My own creativity tank has been hitting empty since my Dad had a massive stroke and a few months later he passed on to the afterlife adventure. Creativity is something that makes my life better. It brings joy and meaning into my life. And all of a sudden I found my creativity at an all time low.
Losing myself in creativity has been one of the major ways I cope in difficult circumstances. About 5 years ago when my Mom was having surgery to take out a tumor I woke up at 3 o'clock in the morning and played with a script for a few hours. This creativity play time helped calmed me down and allowed me to finally quiet the scary thoughts in my head and find sleep.
I needed to find a way to reconnect to my creativity and refuel the tank. Today I'll share some of my secret methods with you. Shh.
If you're having difficulty finding energy or enthusiasm move your body - around the block, in the gym, or strolling through nature. Moving your body helps improve your mood. When you exercise you release endorphins that make you feel better.
Have you ever been stuck, unable to move forward with a project? Next time you find yourself blocked take your idea for a walk. If you are a writer, you could even take one of your characters for a walk.
There is something about walking that frees the muse. I have found many solutions for projects I am working on while walking. Walking gives your brain breathing space.
How many times has this happened to you? You're stuck. You continue to sit at your desk, banging your head against the monitor looking for a solution. Nothing comes to you. You give up and walk away from your desk. In my case, that usually means I go get a cup of tea.
While filling up my teacup, the solution comes to me! Yippee! I go back to my desk, full of vigor and continue forward with the project.
Journaling can also help fill your creativity tank. It provides a space to write down your thoughts, to reflect and step back from what is happening to you and perhaps see the larger picture.
When the bumps of life happen, it can be easy to see only the bump and miss the beautiful countryside that is just outside the window. Journaling gives you time to relax and look out the window of your own soul.
Just writing it down can make you feel better. During my Dad's illness and death I did not technically keep a journal. I did however write down what was happening because I thought someday I might write a script about my experiences.
Writing down my thoughts, even in bullet form, gave me distance. It was like I took the demons that tortured my heart and trapped them on paper. And while I could see them and touch them, their power was greatly reduced.
We live in a society that says we need to get everything done yesterday. This creates a huge pressure to do everything quickly and perfectly. When the pressure gets high it is often hard to find the energy to do anything, even getting a cup of coffee feels like climbing Mount Everest.
Taking small steps is the way to make headway. Taking small steps is one of the most powerful, underused tools in life. Every single moment of a huge success, happens because someone took a bunch of very small steps first.
Invoking my Dad's power of attorney required me to manage his life. And there were actions I had to take to get the whole process started. I had a page long list of To Dos.
I couldn't get all the To Dos all done at once. Heck getting out of bed in the morning took real effort on my part. So I decided I would focus on one item on the To Do list. Every day I would spend time visiting my Dad in the hospital and checkmark one item off the To Do list. That's it. ONE ITEM.
One item is enough. One item will move you forward towards your goal, dream or intention. If you are a writer, write one sentence. A musician, write one note. A painter, paint one brush stroke. The real power of small steps is once you get started you may continue for a while.
I'm a writer. One of the things that gives me joy is writing. And once my Dad had his stroke I had no energy to write. None. I was too busy being overwhelmed.
Instead I found alternative ways to be creative. Instead of working on my own projects I chose to work on other people's project. I visited an online message forum where screenwriter's meet and offered ideas and suggestions on a variety of topics. I also doodled and read creative works written by other artists.
There are a variety of ways to be creative. If you find your creativity tank low do something new, something novel, something you have never done before. Act like a tourist in your home town or try a new activity. New experiences may lead to new thoughts and new inspiration.
It's play time! Play helps us connect to our joy, to laugh and relax. When we were children playing is how we made friends. Play is just as important as an adult.
All mammals play. We play with words, with physical comedy, with each other. I would argue that adults play when they are creative.
Get in touch with that child like wonder. Recently I went to the Lizard Zoo. I had a wonderful time checking out the various lizards, alligators (or was it crocodiles) and snakes. I was curious, open and there were real moments where I experienced the awe of the universe.
Companies could improve employee morale and most likely productivity by encouraging play. Good ideas can happen while people are playing. I like to call this ambitious play.
Experimentation is the secret spice of life. People who experiment are more likely to succeed because they accept the risk. You are only a loser if you learn nothing from an experience.
I would like to see a new word invented for failure. I would prefer to see ever experiment labelled as a successful attempt. With each attempt you learn something new, some new piece of information that will lead you to the answer.
Thomas Edison and his team did not invent the light bulb on the first try. It took many, many, many attempts. You may not find the answer the first time; it may take several attempts to lead to the pinnacle of success.
All those experiments are necessary. With each experiment you move closer to the answer. With creativity there is often not a single right answer, but multiple right answers.
The only way to know if something will work is to try, to be open to possibilities. Maybe the idea won't work out as planned. However it might lead you to an even better result when you figure out how you are going to proceed from there.
There are times when you need to reward yourself, to pamper yourself after a rough adventure. Rewards can give you that little extra push to get you moving.
About five years ago my Mom was diagnosed with cancer. She had surgery, the cancer came back, she had a second surgery and then she recovered. Once she was better I rewarded myself by going on a trip to Austin, Texas for a screenwriting conference that happens in October.
I had a wonderful time! I was so stress free after my trip that the first day I returned to work my coworkers actually commented on how relaxed I looked.
Rewards don't have to be big. They can be quite effective when they are very small. Rewards help you celebrate what is working, making it more likely you will continue with the successful actions.
Appreciation is one of the keys to a happy life. Research has shown that people who write down 3 items of appreciation once a week on a gratitude list can increase their happiness level significantly.
There are two ways to look at my Dad's death. I can focus on how it is unfair and drive myself to despair or I can focus on what worked. I have chosen to feel appreciation.
Once I knew my Dad would not get better I arranged to take him home. I think of this final trip as a last gift, the last gift my brother and I were able to give to my Dad.
Focus on what being creative brings into your life. Such as, joy, meaning and purpose. Focus on the benefits of playing with your current project. What are the payoffs for you and for your life?
Reminding yourself, even writing down, what creativity brings into your life will make it more likely you will take active steps towards your dream, goal and intention. Be your own personal cheerleader. Celebrate your actions, give yourself credit for the things you are doing right.
Society often teaches us to focus on the negative. Sometimes when I listen to myself I find myself complaining instead of speaking about what I want and the actions I will take to get there.
The older I get the more I accept that people are doing the best they can. All of us live in our own mini universe.
Creativity comes without a manual. In many ways I think that creativity is an act of faith. When you start you never know where you will end up. Often the journey you meant to take ends of being completely different than the one you actually experienced.
Be compassionate with yourself and others. If you judge others and find others wanting ultimately you will judge yourself just as harshly. We each have inside of us a voice what whispers to us.
Some times that voice is loud, shouting words of criticism. Other times it can be kind and celebrates your successes, even the small successes of flossing your teeth after a long day, or the five minutes you found to be creative.
That voice belongs to you. You can train it to speak with kindness and compassion. In all creative endeavours there is a time to play, a time to celebrate and a time to edit. If you allow the editing voice to speak up to soon you may destroy what would have been a beautiful piece of art.
Follow your creativity. That is where life magic can be found. Let it lead you on a wonderful, exotic adventure. When your creativity tank is low this is the time when often your creativity is needed most.
Make sure you remember to refuel the tank!
Dare Kent, Right Brain Coach
RightBrainCoach.com