Article by: Heather Walton & Philip Garcia
VQS Advice Blog | _{^{Cover Image by h heyerlein}}

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Creativity is your best asset.
But how do you keep the right mindset to stay focused in a world full of noise?

• Table of Contents
  1. How Curious Are You?
• 2. How to Bring Focus to Your Journey
• 3. How to Stay Creative & Empowered
• 4. Learn How to Beat the Resistance
• 5. How to Re-channel Your Fears

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As music creators, we are always trying to harness the natural “flow” state. And we all have creative blocks that can creep in. With self-awareness and the right mindset, you can bring all your creative ideas into the world with confidence.

1. How Curious Are You?

We are all born with curiosity.

We love to learn and create. Everyday we ask ourselves hundreds of curious questions that no one hears. This internal Q&A affects our mindset and the people we interact with.

Here’s 3 traits of curious people that can propel your creativity:

• Embrace the real life moments. Multitasking is good however, when you allow your heart and mind to focus on a single activity, that’s where focus and flow can be most achievable.
• Practice accepting the gift of the present experience. This will allow the pain to transform into purpose. 
• Read books, listen to podcasts and surround yourself with like-minded, creative friends.
• Become a better listener and tune in to others’ insights. Let the world teach you.
• Get out of your comfort zone. Diversify your life and experience as many new things as you can. The world may surprise you.

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2. How to Bring Focus to Your Journey

Study suggests when we focus on developing our strengths, we grow faster than trying to improve our weaknesses.

What are your real strengths?

• ♥️ An outside perspective can be valuable in identifying our strengths. Our close friends often have a solid window into our personalities. Ask a trusted friend and you’re bound to get an honest answer!

What’s your purpose?

• ♥️ Which projects make you lose track of time because you are in the zone? Ask yourself which projects seem to give you zest, or the contrary, drain your energy. Self-awareness is key.

What value are you providing to the world?

• ♥️ Donate your time to help out at a soup kitchen. Are you a natural teacher? Teach swimming lessons to kids. Continuously find ways to spend more time on your strengths!

By helping others, we can strengthen our gifts and continue to spread happiness and positivity.

3. How to Stay Creative & Empowered

It is our duty to be as creative and productive as we can be.

Wait! Turn my phone off? Are you crazy? If you can learn to turn off your device, you’re on your way to improving self discipline.

But how do we trick the inner voice that craves instant gratification?

• Free write for 15 mins straight. When you are feeling stuck, get out a notebook or open a word doc. Write whatever is on your mind without judgment. This will align your heart and mind to cultivate real flow.
• 1-minute breathing exercise. Deep inhale through your nose and fill your lungs with air. Hold 5 seconds. Exhale slowly with an “sssss” sound. Do this 3x in a row.  I do this exercise with my voice students. Deep breathing reduces anxiety quickly, helps to stay centered in the moment, and removes mental blocks.
• Change your scenery. Take a break and go for a walk. Nature is tuned perfectly to bring a sense of calm to our bodies and minds. It can inspire you to reach new levels of artistry as it is healing and speaks to the soul in a powerful way. 

4. Learn How to Beat the Resistance

Cultivating discipline.

Resistance in creativity is a concept created by American novelist Steven  Pressfield (The War of Art) that illustrates the universal force that acts against human creativity.

One step past resistance is where the magic begins.

How can you get there and stay ahead?

• ✔️ Eliminate your distractions! You know what these are better than anyone.
• ✔️ Prepare the ideal space to create in. A peaceful and inspiring atmosphere. Clean out that junk drawer, untangle cords and declutter. Respect your project and the project will love you for it!
• ✔️ Break up your goals into small disciplines.

The Secret to getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your complex and overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first  one.” –Mark Twain 

5. How to Re-channel Your Fears

Learning to embrace reality.

• When was the last time you wrote down a list of your fears? It’s time to pinpoint what causes you distress. Determine if the source is something you can control. If it is, then take the actions necessary to remove this anxiety. If it’s out of your control…  then do your best and be brave!
• Stop the excuses. Excuses make us comfortable and safe. Commit and follow through your plan.
• Be fully present. Start living instead of worrying. When we are living in fear, we are often also living in the past or the future.

Summary:

• 1. How Curious Are You?
• 2. How to Bring Focus to Your Journey
• 3. How to Stay Creative & Empowered
• 4. Learn How to Beat the Resistance
• 5. How to Re-channel Your Fears

Congrats on making it this far! Now is the time to get out there and fearlessly create. What steps will you take towards leveling up your mindset to create? We’d love to hear from you.

Article by: Heather Walton & Philip Garcia
VQS Advice Blog | Mindset Tools for Inluencers