“If you want to find the secrets of the universe,

think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

NIKOLA TESLA

Even though I believe joy is the ultimate positive energy with which to power and guide your creative process (and life), it’s not the only one that can accelerate and uplevel your success and experience.

There are a number of other positive powers that I’ve learned also play a beneficial role in finding and living Your Creative Dharma.

(Conversely, there are a number of negative powers that have the opposite effect, but since we know all too well that focused attention leads to more of the same, we won’t be exploring those here. I find that increasing positive aspects naturally reduces or eliminates the negative factors, and is a much more effective, sustainable and enjoyable strategy than fighting what we don’t want.)

EVERYTHING IS ENERGY

Scientists tell us that everything is energy.

Everything – everything in the known universe – has an energetic frequency.

This week we’re exploring the idea that these frequencies can influence our creative work, our happiness and our success.

We’re embracing the idea that the quality of our energy plays an important part in our quest to craft Your Creative Dharma.

In other words, frequency matters.

And so it follows that anything that affects our energy, eg food, sleep, people, places, media, influences, culture etc…, these can all impact the nature of our creative output.

They can even influence whether or not we create at all.

There is a direct connection between what we think, what we feel and what we do.

Experts debate over which one is the most powerful or which leads to the other.

But all we need to bear in mind is that what we feel can powerfully influence our mindset and our actions – two of the strongest determinants of our lives.

Last week we focused on cultivating the mindset that will support Your Creative Dharma.

This week’s focus is to explore, increase and harness the feelings that will help us in this work.

I call this High Frequency Living – when we do all we can to cultivate our best energies, our most powerful positive emotions and the feelings that will support and empower us.

As we’ve learned, these energies can play a part in both the end result and its success.

So the more we can align with the positive influences, the easier life, work and success becomes.

These frequencies are the building blocks of Your Creative Dharma.

THE VISION & THE MAP

The following collection is entitled Frequency Matters because all of these aspects affect or indicate your energetic frequency – the vibe, mindset, mood or emotional state that you are bringing to your work at any given moment.

Some are more powerful than others.

Some are easier to employ than others.

All increase in accessibility and impact with practice and use.

And once again, in the paradoxical way that seems to be a theme of cocreation – High Frequency living is both the vision and the map.

For all of the following aspects, the desired result is the route to getting there.

So, when we know how we want to feel, and how to cultivate those feelings – all we need to do is acquire the habit of doing precisely that.

Like any new habit, it may take time, patience and perseverance to make these qualities your second nature.

But all of these positive ‘ways to be’ respond to attention, intention and a faith in the process.

So today’s work is simple to review the following key ingredients for living and working in Your Creative Dharma, and then be open to allowing, intending and creating more of them in your creative life and beyond.

“Our energy attracts its likeness.”

GABRIELLE BERNSTEIN

EXPECT THE BEST

Positive expectation is a powerful mental force.

In the new and blossoming field of Positive Psychology, scientists are proving that there are real and measurable benefits to attitudes of optimism, hope and expecting positive outcomes.

These mindsets are available to us all – they simply require an intention to cultivate them, along with patience, perseverance and practice.

Infusing your creative work and life with positive expectations can undoubtedly uplift the quality of your experience.

And with some experimentation and our favourite question – What’s working for me? – you can discover precisely how this approach can influence and benefits your results.

Adopt the habit of noticing how things turn out when you expect them to go well. 

It’s a fun game to play! 

And when you begin to see The Glimmers of evidence that prove this theory, you can expect to enjoy all of the lovely ripple effects that come with it. 

• • • 

EXPECT SURPRISES

Have you ever been surprised?! 

Given the complexity of our world and the mysteries of the human experience, there is so much scope for wonderful things to be occurring outside of our field of awareness. 

And rather wonderfully, it seems the more we are open to these, the more they appear. 

Can you imagine the power of holding a belief such as; I expect and receive delightful surprises every day!? 

Opening up to this awareness – that we don’t always know what’s going on in the bigger picture, or what’s in store for us – can help us keep our minds open to unexpected ideas and solutions ‘out-of-the-blue’. 

Living and working in this spirit of openness and cocreation with the rest of the world can lead to a happier experience, an increasing trust in life’s supportive nature and a new receptivity to surprises, coincidences and everyday miracles. 

• • • 

FLOW

The flow state is well known in creatives circles – that magical experience of being so focused and ‘in the zone’ that we lose track of time.

In The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra refers to this as being in ‘timeless awareness’.

And according to the father of this concept, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, it can have many beneficial side-effects for our health and happiness.

(I highly recommend his book Flow.)

And even though being in creative flow can be a joy – it’s not always quite the same energetic frequency as joy.

Not all flow work feels deliriously happy!

We can be in flow in the midst of a challenging creative project that is testing us on many levels or demanding intense concentration and focus.

But I believe this flow state is still a valid and valuable frequency from which to create, and to live – not only for its in-the-moment benefits, but for the effect it has on our results.

To discover for yourself how the flow state works for you, think back to the last time you experienced this…

What did you create?

How did the work go?

What was the outcome of your creativity?

Do you find that the work you do from this powerful state is of a different calibre or quality to work that’s forced or a struggle?

In Your Creative Dharma, we are committed to the vision that there is a sweet-spot of creativity for each of us – where we are creating the work we are here to create.

It’s a vision of joy and flow, but also of excellence, quality and a uniqueness that is purely ours alone.

The more we find and live and work in our flow state, our dharma zone, the more we will align with our Creative Dharma sweet-spot.

• • • 

GRATITUDE

Gratitude is the ultimate affirmation.

A thank you is an affirmation: you are acknowledging that you have received.

One of the laws of mind is that it loves to give us more of what we believe we already have.

So, appreciating anything is one way to invite more of it into our lives.

However, as gratitude has become popular in recent years for its miracle-magnet effects, it has become something of a touchy subject.

For some, it has become a chore or even an unreachable goal.

As the owner of a number of abandoned Gratitude Journals, I can relate to this – even though Gratitude ranks very highly on my own What’s Working For Me list!

And so over the years, I’ve devised ways to incorporate gratitude into my life without it becoming a chore.

Because I’ve learned that the real power comes not from listing things we should appreciate – but from spontaneous gratitude.

Cultivating a life and creative practice that has you bursting with appreciation is both a route to Your Creative Dharma and one of the wonderful benefits of living it.

Spontaneous gratitude also is a powerful driver in joyful service.

When we are feeling truly blessed and grateful, we are more like the best version of our selves.

We are naturally generous, devoted, loving, keen to give and serve and contribute.

Being grateful inspires the actions that give our lives meaning and joy – not driven by duty or obligation, but by inspiration and delight.

No ‘shoulds’ in sight.

So, in our vision of Your Creative Dharma, and our work towards it, I highly recommend seeking ways to (joyfully) integrate this habit of thankfulness.

And if you find the idea of a Gratitude Journal less than delightful, I’ve written a blog post with a couple of suggested practices.

“A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.”

MODERN PROVERB

• • • 

COURAGE

Sometimes the most powerful creative action is to just keep going, or to take a step forward despite fears and doubts.

Henri Matisse famously claimed that ‘Creativity takes courage’ and anybody called to the creative life will be familiar with that notion. 

But what is encouraging, and useful if you have visions of a stellar creative career, is that courage can be cultivated.

We can build our courage, with practice.

And when we develop a ‘courage habit’, we will not only expand our skillset and creative output – there will be positive ripple effects for our self-image and self-esteem.

We will begin to view ourselves as brave, courageous souls who can do difficult things, who can face challenges bravely.

This energy of confidence will influence our work.

And I believe that when we tap into our inner stores of power and resourcefulness, we also access reservoirs of connection and support from life’s forces.

So, in our quest to cocreate with life to craft Your Creative Dharma, can you experiment with your Inner Braveheart and workout your courage muscles?

And in the interests of success and sustainability, I recommend beginning with baby steps and simple nudges in the direction of brave new actions.

Remember, there is no deadline for Your Creative Dharma.

And cultivating a foundation of courage and confidence is worth a little time and ongoing attention.

(If you’d like to read more on my ode to the gentle art of keeping going, I wrote a blog post about creative resilience here.)

“Do the thing

and you shall have the power.”

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

• • •