creative direction, embrace the autumn season of your creativity; let go of what no longer serves, stop moving, be clear about your objectives, practice patience, and take a guide.

Oh, and wear a jacket.

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