Someone once told me that creativity isn't linear. As creatives, our countless ideas can bounce from here to there, sprouting every which way like spring tulips dancing with the sunlight. It can be the most treasured gift and also unknowingly a hindrance. Have you ever struggled with having too many ideas and inspiration? Sometimes I fling open my notebook and let the ideas flow, unfiltered with no care if they feel coherent or grammatically correct. Penning and voicing your ideas can feel very cathartic, like a release, and with one big breath, you can sit back and reflect. As passionate creatives, our unhindered and unabashed love for beauty, aesthetics, and storytelling is our superpower. A gift to be treasured and regularly nurtured and cared for. Like creativity, I've always firmly believed that imagination is too. Having a vivid, almost child-like imagination goes hand in hand with our creative powers. The ability to dream big and think, "what if I did…or what if this happened….How wonderful would it be if….and let our imagination dare to take us there. Aren’t those lovely thoughts to think? Expressing our imagination daily expands and nurtures our creativity, however small or extraordinary the thoughts are. And like a muscle, it expands if cultivated and exercised daily. One simple exercise that I try to make a daily practice as an entrepreneur is to ask myself this question, "What would it feel like if…." fill in the blank of a grand dream or beautiful vision and sit with it and indulge in that thought for a minute. "What if I or…." is another one. Free from restraints and limitations, we can dare to imagine to our hearts and souls' content. It's incredibly energizing and reaffirms who we are, what we desire, and what fuels our souls. That very answer can reawaken our creative heart and mind…
Every creative goes through a dry spell. It's just part of the process, the ebb and flow of being a creative and sensitive soul. Producing and creating content can be quite draining, especially with the seemingly insatiable appetite of social media. I often fall prey to this, ultimately feeling depleted and frustrated. When I'm lost for ideas for a brand shoot or nothing is really speaking to me, rather than being frustrated with myself, I accept that my creative well needs some tending to and refilling, so to speak. I like to think that "creativity" is like a well, which we draw upon as needed. Sometimes the well is overflowing, sometimes just a few drops. And when we draw up the bucket as hard as we try to pull it up, it's bone dry. Have you ever felt that way before? It can be incredibly frustrating and self-defeating. So rather than continuing to trudge on, hoping and wishing that you will have some fresh new ideas, it's that point when it's best to step back and say, "Ok, I need a minute to reset, and I'll come back to it." When I reach that point, I look towards things and activities that bring me joy, inspire, and get me dreaming again. Some of these may have nothing to do with my work whatsoever! I've previously written about how running has helped my creation and self-discipline. If you've reached the bottom of creative well, lean in and return to things and activities you enjoy most. Here are just a few activities and things that may get your creative water flowing again:
Your favorite books
Favorite cookbooks
Interior design and garden books
Perusing a local bookstore
Old magazines
Physical activity such as a walk alone or with a friend
Sitting outside in nature
Taking yourself out for coffee or tea
Journaling
Discovering new music
Tidy up around your workspace
Tuning into new creative/art/entrepreneurial-focused podcasts
Watching your favorite films or new ones
Spending the day in an art museum
Visiting an art gallery
Have you tried these before when you feel uninspired, or your work feels a little lackluster? I find that spending just a few hours immensely helps chip away at any creative blocks. Sometimes when buried in my old favorite books, it leaves me jumping out of my seat, anxious to get started with a fresh perspective and new ideas. Although there is a slight disclaimer to all of these! Try your best not to think about your project or consciously search for inspiration. It should just feel natural and unforced. I think you know the feeling…
Despite creativity being a gift, it's natural to feel different rhythms and flows from time to time. Stepping away when we feel "creatively jaded" is ok, and we can give ourselves some grace. Knowing that a walk in nature or picking up a book that feels like an old friend on the shelf can provide us with reassurance and the means to fill up our creative well. Wishing you all the joy along the way!
