There is a question that keeps haunting me. Maybe haunting is the wrong word. It feels more like flirting.

The question is this:

What if 2023 was the last year of life?

I’m grateful for the reminder of how precious and uncertain life on Earth can be. So this question doesn’t feel mean or malicious in any way. In fact, this question feels friendly, and to be honest I enjoy every time it crosses my mind.

Knowing that there is a last breath out there looking for each of us helps me focus my energy and attention.

I get to ask myself, if this was my last year on Earth…

• How would I spend it?

• What would I want to leave behind?

• Who would I spend my last few months/days with?

• What will I let go of?

• What will I be remembered for?

My suggestion is if there is something you really want to do, make 2023 the year you actually do it. Because there are no guarantees there will be a 2024.

Big love,

D

PS: I know my mom reads these so, mama, I am fine. I promise. Actually I feel better than I have in years.

1. Go for a walk. There is something about fresh air and forward momentum that sparks creative thinking.

2. Lay on the floor, fully sprawled out. This can ground frantic energy fast and also slows down an overactive mind. It also feels great.

3. Take a shower. There is something creatively activating about doing physical tasks that require very little thinking. A lot of people get their best ideas in the shower.

4. Have a great orgasm. Okay, so this might not always be simple, but if you can find a way to make it work, it’s known to help. There’s a lot of literature and many ancient beliefs that connect sexuality and creativity. Do a quick google search on “Tantra and creativity” and you might learn something new.

5. Burn some sage or palo santo. Indigenous people have been burning sacred plants such as sage and palo santo for centuries. This is often a spiritual practice for Indigenous people and is used to cleanse unwanted energies in order to make space for new beginnings. I use this practice daily to clear my space and my mind. I also use it when I feel creatively stuck. One note: if you purchase sage or palo santo, do your best to ensure it is being sourced ethically and in a manner that respects the Indigenous people whose culture it originates from.

6. Find yourself a crystal or a gem. If you know me, you know I always have gems on me and around my house. Each gem is different. I particularly like rose quartz, labradorite and clear quartz for creativity.

Let me know which of these practices work for you, or if you have other tips that I should add to this list…

7. clean
8. journal
9. dance
10. music

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Human by: Lilian Motta
Photo by: Darius Bashar

“I may not become a better writer or ever publish a book, but that’s not the point of expression and creation. Writing, for me, is simply a pathway to unexplored worlds. Where ideas, stories, and philosophies get constructed and deconstructed. Where my identity fragments and I get to practice leadership.

I don't know any part of the natural world that thrives in isolation, so I commit myself to growing in public, even though it’s often uncomfortable.

I believe all artists and creators do this because when we transmute our fears into expression, we get to mend the seams of our disconnection, build bridges, and most importantly, learn from one another.”

- Negin Sairafi 

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The above is a powerful excerpt from Negin’s newsletter.

Negin is truly a multi-disciplinary artist. She’s a photographer, director, dancer, writer, podcaster, experience designer, meditation facilitator and occasionally a wonderful muse for my photography.

If you are moved by art, human expression and deep and honest conversations then I highly recommend following her and subscribing to her newsletter and podcast.

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For me there is no better feeling than creating.

It feels like I am dancing with God.

It feels like riding my bike on the first day of summer, when I was 10 years old.

It feels like everything is possible. 

I’m really lucky to be able to create so many different things in my life, but sometimes it feels like my connection to my heart and my art is a million miles away.

I use to get really frustrated and down on myself when I ran into a creative block. Sometimes I would also get scared that maybe I had reached my limit for creativity in this lifetime.

In this video I share 5 TIPS I personally use when I’m in a creative rut and am feeling creatively blocked. 

Hope you enjoy the video and feel free to share a few of your own tips for dealing with creative blocks in the comments below or you can DM me too.

Love,

D

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PS: If you like this video and would like to see more like it or want to show some love, subscribe to this YouTube channel. I will be sharing all sorts of FREE videos like this that will help you continue up-leveling your skills as a Creator. ⁣⁣ ⁣

PPS: Come meditate with me!!! FREE weekly group meditations → https://www.artistmorning.com

Our most important task as creative beings is to make space, so that God can flow energy through us. 

If you want to create more, you will need to let go of anything that is needlessly filling you up. Otherwise, there will be no room for greatness to flow through you. 

Letting go can feel overwhelming. It requires radical self-awareness and honesty, both of which will leave you stripped naked and exposed. 

Sure, naked can be terrifying, but it can also be one of the most liberating human experiences - if you let it.

See the full photography collection for the above photo here. 

“If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.”

— Ken Robinson