The Art of Entering and Exiting Freely

One of the core tools I work with as a creative artist is the ability to enter an exit freely. On the surface, it feels like a flow state: open, abundant, and allowing. But it’s one of the most challenging skills to master. As an artist, to reach this state—to effortlessly dive into the depths of intense emotion and exit with equal ease and grace, all at will—requires more than talent. It takes a honed sense of relaxed willpower and the resilience we sometimes call grit.

Imagine it: one minute, you’re fully immersed in anger or rapture, embodying it to the core, and the next, you’re cooing over a kitten or quietly reflecting. The key here? Freedom—the freedom to engage deeply without residue clinging to you as you move from one state of being to another while engaged in your creative endeavors. 

But to do this, to be this, involves tapping into and refining something less glamorous but infinitely valuable: willpower.

Willpower: A Misunderstood Force for the Creative

In recent years, willpower has acquired some baggage—maybe it sounds rigid or too intense. But for creatives and artists, willpower is crucial. This quiet strength/skill allows us to show up again and again for our craft. Grit and willpower are allies; they form the backbone of consistency and growth.

Willpower does not magically appear. It’s built, tested, refined and grown. Like a muscle, you strengthen it by engaging with discomfort, staying in the moment when you’d rather leave. Willpower is a key element when holding onto your creative choices or goals despite every distraction and excuse that tries to pull you away.

So here’s an invitation:

Choose one creative goal—just one—that you want to grow over the next month. It might be a writing project, daily sketches, or a new acting exercise. Whatever it is, hold it as your commitment and recognize that, yes, challenges will arise. You’ll be tempted to quit or skip a day. But it’s in those moments, the moments of doubt, this is where willpower is developed and will become your ally.

Willpower in Practice: The Daily Commitment

Let’s say your commitment is to write every morning from 6 to 7 a.m. for the next 30 days. This requires more than just setting an alarm. It’s about everything else you need to adjust to make this possible. You may start winding down earlier in the evenings. Clear the clutter from your writing space, or say no to late-night plans.

The adjustments you make aren’t glamorous, but they’re essential. They’re the framework that supports your willpower. And these continual choices remind you that every aspect of your daily choices can either support or sabotage your artistic commitment.

Of course, you could choose a different time to write—noon, for example—but there will always be distractions: calls, appointments, errands, and the ever-present email inbox. Whatever time you choose, there will be obstacles. But growth lies in sticking with your choice and overcoming the inevitable discomfort.

Here is the key caveat to all of this for the creative: do it all with a relaxed, open approach. Show up not from a place of should, guilt,  rigidity or clenched fists but from a place of expansiveness and flow. White-knuckling through your art leads to burnout, not brilliance. So aim to build your willpower not as something hard and unyielding but as a dynamic, adaptable strength that supports you and your best work.

Summoning the Grit to Transform

Strengthening this kind of willpower is an act of summoning. It’s not something you can buy, download, or shortcut. It’s earned by showing up, and it opens the door to freedom. Most artists only dream of the freedom to enter any emotional or creative state fully and freely and to exit just as seamlessly.

Whether you’re writing alone in a room or standing before thousands of people, the foundation remains the same: willpower, grit, and an inner calm that allows your artistry to emerge without force. When you nurture these tools, you’ll find that the creative world opens up like an oyster—yours to explore and transform.

Thank you and have a Super Creative Day ~ 

Joshua