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Creative Metamorphosis

by Mario A. Campanaro

Creative Metamorphosis

by Mario A. Campanaro

It is said that doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity. When we truly take a moment to contemplate the depths of this, we see it is absolutely true. Who wants to live the same experience over and over?

Staying in a rigid, familiar structure without the desire to expand and grow creates utter stagnation. It deprives us of the gifts of creativity and evolution that our artistic life has in store for us.

As actors…

As artists…

As co-creators…

As human beings…

It is in our very genetic makeup to crave creative growth and expansion—and to contribute all we can to the world through our chosen medium in order to continue that expansion process for the greater good.

However, when something new challenges our established belief systems and daily routines—whether it be a text, an action, a point of view, or a character dynamic—judgment and defense mechanisms often kick in. Fear and resistance seize us, causing us to cling to the familiar, convincing us that some imaginary safety net is keeping us protected from the discomfort of the unknown.

But that is false.

It is actually our attachment to the familiar that leads to our creative demise. It deprives us of the growth that can only occur through embracing the newness life has to offer. As actors, we must be open to change. We must be willing to break the structure of familiarity in order to experience a higher level of creative and human understanding.

However, growth and expansion cannot happen without a willingness to sit with the discomfort that often accompanies change. Whether we are aware of it or not—whether we like it or not—there is no escaping this truth. By the very laws of nature, each and every moment requires a physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and sometimes even spiritual shift within us.

As we consciously begin to accept this, we can activate it in our daily lives—and, therefore, in our work. Along the way, we will likely encounter many twists and turns that challenge our personal and creative belief systems, gradually adjusting them toward a higher consciousness.

We must trust the process, trusting that everything has been set in place for our instrument—our mind, heart, and soul—to discover and experience the greatest possible creative and human evolution contracted for this journey.

As we go deeper into dismantling the quicksand of stagnation, it can feel overwhelming. We begin to shift from a familiar, civilian, everyday essence to one of artistic awareness and open consciousness. This is the beginning of change in and of itself. This is the process of creative healing and metamorphosis.

And this process may not always feel ‘positive.’ It may require the unraveling of deeply rooted structures—set ways of being, social, political, and cultural norms, internal monologues, repetitive thoughts, filtered points of view, distorted perceptions, and accumulated emotional or traumatic energies. As these energies release from our body and life, there may be an unpleasant cleanse mirroring the cause of our stagnation.

We must not be surprised if there are moments when we feel ‘locked’ in our head, ‘paralyzed’ in our body, or overwhelmed by unpredictable emotional, physical, energetic, or spiritual sensations. Often, this is the ego trying desperately to avoid change and cling to its ‘safe identity’ while a recalibration is underway.

Be that as it may—trust the light within the process. Do not resist it.

The only thing holding us back from the gifts of the unknown is our fear of the unknown. Resistance is fear’s energetic way of keeping the mind brainwashed (pun intended). And we have come too far—as artists and as humans—to remain at the mercy of it.

When we consciously dissolve this fear and its resistance, and take refuge within ourselves, the blocks that once imprisoned us begin to fall away. It is then that we experience the very change we seek.

And we grow…

And we expand…

And we create…

And we share…

What awaits us is not only personal and creative freedom, but also a delicious sense of peace and well-being that can be experienced in everyday life—as we continue to grow, expand, create, and share.