Vinay,

Yes, this is common! When we embark on a creative project, after we “find our groove” the energy pours out of us. After we look back at what we’ve done, we say “that is an awesome job I did” and step out of the groove.

What I see is a shame-humility-pride paradigm that exists in our crown chakra. When we create something, there is a focus that we step into that is the creativity of the universe expressing itself through us. Said differently, in those moments, we surrender the sense of self to the creation and focus most of our attention on the project. The sense of “me” slides away, and it becomes the universe manifesting art with our body.

When we step out of the groove, we look back with a sense of self revitalized. If we judge the art as good, we say “look what I did, I am awesome to create such art” and pride invigorates the sense of self. If we judge the art as bad, we say “look at what I did, I am unable to create good art” and shame invigorates the sense of self. Either way, the groove is interrupted as the self looms in our mind.

The center path is humility, which keeps the crown open. Before, during and after the creation, we accept that we are not really the creator of the art. Someone made the pencils, the paper. We had teachers, parents, who had teacher and parents. We are simply the cresting of a wave of countless pieces that are coming together in the moment to create the art. It is not about “us”, we’re just the bodies that are standing on the shoulders of giants. We do our best to honor their efforts with our own efforts, and let it rest at that. The art we create is beautiful, and we are blessed to have such shoulders to be standing on. When we look at the art, we can decide if it feels like it honors the efforts of our bodies and those of our teachers, or if it does not. Then we can either improve it or move on to the next creation. Its not about us.

This prevents the energy of the divine from getting “pushed out” of the crown by our sense of self. If the mind is stubborn in letting go of the pride/shame, we can meditate on the insight and look deeply into how “making our art about us” is a zero sum game. Habitual pride creates habitual shame, and vice versa.

With warmth,
Matt