ARTIST LETTER NO. 27

The Pattern Underneath

On overworking, ease, and the habits we carry

Hi there,

I'm deep in the process now.

The solo for November 1st is taking its shape.
I'm spending lots of hours in the studio.
Most days, I'm uncovering, synthesizing and working through what emerges.
There are challenges, breakthroughs, uncertainties and sometimes, more questions.

Last week I wrote about surrender. This week, something related surfaced…

I noticed my tendency to make things harder than they need to be.

Someone once told me: How you do one thing is how you do everything.

Since hearing that, I've been watching. And what I see is a pattern of overworking. Overcomplicating and expecting struggle.

Because I believe we create our own reality, it's not surprising to me that struggle is often what I find.
And when something is actually easy, it feels like a wonderful surprise.
Because ease is not my expectation.

Somewhere along the way, I came to believe that difficulty is proof of worthiness.
That if I have to overcome something, I've earned it.
That working hard means I'm proving myself.

I'm not saying everything should be effortless. The creative process takes real effort. There is something profound about who I'm becoming through these hours in the studio. It's like climbing a mountain. You can't anticipate what the journey will feel like until you're in it. And you can't know how it will shape you until you reach the top.

But I'm starting to wonder: what if the struggle isn't always required?

What if some of the difficulty is just a habit?

Here's my question for you this week:

Where might a pattern in how you approach one thing actually be how you approach everything?

Whether it's expecting struggle. Anticipating disappointment. Defaulting to confusion.

What would shift if you simply noticed it?

I'd love to hear what comes up.

With love,

Kristen

The Dance Alchemist