Why is listening important in the artful Life?
In episode 54 of Creative Lift: Living the Artful Life: Listen Deeply we’ll explore how the practice of listening deeply can open unexpected doorways in your artful life.
What if, instead of filling our calendars with pre-determined goals, we took time to listen for the possibilities first? Listening opens up an invitation for surprise, and can lead to self-discovery as well as discovery about the world and others. It can be surprising what we learn when we are willing to listen deeply.
In Herself, Madeleine L’Engle writes, “I think we begin to tune into our creative subconscious by reading, and by reading attentively, by listening to what we read and listening to other people. Very often when talking to other people, we will catch ourselves thinking about what we’re going to say next instead of really listening. It’s something I don’t think any of us is immune from. But then you have to try to shut yourself out and hear what is underneath what the person is saying–which is often far more important than what is actually said. It’s something we practice in our daily living all the time. But I think, perhaps, artists of all disciplines practice it more consciously.”
What might be possible for you if you practiced intentional listening? If that sounds difficult, not to worry! In the episode, I share one practical practice I like to use to support me in deepening my listening. If you try it out, I hope you’ll share your experiences with me on Instagram or you can also reply to me by email. If you aren’t on the email list and you’d like to connect, sign up below.
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