How to Ignite Your Life + Art – Nicholas Wilton – Ep 73

The approach we take to art-making is what makes our art possible. How you walk into your studio makes a real difference in the results you get. Today, we are going to look at this process through the lens of our energy. Your energy is your lifeforce. Noticing when it rises and falls can help you set a direction for your art practice and ignite your creative fire. Join me as we dive into three steps that I believe will help you harness that energy, move the needle on your art-making, and help you achieve the results you’re looking for.

Listen if you are interested in…

• Why art-making is all about energy [2:48]
• Identifying limiting beliefs and embracing the beginner’s mindset [6:55]
• The power of community and finding the feeling you want in your art [19:03]
• Moving the needle for your art-making [29:45]

Limitations are liars

The first step to optimizing your energy is identifying negativity and what is holding you back. One of the biggest roadblocks to growth in your art practice is often limiting beliefs. These are all the untrue things we believe about ourselves that tell us we can’t. That we’re not good enough, so why even try? A limiting belief I hear frequently is that people are too old to learn something new. What they’re really saying is they are too old to be a beginner again and risk humiliation. My question is this: What’s wrong with being a beginner? Why do we have to do everything so perfectly? The journey is far more gratifying when you figure it out as you go. It’s not worth missing finding out what YOUR art is because you’re not good at it when you start.  

Friends in creative places

The next step to optimizing your energy is deciding how you want to feel in your art practice so that you can replace those negative limiting beliefs. What is the feeling that you love to feel? When did you feel most connected to yourself? When we look back at our art and remember work that we love, there will be an energy connected to that. A feeling that we want to pursue. If you don’t have that, community can be a great source of self-discovery. Some of the times I have felt most connected to myself is when I am seen by others. We can’t totally know ourselves by ourselves. We need others to feel connected to ourselves. Just like marathon volunteers supporting runners, artists need fellow artists cheering them on and encouraging them to become exactly who they are supposed to be.  

Follow the fire

A key piece to optimizing your energy is awareness. If you’re not paying attention to what resonates with you and adjusting accordingly, you can get lost on the creative journey. We have to treat heightened energy levels as a North Star. The clues we need to find our way are embedded in the experiences of our past and who we are now. It could be anything from building a house to decorating a birthday cake. No matter what it is, use a journal to keep track of these things so you can follow the fire and heighten your sensitivity to what lights you up inside. In other words, chase the things that matter most to you and watch the energy and momentum of your practice increase exponentially. When you feel more energized, your work gets easier, faster, and better. Listen to this episode for more on igniting your life and art!

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