A Journey from Self-Conscious to Self-Aware | EP.031

The Creative Present

Welcome to The Creative Present, where we delve into expanding your creative self-expression while getting your projects done.

The creative process is like an endless game full of possibilities, joy, and discovery. It’s not just about understanding ourselves and our projects; it's about understanding the world around us and how we relate to it. My daily practice revolves around finding these moments of awareness in the mundane.

As creatives, our job is to transform what’s unconscious into something that’s fully conscious and then share it through our art. Imagine being under a brilliant blue sky with fluffy white clouds. While many might overlook this beauty, an artist becomes conscious of it, feels its influence, and then channels it into their work. Think of Andy Warhol turning a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup into an icon or Marilyn Monroe amplifying her own iconic status. They saw beauty in the every day and made it extraordinary.

Yet, the journey from being self-conscious to self-aware isn’t always smooth. Many actors and writers struggle with self-consciousness, which can make them feel small or inhibited. It’s a common experience to feel tighter and more constrained when aware of something new. This self-consciousness can be a step toward greater self-awareness, where you can consciously navigate and use your awareness as a tool rather than letting it control you.

To illustrate this, let me share a personal experience. I noticed a pattern during my daily walks: I always stepped up onto the sidewalk with my right foot first. Once I became aware of this, I wanted to change it to my left foot. Conscious effort and practice are required to alter this ingrained habit. Over time, with repeated attempts, I was able to switch my stride seamlessly. This exercise in awareness and adjustment mirrored the process of altering thought patterns.

Just as it took the effort to change my walking stride, altering thoughts, which are more subtle and lack external feedback, requires a similar process. You move from being unconscious of thought to becoming self-conscious and, eventually, self-awareness. This awareness allows you to easily choose and implement new thoughts or behaviors.

Consider children learning to walk. They stumble, fall, and get back up, supported by encouragement rather than harsh judgment. Similarly, we need to give ourselves the space and support to make and integrate changes in our creative and personal lives.

For instance, I also pay attention to how I step out of the shower or rise from the floor during my breathing exercises. By consciously choosing to alter these mundane actions, I expand my range of expression and awareness. This practice helps me in my work as an actor or writer, where embodying different characters or perspectives involves similar conscious choice and integration processes.

In summary, the journey from self-consciousness to self-awareness involves becoming aware of the unconscious, working through initial awkwardness, and eventually integrating new patterns seamlessly into our lives. This process is crucial not only for personal growth but also for creative expression.

Thank you for joining me on this exploration of the creative present. Let's continue to transform the mundane into the extraordinary and embrace the journey from self-conscious to self-aware together.