WEEK 5 — THE INNER COMPASS: VALUES, TRUTH & CREATIVE DIRECTION

Focus Theme: What guides you from the inside out

This week bridges the foundational month into the deeper heart of the course. Now that you’re grounded in place, routine, and playfulness, we shift toward your inner compass — the truths, values, and personal philosophy that quietly guide your creative life. What drives you into action, into creativity? And if that stumps you, how do we keep moving forward? 

One thing for me is knowing that my own interests are seasonal. Are yours? I tend to write in winter even if I’m living somewhere with sunshine and beaches…that’s not the case this winter though, I’m in New Mexico and it’s below freezing with snow on the ground. Still, I find myself writing most mornings and painting in the evenings. My routines stay with me over time and place and I know, I trust myself to keep being creative on some level, cooking, organising my little home, or more traditionally with words and images. There are so many ways to get there, to find out what works for each of us. 

A fun little quiz for you here. It’ll explain why you do what you do…as a Creative Archetype! https://sarahleamy.com/creative-archetype-quiz/

Inspiration comes from all directions.

Yayoi Kusama (Japan)
“I want to live my life, making art that I will be able to look back on with pride.”

Julia Cameron emphasizes that creativity grows stronger when we honor our inner knowing. I have a few of her books and in the late nineties, the Artist’s Way was a game changer. What with reading and acting on her prompts to write each morning and to take time to explore, my world grew. Think about those who influenced you in the past and even now, do you have people around who inspire you? All the messy parts of your life have worth, will help you be more creative if you don’t judge yourself. That’s part of the challenge I think. Natalie Goldberg teaches that truth-telling (even messy truth) is the writer’s north star. What is your own version of that? Where do you dream of being or exploring if you didn’t hold back? Tara Brach suggests that authenticity is a form of freedom: when we stop performing, we return to ourselves. 

There have been many times that I find myself doing ‘art’ that comes from wanting approval from someone else. I started watercolor paintings this year and was playing around to be honest, watching YouTube videos as we do and following ideas. Then friends and neighbors noticed and began complimenting me and so I kept going, doing the style they liked. It stopped me from experimenting. Now I’m in a different area and that’s freed me up to just paint. I have a direction and sense of play again rather than performing and keeping up to their expectations. My paintings of animals have gone seriously bizarre and vibrant and folk art non-realistic and I LOVE THEM! I’ll keep going and try not to repeat what ‘worked’ but push new techniques and skills within that realm of crazy critters. 

Think about a creative attempt that got attention (positive!) and how that affected your sense of where YOU want to go, your compass so to speak. 

So how do we find our values? Simon Sinek, do you know of him? – He has great ideas and suggestions for how to really find out what matters most to you. And for me, that allowed me to think about those values not just as a career focus but day to day, and as a creative force. My core values are simply Explore, Create, and Share. When I look back on my ever changing life, I see how these three can even define three separate times in my life. In my twenties, I lived all over Europe and then came to the States and carried on exploring into my thirties, from state to state but also creatively. In my forties and fifties, I’ve been more consciously creative, writing and publishing, working with cartoons, photos, all kinds of things. Now as I inch towards my sixties, I see how sharing all these experiences drive me forward. My compass. 

Sinek’s process (Find your Why) has many layers to it but in short, he asks us to look back on our early lives and to now, identify the recurring themes from your stories and the feedback from your friends and family. Think about specific, happy, and pivotal moments such as 

• Earliest happy memories.
• Experiences you loved in school/early life.
• Moments that changed how you see the world.
• Times you helped someone and felt good about it.
• Accomplishments you’re proud of (noting who helped).

Then try this formula: Structure your Why as: “To (Contribution/Action) ______ so that (Impact/Result) ______”. For us, here it might be: “To inspire creativity in the next generation, so that we all can enjoy a more artistic world”. 

This Week’s Writing Prompts:

1. What three values guide your creative decisions?
2. Write about a moment when you said “no” and immediately felt lighter.
3. Finish: “When I create for myself alone, I feel…”
4. What are you hungry to explore, learn, or express right now?
5. Describe a past creative version of yourself — what would you thank them for?

Exploration Habits:

• Movement: A values walk — pick one value and walk with it for 10 minutes, letting ideas rise.
• Energy: Choose foods this week that make you feel clear rather than sluggish.
• Stillness: One question a day repeated silently: “What is true for me right now?”

Creative Wander:
Go somewhere that feels like a crossroads — a bus station, a bookshop, a café, a park bench by a trailhead. Observe transitions. Write about where you’re coming from and where you feel pulled next.

Creative Options:

• A vision collage capturing your creative north star (colors, shapes, words).
• A short freewrite letter to your future self about the direction you want your creativity to take.
• A music or sound playlist that feels like your inner compass — tones, moods, textures.

Closing Reflection 

Albert Wendt (Samoa / New Zealand)
“We create our lives with the stories we tell.”

And if you want to chat with me to brainstorm more in depth with these ideas, reach out, okay? Go to the Creativity Coaching page https://sarahleamy.com/creativity-coaching/ and see how I can help.

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WEEK 6 — COURAGE & CREATIVE EXPANSION

Focus Theme: Stepping into visibility (first to yourself, then the world)

This week is about tender bravery: the small, internal acts of saying yes to yourself, your ideas, and your next creative edge. Not big leaps — gentle stretching. Think Slow and Steady Yoga for those of us who are out of shape but motivated! 

Inspiration for Expansion comes from those who lead the way: 

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee notes that small expansions are more sustainable than huge, abrupt changes; creativity grows with gradual risk-taking. If you don’t know him, he’s a British Doctor turned podcaster and author. He wrote, and is appropriate here I think, “The greatest prison you’ll ever live inside is the one you create in your own mind.” So let’s find out what’s holding us back, acknowledge the challenge and then take the next step. Tara Brach teaches that courage comes from presence — when we stop fighting ourselves, our true voice emerges more naturally.

For me, leaving England as a young twenty-two year old was key to me stepping into that courage. I had to get out of the cultural and familial expectations and roles in order to become a writer, photographer, artist, documenting my experiences. A bit drastic you might say but for me, necessary. What smaller steps can you take? 

Creative ruts are part of the cycle. If you need a companion through the dip, remember, I’m here and offer one to one help.

Prompts:

1. Write about a time when you were braver than you realized.
2. What creative risk (big or tiny) is calling your name right now?
3. Finish the sentence: “If I trusted myself a little more, I would…”
4. Describe the part of you that wants to expand. What does it look like? How does it move?
5. Write to your future self about what you hope courage unlocks.

If you want more prompts, there’s a free download of 31 ideas on my website. Have a look and use the ones that speak to you. 

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Exploration Habits:

• Movement: Choose a “stretch moment” daily — a slightly longer walk, a new path, a small physical challenge that matches the theme of expansion.
• Energy: Try a food you’ve never made or eaten at home — something that brings play and curiosity to nourishment.
• Stillness: Sit for 2 minutes with your hand on your heart and whisper: “I can take small steps.”

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Creative Wander:

Go somewhere that feels slightly outside your comfort zone but still safe — a new café, a gallery, a public garden, a bookstore section you rarely explore. Let yourself be a beginner again. Write about one thing that surprised you.

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Creative Options:

• Create a “Courage Page” in your journal using color, shapes, words, or collage pieces that represent expansion.
• Make a messy, honest sketch of how bravery feels in your body.
• Record a 30-second audio note about what you want to step into — not for sharing, just for clarity.
• Take a photo of something that symbolizes expansion to you — a horizon, a doorway, a shadow, an open field.

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Closing Reflection 

Hayao Miyazaki (Japan)
“Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear.”

Thanks! And keep going, okay? Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. I’d love to hear from you. Cheers!