In The Artist’s Way Julia Cameron asks the question: What is the one thing that will help an artist the most? Having an abundance of free time? Money? Childcare? No! She states that the single most influential thing that will help an artist be more productive is having a “believing mirror”. In short having someone that will listen to your ideas and dreams and say: That is fantastic! You can do it! Simply having someone who believes in you and is ready to cheer you on is the one most valuable thing to nurture creativity.
As I reflect back on my own creative history the two periods where I wrote the most poetry and was the most creatively productive in general were times when I had two excellent creative mirrors: my two wonderful friends Kate and Beth. Kate and Beth were always eager to read anything I wrote. They cheered me on and celebrated if I wrote something really good. And best of all they were happy to listen to me read anything; it didn’t have to be perfect or finished. They were always there encouraging me to write more, improve, grow. They were open and available, always supporting me and my creative work. I trusted them. I knew they were honest, had good taste and most of all they had my best interest in mind; this all made their opinions were very meaningful to me. Thank you Kate and Beth, I miss you!
I love this concept of a “believing mirror”. It describes what I am doing now perfectly. I am a doula; I offer women emotional, informational and practical support during childbirth. Pregnancy and birth are extremely creative times in a woman’s life. She is creating a new life, a unique human being, inside her body and birthing this new life into the world. She needs someone who believes in her. Who is there just to say: Wow you are amazing! You can do this. You are doing it! You are incredible. Someone who understands the birth process and can recognize her great accomplishment. These small acts of encouragement give the birthing woman power to overcome her doubts and the doubts of those around her. They help her overcome the obstacles inherent in the birth process and the extra obstacles developed by our minds and our advanced technological society. These words of inspiration speak directly to her highest self enabling her to act from this place and use her own creative power to the fullest.
Anna Graybill 