When I tell people that I’m an artist and a writer, it’s very common for people to quickly respond with ‘oh I’m not very creative’ or ‘I wish I had more time for that sort of thing!’
As a life coach, I regularly help clients to explore how they can find greater balance in their lives. Very often, we lose sight of the activities that would once have formed a strong part of our identity. Sometimes it’s because we’ve outgrown them, other times they have simply been swamped by the demands of 21st century living. Sadly we might stop doing something we love because we think that we’re not good enough. Modern society has a terrible habit of only valuing that which can be monetised, declaring everything else wasted time. Try as we might, this rubs off on all of us.
Merging these two streams of thoughts together, what can you do to bring a little creativity back into your life? Here are just a few of the tricks I’ve learnt along the way.
Recommit to a creative life
In 2019 I realised that I had stopped living a creative life. New to freelancing as a commercial copywriter, challenges at home, health and financial concerns all monopolised my time. Unsurprisingly, I was exhausted.
This sudden flash of insight struck me in the middle of a client interview. As a jewellery maker, her process involved searching for new sources of inspiration. As my client talked about exploring nature, art galleries, music and reading - I realised that I had somehow dropped the creative ball without even noticing. No wonder I was struggling to find something to say. You can't draw from an empty well - and my well was dry.
My first step to living a more creative life is engaging with the work already out there. In her book The Artist’s Way Julia Cameron recommends taking regular artist’s dates. Described as assigned play, the idea is to take time alone with your inner artist doing something playful and inspiring. This might be getting out old craft supplies, visiting an art exhibition or spoken word event, or simply dancing in your kitchen to your favourite song.
Tip - Be realistic, don't suddenly pack in lots of extra commitments. You may have to give something else up in order for this to happen. What tasks can you pass on, or put down altogether, in order to find a little balance?
Make space
This isn't about the perfect corner for a beautiful writing desk or commandeering the spare room in the name of artistic acclaim. (Though where I work does have an impact on my productivity.) Rather, we need to carve out enough emotional and mental space for creative seedlings to grow.
Do a quick online search for boredom and creativity and you will discover a plethora of studies suggesting that distractions 'on tap' is the biggest killer of modern creativity. Podcast host and author Manoush Zomorodi was so convinced about the potential benefits of boredom that she encouraged her listeners to take part in a mass experiment. Thousands of people joined her in unplugging from their electrical devices, some temporarily, some permanently. The results of this interesting experiment can be found in her subsequent book, 'Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self.'
It's easy to buy into the myth of being busy. These days, doing nothing is seen at best as being unproductive, or even lazy and selfish. If we’re not filling our time with ‘productive’ tasks we’re filling our heads with technology via social media or other online activities. Are you engaging with these activities in an active, meaningful way, or are they a passive habit?
Busy for the sake of busy leaves barren ground where creative ideas might otherwise thrive. Hide your phone. Resist the temptation to wash the dishes. Meditate, hide in the downstairs loo if necessary. Just do it, or rather, do nothing.
Get Moving
Even back in the early 1900's, creative thinkers could see a connection between physical activity and artistic flow. French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty believed that the movement of our physical body and the way we perceived our world could not be disconnected, saying, "The artist takes the body with her..."
Return to the 21st century and the term 'embodied creativity' is being used to describe the link between physical movement, thought processing and emotional intelligence. (Psychology Today, Science of Creativity Moves Into the Body)
On a personal note, I find both swimming and gentle walking helpful. Most of the runners I meet talk passionately about how an evening run helps them process the events of the day, and exercise is undeniably beneficial for our emotional and mental health as well as our physical well being. Many people find spending time in nature helps them to feel more relaxed and open to new ideas. The way forward, really, is up to you.
How do you make time for creative play in your life? I would love to hear your experiences, and any tips you have to share. Please let us know in the comments.
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