How do we find our way through the creative wilderness when we get stuck, experience blocks, lose our inspiration, or feel we are on the verge of giving up? This can be one of the most challenging aspects of the creative process. The good news: it turns out this is a very normal and natural part of the journey, one that can actually lead to deeper inspiration and engagement with our work. Join us this February to learn how to navigate your way through creative despair to realize your creative visions.

Through a spontaneous activation of unconscious contents, new interests and tendencies appear which have hitherto received no attention... During the incubation period of such a change we often observe a loss of conscious energy, seen most clearly before the onset of certain psychoses and in the empty stillness which precedes creative work (Jung, 1954/1985, p.180).

Jung, C. G. (1954/1985). The practice of psychotherapy. Vol. 16, Bollingen Series XX. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.

Creativity is an alchemical process in that we will be challenged, disoriented, and transformed. It begins with the “call to adventure,” as Joseph Campbell terms the start of the hero’s journey; it’s what powers our creative impulses. Psychologist Linda Schierse Leonard explores this call to adventure in her book The Call to Create. Often when receiving the call, it’s tempting to resist it, which is also a natural part of the process. As we embark, we encounter many challenges as well as helpers and guides to assist us. Then inevitably, at some point we also reach the abyss, the proverbial dark night of the soul, in which we question everything, seeing no way forward. Paradoxically, this stage often marks the gateway to transformation, or the creative breakthrough, allowing us to bring our work into the world (Rothouse & Gullick, 2021, p. 73).

Rothouse, M. & Gullick, C. (2021). Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities. Sacramento, CA: Mandorla Books.