Hi Reader,
I'm sure you've noticed. It's like......extremely crazy outside.
What a time to be alive. To watch livestream footage of a government truly give no f**ks about its people - or rather only certain people - while all the isms and archys rear every demonic head imaginable.
But we are here. We're seeing things for what they are. We're figuring out our role in the revolution. We're sorting out how we can best show up ourselves and for our communities.
And we are still actively seeking out hope, connection and care.
It's not easy. It's not clear. But....we're doing what we can, with what we've got, where we are.
I would be remiss to dive into creativity talk without first acknowledging the reality of what's happening around us.
Because here's the thing - the world is chaotic - it always will be, and in moments like these, creativity.....amongst so many other critical things (mutual aid, personal healing, relational repair, conflict skills) becomes even more essential.
Not creativity for the sake of consumption or profit, but creativity that actually makes a difference.
Creativity that helps us fill our own cups and remember joy is still available to us.
Creativity that offers new ways of thinking and being in relationship with each other.
Creativity that actually launches you into that new ________ (dream, collaboration, business, job).
I went live on Instagram last week to talk about creative blocks and I kept thinking about all of you who've shared with me about sitting down to write that blog post, or picking up that paintbrush / pen / paper, or getting ready to hit "publish" on something meaningful - only to suddenly find yourself reorganizing your entire desk drawer.
Or discovering seventeen urgent emails that absolutely must be answered right now.
Or realizing you're too tired, don't have enough time, need more resources before you can possibly move forward.
Or that it's more important to tend to that family member that's having the 11th emotional meltdown today.
And the reality is that these things might actually be true. So many of us are genuinely short on time or energy and are already at capacity. Many things can be true at once (nuance, always).
But what I've learned through eight years of working with highly creative, high achieving, deeply aware people is this: your nervous system might not actually feel safe to be creative right now.
What Your Body Knows That Your Mind Doesn't
Your mind might be saying "I want to create! I want to put this out into the world!"
But your nervous system? Your nervous system remembers.
It remembers that time in childhood when your creativity was dismissed as frivolous.
It remembers being told to focus on something "more productive."
It remembers the sting of criticism, the weight of judgment, the feeling of being too much or not enough when you dared to express yourself authentically or share your creative idea.
Your nervous system isn't trying to sabotage you. It's trying to protect you.
It's raising the alarm because it knows from past experience that being creative, being visible, being vulnerable enough to share your inner world... sometimes that didn't feel safe.
The Creative Block That Isn't Actually About Creativity
So when you sit down to write and suddenly feel blocked, when you approach your easel and feel overwhelmed, when you open your laptop to share your voice or write that proposal and find yourself scrolling instead - there's nothing wrong with you.
Your nervous system is doing exactly what it's designed to do: keep you safe.
The exhaustion you feel? That's the energy it takes to constantly negotiate between your desire to create and your system's need for protection.
The procrastination? That's your nervous system saying "wait, let me just check seventeen more things before we do this vulnerable thing."
The overwhelm? That's what happens when part of you is trying to move forward while another part is pulling the emergency brake.
And here's what I find so beautiful about this understanding... it means we can stop trying to push through and start working with your nervous system instead.
Working With Your System, Not Against It
This is where EFT tapping becomes such a gift.
Instead of forcing yourself to "just do it anyway," tapping helps us acknowledge what your nervous system is trying to tell you, honor the protection it's offering, and gently help it understand that it's safe to create now.
When we tap on "Even though it doesn't feel safe to be creative right now, I deeply and completely accept myself," we're not bypassing the fear.
We're creating space for both the desire to create AND the need for safety.
We're telling our nervous system: "I hear you. I see you. *And* we're going to move forward together."
What This Looks Like in Practice
I led a tapping sequence during the live (you can watch just the tapping section here) where we worked specifically with the feeling of being blocked around a creative project.
What I love about tapping is that it doesn't require you to "think positive" or push through anything. It simply helps your nervous system down-regulate enough to access the creative flow that's already there.
Because here's what I know to be true: you are creative. Period.
The creativity isn't blocked - the access to it is temporarily protected.
And when your nervous system feels safe enough to let down its guard, when it trusts that being creative now is different from the times before... that's when the magic happens.
That's when you sit down to write and the words flow. When you pick up the paintbrush and lose track of time. When you hit "publish" and feel proud instead of terrified.
A Gentle Invitation
If you're reading this and recognizing yourself in these words, I want you to know: Nothing is wrong with you. You don't lack motivation. Your creativity isn't frivolous.
Your nervous system wants to keep you safe. I get that.
But what if the safest thing you could do right now is honor the creativity that's been waiting so patiently inside you?
What if creating is actually how you contribute not only to your own joy, healing and actually finishing what you started but also to the healing our world so desperately needs?
I'm currently offering Procrastination to Creation Sessions for anyone wanting support moving through what's blocking them from starting or finishing that creative idea / project / hobby / endeavor.
If this resonates and you'd like to explore working together, reply to this email with "CREATIVITY" and I'll send you details.
Till next time, holding space for both your need for safety and your desire to create... 🎨
Bianca
p.s - If working 1:1 with me is not where you're at right now, The Everyday Artist Community is a lower commitment weekly space where you can show up with a current creative endeavor or hobby you're starting / continuing / finishing and get both real time nervous system regulation breakthroughs with EFT Tapping and creative breakthroughs through dedicated creative time with community