Creating With Intention - How Clear Intentions Help You Be More Creative

When you create, what's the intention behind it? DoIntentions can sometimes be very specific.
you know how much of a difference creating withFor example "I want to write 3 chapters of my novel
intention can make to your creative life and creativewithin the next month."
projects?Others are more of a "directional intention" than an
When you have clear intentions, you're able to focus"destination intention".
more clearly and move more easily towards them.For example in my acting class, my intention was to
Your internal forces seem to unite in a commonbecome more confident and expressive in using my
direction and with a common purpose and you movevoice.
forward more swiftly and smoothly.There was not necessarily a definitive point or state
Something I learned when attending acting classesI was expecting to reach, but having that intention
was to act in the class with intention. The tutorsomewhere in my mind allowed me to constantly be
asked: "Why do you come to this acting class?aware of this in the course of the classes and make
What's your intention, what do you hope to getthe exercises more relevant and useful to me.
from it?".What in your creative life do you have clear
He explained that when his students had this intentionintentions for?
in the back of their minds, they get more from theWhat do you have a strong picture of in your head,
class, because they pick out the parts that serveabout how you'd things to be?
their intention best. They make the most of theWhat other things in your creative life are you
exercises that are relevant and move on from thoseunclear about? Areas where you have no clear
that don't.intentions and maybe you feel you're simply drifting
When you're clear about your intentions, you alsorather than working steadily towards a goal or in a
become more attuned to the opportunities that ariseparticular direction?
for you.What differences do you notice between the areas
You know which will take you in the direction youwhere you have a strong intention and those you
want to go. If you know that you're workingdon't?
towards specific aims - even though the art you'reWhat steps can you take today to become more
creating may still be diverse and spontaneous - youclear in your intentions in all areas of your creative
become more open to the pathways that will leadlife? Pick one to start with, then build from there.
you where you want to go.