Hypno Journal

On 10/2/11, I delivered a 90-minute presentation at Imagery International’s annual conference. My topic was Using Guided Imagery To Overcome Creative Blocks. In it, I mapped eight stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey onto the creative process. To illustrate the eight stages, I shared a tale from The Odyssey, I discussed how each stage relates to the creative process, and for each stage I shared questions for reflection, and explained one or two imagery techniques that I find helpful. I will post notes from my presentation in parts here. Click here for the series of entries.

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Working with an image that reflects the stage of the Hero’s Journey that most speaks to you

This activity requires a large selection of images. You can pull images from magazines, or use a deck of cards that includes a variety of images, e.g., a Soul Card deck, a tarot deck, or an oracle deck.

Consider a creative project in which you are currently engaged. Choose an image that symbolically reflects which stage of the Hero’s Journey most speaks to where you are in your creative process.

After you have selected your image, respond by freewriting. You might consider the following prompts:

• Describe the image.

• What detail stands out when you first look at the image?

• What is the first word or phrase that comes to mind when you first look at the image?

• What is the core feeling you get from the image?

• This image reflects the ______________________________ stage of the Hero’s Journey because….

• This image is encouraging me to think about….

• This image is reminding me that….

• This image expresses my fear or hope that….

• If this image could speak to me, it would say….

• Does this image suggest a helpful action step?

• Write a line of poetry, between 9 and 13 syllables long, that comes from your exploration of this image. (Adapted from Terry Gilmaster Ebinger’s dream work exercise.)

On the grounds at Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont, CA

On 10/2/11, I delivered a 90-minute presentation at Imagery International’s annual conference. My topic was Using Guided Imagery To Overcome Creative Blocks. In it, I mapped eight stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey onto the creative process. To illustrate the eight stages, I shared a tale from The Odyssey, I discussed how each stage relates to the creative process, and for each stage I shared questions for reflection, and explained one or two imagery techniques that I find helpful. I will post notes from my presentation in parts here. Click here for the series of entries.

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Return and the Freedom To Live—Odysseus’ Story

It is the Phaeacian people who finally give Odysseus safe passage to Ithaca after he has lost his crew and everything he earned along the way. Together, he and his son slaughter Penelope’s suitors, and Odysseus reclaims his throne. We’re told he will live to a ripe old age and die happy.

For the artist, the Return and Freedom To Live means enjoying the gifts, integrating wisdom from the journey, freedom to embark again

When we complete a creative project, it’s natural to want to celebrate. Knowing that we will go on another creative journey, it’s worth also spending time reflecting. Here are some questions that can help you reflect on your journey.

Return and Freedom To Live: For Reflection:

• What have you learned about yourself throughout this adventure?
• Who have you become? Who did you have to be to successfully complete this journey?
• What advice do you have for your future self who might struggle with a new project?

Return and Freedom To Live—Imagery Techniques:

• Imagine meeting with your future self who will create again. Pass on to him or her the wisdom, strength, and confidence you have gained from this adventure.

• Imagine expressing gratitude to your subconscious/inner creative spirit for helping you see your project through. This can be in the form of a conversation, a ritual, or celebration. Start second sessions with this.

So these are the stages of the Hero’s Journey as they apply to the creative process. It’s important to note may not happen in this order, but you will no doubt recognize them when they appear in your creative life.

We are all heroes!

Click here for Part 10—Exercise for exploring where you are in the stages of the Hero’s Journey

Additional Resources for Overcoming Creative Blocks & Cultivating Creativity

Audio:

The Creative Fire: Myths and Stories on the Cycles of Creativity by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. “This spoken-word masterpiece guides you through the dark labyrinths of the psyche in search of la chispa—the ember that is the elemental source of all creative work. Dr. Estés teaches about the hidden aspects of creativity, including the negative complexes that prey upon creative energy. The Creative Fire includes many special insights for people who create for a living: artists, writers, teachers, and others who must depend on their creative instincts every day.”

Julia Cameron: On the Creative Life. This is a free podcast interview offered by Sounds True. Julia Cameron is the author of the classic book, The Artist’s Way (listed below).

Books:

The Psychology of Creative Writing, edited by Scott Barry Kaufman and James C. Kaufman. See Ch. 14: “Writer’s Block and Blocked Writers: Using Natural Imagery to Enhance Creativity,” by Jerome L. Singer and Michael V. Barrios

 The Creativity Book: A Year’s Worth of Inspiration and Guidance by Eric Maisel, Ph.D.

Affirmations for Artists by Eric Maisel

The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor by Gail McMeekin, L.I.C.S.W.

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron

Internet:

Creativity Portal: Explore and Express Your Creativity. This site includes articles on creativity, artist interviews, project ideas, and writing prompts.

 Creativity for Life. Article categories include personal creativity, workplace creativity, and a creativity toolbox.

Renown creativity coach, Eric Maisel. Maisel’s site lists his many books for artists, writers, and creative people. It also includes links to his keynote addresses, lectures, and podcast, The Joy of Living Creatively: Tapping Your Innovation and Imagination.

Marble sarcophagus lid with reclining couple, Roman, Severan period, ca. A.D. 220 Metropolitan Museum, NYC "While the man's head is carefully portrayed, his wife's head has been left unfinished, suggesting that he predeceased her, and no one added her portrait after she died.”

On 10/2/11, I delivered a 90-minute presentation at Imagery International’s annual conference. My topic was Using Guided Imagery To Overcome Creative Blocks. In it, I mapped eight stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey onto the creative process. To illustrate the eight stages, I shared a tale from The Odyssey, I discussed how each stage relates to the creative process, and for each stage I shared questions for reflection, and explained one or two imagery techniques that I find helpful. I will post notes from my presentation in parts here. Click here for the series of entries.

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Refusal of the Return—Odysseus’ Story

Fairly early in his adventures, while lost at sea, Odysseus and his crew end up as guests of the wind god, Aiolos. As they are getting ready to leave his island, Aiolos bestows a great gift to Odysseus. He bottles all the winds in a sack except the west wind designed to carry them home. Odysseus stays awake for nine straight days, working the sail himself. When they finally see Ithaca on the horizon, he falls into a deep slumber. His men, not knowing what’s in the sack, assume it’s a great treasure and that Odysseus is planning to horde it for himself. They untie the sack, and all the winds escape, creating great storm, which blow them off course.

For the artist, the Refusal of the Return means the refusal to complete a project, or the refusal to get a completed project into the world

Mortality can be a great motivator for seeing a project through. I was deeply moved when I saw the unfinished sarcophagus lid at the Metropolitan Museum of art in NYC. (See photo above.) The caption below the sarcophagus reads, “While the man’s head is carefully portrayed, his wife’s head has been left unfinished, suggesting that he predeceased her, and no one added her portrait after she died.” That image comes to mind when realize that I’ve been neglecting an important creative project.

Here are some questions for you when you experience the refusal of the return, or that resistance to complete a project or get it out into the world.

Refusal of the Return—For Reflection:

• What fears do you have about successfully completing this project?
• How will your life be different when you complete this project?
• How will this success force you to grow?
• How might others react to the successful completion of this project?
• What fears do you have about failing? What would the consequences be?
• How might this project lead to a more successful next project?

Refusal of the Return—Imagery Techniques:

• Imagine a conversation with your 95-year old self who gave up on his or her creative purpose, or a significant creative project.
• Imagine a conversation with your 95-year old self who fulfilled his or her creative purpose, or a significant creative project.

Click here for Part 9—Return and Freedom to Live

The Refusal of the Call: Soul Collage card by Susan Gold

On 10/2/11, I delivered a 90-minute presentation at Imagery International’s annual conference. My topic was Using Guided Imagery To Overcome Creative Blocks. In it, I mapped eight stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey onto the creative process. To illustrate the eight stages, I shared a tale from The Odyssey, I discussed how each stage relates to the creative process, and for each stage I shared questions for reflection, and explained one or two imagery techniques that I find helpful. I will post notes from my presentation in parts here. Click here for the series of entries.

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Refusal of the Call—Odysseus’ Story

At first Odysseus refuses the call to adventure. The last thing he wants to do is leave his family and kingdom to go to war. With our modern sensibilities, we might support his decision. For two communities to spill blood over a woman who runs off with another man seems senseless. But keep in mind that if Odysseus hadn’t answered the call to adventure, we wouldn’t be talking about him 2700 years later. He would have missed the opportunity to star in one of the greatest works of literature of Western civilization.

Odysseus comes up with a plan to get out of his commitment. He feigns insanity so the Greeks will think he’s unfit for battle. His behavior seems suspicious, and as he sows a field, they put his baby in the path of the plow’s blade to see what he will do. Of course he stops in his track, verifying his sanity, and off to war he must go. As we know, the adventure pans out. He earns fame and glory over the course of the ten-year war. The additional ten years he spends trying to find his way back home extends his heroic feat off the battlefield.

For the artist, the Refusal of the Call means the resistance to create.

The resistance to create might come out of a sense of fear, or inadequacy, or the desire to stay in the comfort zone. An artist might come up with excuses in order to avoid starting a creative project—everything else seems more pressing than creative work.

Here are questions that you might consider when you find yourself Refusing the Call, or resisting creative impulses.

Refusal of the Call—For Reflection:

• How does it feel to be creative?
• What are the consequences of ignoring a creative impulse?
• Make a list of creative projects you have completed. How did you work through resistance you may have encountered at the beginning?

Are you allowing  too many demands to leave too little time for your creative project?

If you tend to impulsively say yes to obligations and take on more than you can handle, this simple exercise is for you. It comes from the book Co-Active Coaching by Laura Whitworth, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, and Phillip Sandahl.

Before agreeing to take on extra responsibility, or tie up precious free time on your calendar, consider what you might be missing.

If I say yes to ____, I’m saying no to my creative project.

If I say no to _____, I’m saying yes to my creative project.

Refusal of the Call – Imagery Techniques:

• Imagine a creative spark or idea as a stone. What kind of stone is it? What color is it? How big is it? How heavy is it? Imagine standing in front of a lake with a fathomless bottom. What emotion comes up as you imagine throwing the stone in the water?

• Revivify successes from different areas of your life—academic, career, athletic, etc. Anchor the positive feelings associated with each success into a simple gesture such as a fist or an OK sign. Imagine the strengths from these successes fueling a creative success.  (Adapted from the “Power Points for Success” technique by Roy Hunter in his book, The Art of Hypnotherapy: Mastering Client-Centered Techniques.)

Click here for Part 4—Supernatural Aid: Support and Guidance 

The Call to Adventure: Soul Collage card by Susan Gold

On 10/2/11, I delivered a 90-minute presentation at Imagery International’s annual conference. My topic was Using Guided Imagery To Overcome Creative Blocks. In it, I mapped eight stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey onto the creative process. To illustrate the eight stages, I shared a tale from The Odyssey, I discussed how each stage relates to the creative process, and for each stage I shared questions for reflection, and explained a couple guided imagery techniques that I find helpful.  Click here for the series of entries that make up the presentation.

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The Call to Adventure—Odysseus’ Story

In his youth, Odysseus is a suitor to Helen of Troy—the most beautiful woman in the world. Helen’s father is in a bind, afraid that his daughter’s flock of suitors will riot if he picks one to be her husband. In an attempt to gain favor with Helen’s father, Odysseus gets all the men to agree that they will show life-long support of Helen’s husband, no matter who is chosen.

So much for siding with Dad. Menelaus is the lucky winner, and Odysseus moves on with his life. He doesn’t do too badly. He marries Helen’s cousin Penelope, who may not be the most beautiful woman in the world, but she does have wit and cleverness to match his own. He becomes king of Ithaca, and he and Penelope have a baby son, Telemachus. Life is good….that is, until his Greek neighbors show up with news that Menelaus needs them to make good on their promise. Helen has been taken by the Trojan, Paris. And so the first stage: The Call to Adventure.

For the artist, the Call to Adventure is experienced as a creative impulse—the desire to create, an idea, a spark

When artists are ready to receive the Call to Adventure, their eyes, and ears—all of their senses are open. They become curious and observant and see potential material in the smallest of daily experiences. This is a particular kind of mindfulness that often only comes when we feel a healthy sense of balance in our lives. A self-care practice is crucial to being receptive to creative impulse.

Creative play is also important. This means making time to be creative without being attached to the outcome, and perhaps, now and then, exploring a different medium than we are used to. There are many sites and books that offer writing prompts.  Soul Collage, is an easy, and meaningful way for non-visual artists to play with imagery, and filmmaker, Miranda July, and artist Harrell Fleetch offer terrific creative exercises on their website Learning to Love You More and in their book of the same title. See Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg’s 10/7/11 article in The Atlantic: “Creativity Is Hustle: Make Something Every Day.” In it, she interviews animator Mike Winkelman about his practice of completing an art project a day.

I highly recommend carrying a small notebook to capture creative sparks as they come. I keep one in my purse. It’s messy and  includes grocery lists, to do lists, and phone messages in addition to dream fragments, interesting dialogue I hear, character sketches, etc. Including mundane material in my notebook makes it less intimidating for me to explore creative ideas.

The Call to Adventure – For Reflection:

• How does creative inspiration typically come to you?
• How do you invite creative impulses?
• In what ways do you, or might you, engage in creative play?

The Call to Adventure – Imagery Techniques:

• See my Hypnosis for Writers workshop series for ideas.

• Imagine a blank piece of paper, a canvas, or screen. Invite a flow of images or words to emerge that might spark a new creative project. Don’t resist or force what comes. Remain receptive and curious. Music can be helpful for evoking images.

Click here for Part 3—The Refusal of the Call