GAH!!!!!!!!!! I feel this on every level. The ego can make us so dizzy sometimes.
Funny because I am working on a draft that I keep picking up/putting down on repeat. It's on ego and I was inspired to write it after this question from my 11-year-old daughter, "Mom, what's an ego?" Oh, sweet girl, where do I start........
Thank you for reading Allison. I’d love to read your piece in ego if you publish it.
I actually avoided saying ‘ego’ for a long time because it is such a huge concept and I often find it’s used in ways that aren’t appropriate, for example a yoga teacher used to say, while we were in downward dog, ‘don’t move a muscle, that’s just the ego distracting you’, Umm no, it was my body’s intuitive impulse to iron out the tightness with loving awareness.
It’s so nuanced of course; which is so fascinating!
Ah, yes, the ego often tries to ‘assist’ me when I’m engaged in pottery or discussing it. Just yesterday, a friend remarked on some of my mugs, expressing her admiration for them. She then went on to describe, quite in detail, what she’s currently looking for. Some of her preferences aligned with my espresso mugs, others not.
My initial thought (ego) was, “Oh, of course, I could craft that for her.” Fortunately, my next thought was far more grounded: “But I don’t want to create for others; I want to create for myself.” So luckily, I didn't offer her to create some mugs for her but I told her to wait until I had a small collection and she could then see if she would like some of them.
When I resumed pottery, I made a vow to myself: I would only create for my own joy and fulfilment. If others happened to appreciate what I made, that would simply be a wonderful bonus. I try to stick to this vow, but I know that from time to time ego will sneek in and try to play its role.
Sarina - I am inspired and impressed by how much you ask of yourself and of us. The audacity of asking we 21st century creatures to pay attention at this level and exercise some restraint over that perpetual desire to put our stamp on the bottom of anything we can get our hands on! I feel called to the mat on this one, and I knew it was a bulls-eye the moment my inner proprietor started feeling offended. Keep it coming. I need this.
I think it was mostly your pointing to this habit of making meaning out of the creative process that steals focus from the creative act itself in an attempt to shore up the insecurity I have as a creator. Worrying about how things will be received, the subtle ways I want to put my fingerprints all over everything before sharing it. It was especially the story about the making the synchronicity of listening to the podcast and seeing yourself reflected in it and the grandiosity of that kind of perpetual self-seeing in everything.
GAH!!!!!!!!!! I feel this on every level. The ego can make us so dizzy sometimes.
Funny because I am working on a draft that I keep picking up/putting down on repeat. It's on ego and I was inspired to write it after this question from my 11-year-old daughter, "Mom, what's an ego?" Oh, sweet girl, where do I start........
Oh wow what a question! Where to start indeed.
Thank you for reading Allison. I’d love to read your piece in ego if you publish it.
I actually avoided saying ‘ego’ for a long time because it is such a huge concept and I often find it’s used in ways that aren’t appropriate, for example a yoga teacher used to say, while we were in downward dog, ‘don’t move a muscle, that’s just the ego distracting you’, Umm no, it was my body’s intuitive impulse to iron out the tightness with loving awareness.
It’s so nuanced of course; which is so fascinating!
I’ll share when it’s posted! I do want to return to it.
Yeah, I have Sabrina Carpenter to thank for the question posed by my tween. “Heartbreak is one thing, my ego's another…….” 🙄
I know what you mean about the hugeness of the word. I think it’s been casted as a scapegoat for so much/so many.
Oh gosh I look forward to my daughter asking me all of these things inspired by pop culture!
Look forward to reading it when it comes into form 💜
Ah, yes, the ego often tries to ‘assist’ me when I’m engaged in pottery or discussing it. Just yesterday, a friend remarked on some of my mugs, expressing her admiration for them. She then went on to describe, quite in detail, what she’s currently looking for. Some of her preferences aligned with my espresso mugs, others not.
My initial thought (ego) was, “Oh, of course, I could craft that for her.” Fortunately, my next thought was far more grounded: “But I don’t want to create for others; I want to create for myself.” So luckily, I didn't offer her to create some mugs for her but I told her to wait until I had a small collection and she could then see if she would like some of them.
When I resumed pottery, I made a vow to myself: I would only create for my own joy and fulfilment. If others happened to appreciate what I made, that would simply be a wonderful bonus. I try to stick to this vow, but I know that from time to time ego will sneek in and try to play its role.
Assist you! Ha I love this, it’s so simple and so accurate. The ego is like relentless unsolicited advice 😆
Thank you for sharing your experience Rebecca, I’m still so new to clay so you’ve anchored this idea further for me, that I create for me.
I love your sense of boundary with not offering to make something for her that suits her style.
Sarina - I am inspired and impressed by how much you ask of yourself and of us. The audacity of asking we 21st century creatures to pay attention at this level and exercise some restraint over that perpetual desire to put our stamp on the bottom of anything we can get our hands on! I feel called to the mat on this one, and I knew it was a bulls-eye the moment my inner proprietor started feeling offended. Keep it coming. I need this.
Haha I love how you metaphored (verb?!) stamping the bottom of things, I think I’m borrowing that as a ego-checker.
I’m so keen to know which parts I wrote offended that part of you? And how cool to witness this in yourself 👌🏽
I think it was mostly your pointing to this habit of making meaning out of the creative process that steals focus from the creative act itself in an attempt to shore up the insecurity I have as a creator. Worrying about how things will be received, the subtle ways I want to put my fingerprints all over everything before sharing it. It was especially the story about the making the synchronicity of listening to the podcast and seeing yourself reflected in it and the grandiosity of that kind of perpetual self-seeing in everything.
I run a workshop called, Bodylove and last night I had a free workshop where we connected with our hearts. I would have loved you to be a part of it!
(Here is the workshop info in case you are interested in learning more: https://www.coriefeiner.com/bodylove)
Thanks Corie 💜
"The mind can headfuck even the tiniest creative decision, it can convince us why it ‘makes sense’ and send us spinning into story.
The ego has an agenda.
But the body doesn’t lie."
Love this... so true.