Magic lies in

the Mess:
letting go of
the two P's

contact@shehanaarts.com
 BEFORE WE GET STARTED, A
BIT ABOUT ME AND MY
CREATIVE JOURNEY!
I have been creative for as long as I can remember. I gave it up after school
in order to focus on my studies (because like many of us, that's what I was
told was the right thing to do). After landing my first job in politics I felt that
I was really lacking creativity in my life and so I took the step to explore that
side of myself again. After doing so I found an entirely new and exhilarating
world and it opened up doors and experiences for me that I could have never
imagined.

But after some time I found that making art isn't always rainbows and
unicorns. It can after a point become a struggle, and this is where my
journey to creative healing started. Feelings of imposter syndrome, the
struggle of procrastination and perfectionism, comparison, social anxiety,
judgement and analysis, fear of taking risks and failing, not knowing where
or how to start, trying over and over again to push and force it… these
became all too familiar.

Through these struggles I became passionate about the psychology of

creativity and my relationship to it and I have come to a point in my journey
where I have gained invaluable skills and knowledge so that I am able to shift
my energy and perspective and heal my relationship to my art so that it is
healthier and balanced. All of this helps me to keep the creative wheel
spinning and find fulfilment and joy in this part of my life.

This is something I am ready to share with women who may be struggling

and are now ready to transform their relationship to their creativity. I have
worked with and spoken deeply with many women in the creative field and I
have witnessed the powerful positive impact that creativity can have on a
woman's life and health and so I am making it my soul’s work to help women
like myself find more ease, play and flow in their creative journey.
YOUR GUIDE TO LETTING
GO OF THE TWO P'S:

PROCRASTINATION
&
PERFECTIONISM

As Brene Brown says ‘magic lies in the mess’. For those

of you who go through procrastination I want you to
know it is through the mess that you will find your flow,
inspiration and movement again. This guide will help you
ten folds if you give your art the permission to be
mediocre because it is through the mess that you will
open yourself up to the magic and get the wheel moving
again. Perfectionism and procrastination go hand in
hand, they work intimately to keep you feeling stuck.
Once you learn to let go of your need to create great work
all the time then procrastination will also start losing its
strength in holding you back and that’s exactly what we
want!
 Step 1
Let's get comfortable
This guide is centred around journaling so your environment matters.
Find a comfortable and quiet spot to sit in, light that candle, make yourself
a hot drink and get cosy. You can put pen to paper or do this on your
laptop it doesn’t really matter as long as you can see your thoughts in front
of you. Try stream of consciousness writing, which means you just write
whatever comes to mind; don't censor yourself, don't edit, don't worry if its
not neat. This is about being able to freely express your true thoughts and
feelings.

Step 2
Journal prompts pre-creating:
Give yourself at least 20 minutes to journal on the following questions before
you start creating.

How has focusing only on a perfect outcome sabotaged my creativity in

the past?

Why is enjoying the process and the experience of creating rather than
focusing only on the outcome better for me and my art?

How do I want it to feel whilst creating?

How can I respond to my inner perfectionists expectations, demands and

criticisms with understanding and compassion?

Answering these questions will allow you to identify negative thoughts and
behaviours before you start creating and so will provide an opportunity for
positive self-talk during your creative process. Please remember that
journaling is a key component for the health of your creativity!
 Step 3
GET CREATING!

Allow the mess!

Allow the mediocrity!
Allow your art to be average!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: your art process is going to be slightly

different in that you are going to allow for the mediocrity and you
will be mindful of your thoughts and feelings rather than simply
aiming for that perfect end goal (write this down and put it
somewhere you can see whilst you are creating if you have to!).

You might already have an idea of what you want to create. If not
don’t worry because for this you don't have to have a clear vision in
your head. In fact, it would be better not to create something you
have a clear vision of in order to allow yourself to experiment - be
open, be in flow and be present with your art making. Please
remember, today you are giving your art the permission to be messy.
No matter how crummy you may think it is I strongly advise you to
keep going because that is exactly the point here: to break free from
any expectations you have of yourself and your work!

Whilst you are creating be mindful of what is coming up for you,

this information is important for the next step.
 Step 4
Journal prompts post-creating:
After you have created (you do not have to have your piece finished before you do
this step) please find a comfortable and quiet space so that you can journal on the
following questions:

How did creating feel for me this time?

How was it different compared to when I usually create?

What thoughts and feelings came up for me whilst I was creating?

Did I learn anything new about myself, my work and/or my creative process?

How can I take what I learnt about myself to the next time I will create?

Did I receive any inspiration for future work?

All this information is GOLD because it will allow you to move forward with a new
awareness and a different mindset compared to the one you’ve had before. You can
refer back to your answers the next time you are creating as a reminder. You can
also come back to this exercise whenever you feel like you are in a creative rut!

I would LOVE to hear how this guide has helped you! You

can DM/ tag me on instagram or email me at

contact@shehanaarts.com

... and if you're being called to go deeper with me keep scrolling!

I'm offering a limited number of FREE
30 minute 1:1 Clarity Calls!

If you found this guide helpful and if you're interested in going deeper, I am
opening up a limited number of spots for 1:1 clarity calls with me designed so
that you can find more ease in your creative life. This will be an opportunity
for us to talk about your current struggles and experiences and I'll be sharing
with you my strategies on how you can find yourself and your flow again.

If you would like to take one of the spots please follow the link below so that
you can complete a form. This will help me prepare for our call:

https://forms.gle/WJEopJpt3GA71mgw7

I can't wait to connect with you!

Shehana x