Moonshadow is a newsletter written by Ashley Abubakar—shadow work coach and student of Barry Michels and Kristan Sargeant—and KP Kaszubowski, astrologer, book doula, and parts work coach.
Today’s post includes an excerpt of a mentorship video interview Ashley had with Barry (above^^^). Catch the full video over on Barry Michels’ publication.
Today’s post is written by KP Kaszubowski in reflection on Barry Michels and Ashley Abubakar’s conversation about entering a flow state — while she is designing the curriculum for Creative State: Self-Hypnosis for Creative Projects (beginning in late January).
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turn toward it 🌒 turn toward it 🪶 turn toward it 🕯️
I’ve been thinking about flow lately — not the mythic version where you sit down, black out, and wake up six hours later having produced a masterpiece and a new eye spasm that takes years to lift.
I find that I brace myself before I sit down to create something, when I want to ease into the process…
In the clip above, Barry Michels points to something annoyingly simple: the discomfort you feel before doing the thing is often the doorway you keep trying to walk around.
Which tracks. If creativity were fueled by ease, confidence, and vibes alone, none of us would be stuck. But most of my satisfying creative work didn’t begin in ease — but with the part of me that’s pretty sure this might not work and would like to be on record about that.
participation does
One thing I’ve noticed — in myself and in other creative people — is how hard we try to transcend ourselves before we begin.
We want to leave behind:
the anxious part
the doubtful part
the distracted part
the one whispering, what if this is a waste of space?
But those parts don’t politely exit when you open a notebook. They usually pull up a chair and start talking louder.
What if flow isn’t something you access after those parts shut up — but something that happens when you let them come along?
(You knew this was coming.)
When I think about creativity, I keep coming back to the 3rd house — not the house of genius or legacy or output, but the house of entry.
The 3rd house in astrology governs:
repetition
rhythm
breath
language
daily rituals
the forgettable stuff you do without thinking
Which feels right. Because creativity rarely opens through grand gestures. It opens through small, repeatable motions that tell the nervous system: we’re not in danger.
Light the candle. Spray the transportive perfume. Open the little soft cover notebook. Say one true sentence out loud. Does it feel like a lie?
Not because these things are magic — but because they’re familiar. Familiar. Familiar!
Another thing Barry names — and something Ashley Abubakar works with beautifully — is how often we confuse resistance with failure.
The hesitation.
The pre-emptive tightening.
The sense that something might go wrong.
That’s usually the shadow saying, hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.
Not to sabotage you! Just to be acknowledged. Bare minimum. Little scraps of attention are a good enough start.
When I stop trying to fix that moment — when I let it be part of the process instead of a problem to solve — something usually shifts. (I dono, still working it out, to be honest.)
And movement, I’ve learned, is often all flow actually needs.
I’ve been thinking of creativity less as something I do and more as a state I enter.
Things that help me get quiet enough to notice what’s already here:
working with scent (yes, I’ve written an unhinged amount about this)
letting my body settle before demanding output
trance-y states where nothing is “supposed” to happen
small rituals that don’t require a result
This is part of what we explore in Creative State — but honestly, it’s also just how I’m trying to live right now. Slower. More relational. Less obsessed with force.
Shoot me a message if you’re curious about joining Creative State: Self-Hypnosis for Creative Projects. We made this for you :) and for ourselves.
Here’s the only question I keep coming back to:
What part of me has already shown up?
Not: How do I get past this?
Not: How do I fix this?
Just: Who’s here?
That’s usually enough to begin.
honor the process ✂️ honor the process 🍿 honor the process 🧱
Want to go deeper? Head over to www.joinmoonshadow.com
Credits: Jenna Knapp’s designs and illustrations <3
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