Selling Yourself the Lie

Last week you told yourself that things would settle down once October came around. Everything would settle into this new routine and you'll find yourself with a free hour every day. 

 Remember when you wielded a paintbrush and slipped into that lovely state of flow. We were made to enter that state and commune with our inner creator. The sense of balance and awe that comes from writing something that speaks an inner truth or from producing an image we've had in our mind is wonderful.

 It isn't necessary to reach that level of artistic accomplishment every time we pick up a pen, stylus, or keyboard. Getting even a few minutes of creative flow each day can help us feel more in tune with our creative spirit and our own minds. 

It is hard to get started when it's been a long time since you last had a date with your muse. As with all relationships, it gets easier the more comfortable you get with each other, which only happens by spending more time together.

Embrace the awkwardness 

Art is about self-expression, and it's perfectly fine to start from scratch. It's important to accept that your skills are rusty. 

If you don't like completing wobbly faces or writing run-on sentences, its okay to find a small skill you enjoy and spend 10 minutes a day working on that. Doodling - even just repeating a line a few times - can help you get reacquainted with the feel of drawing. Haikus are a great way to work on condensing meaning into few syllables. 

Love the process, not the product. 

Curate your creative space 

Whether you're a parent or busy professional, it's important to have a haven for your creativity. Your muse needs a space to reside. 

If you're lacking in square footage, it's important to find a way to contain your supplies. I use a basket that can easily be stored away and a pencil case. You might want a shoebox you can slide under your bed, or something more intricate. Either way, being able to quickly access your tools and then remove them when the table or desk is needed again is important.

If you have more space, decorating the area with flowers or colors that ignite your fire. A bulletin board with quotations you love or paintings you find inspiring can help when you're feeling low. It's good to have a playlist available to get you in the mood is an excellent tool.

Find your muse 

What excites or angers you? What do you find yourself drawn to in books or movies? Bring these things into your work. Find ways to express your delight or disgust in what you're doing. Not only will you be more interested in what you're working on, you might find your audience responds to your passion. 

Start with baby steps 

You aren't trying to recreate the Sistine Chapel. 

Start small. Grab a sketchbook or a canvas and experiment with colors, shapes, and ideas. Remember, it's all about the process, not just the end result.

Find 5 minutes every day. Set up a sketchbook on your nightstand with a pencil and choose to draw/write for 5 minutes before you get up in the morning or 5 minutes before you fall asleep. 

Each week find another 5 minutes in those 7 days. I find it better to keep the time of day each day the same, making it a daily habit - a daily habit is harder to ignore - but everyone's different. Find something that works for you and stick to it.

Learn, learn, learn

As a writer, you understand the value of words. Apply the same principle to your art. Read books, watch tutorials, and take classes. I love Andy J. Pizza and his podcast/youtube videos for Creative Peptalk and Brandon McNulty. They inspire me to create more and have convinced me that my voice is worth sharing.

Share your journey 

We are communal creatures. Find a way to share your work, whether its in a small group or online. Collecting Dodo Feathers was formed to be a place to share your thoughts, challenges, and wins. Letting people see the struggle and rewards of creating a daily practice might inspire others to pick up that long-forgotten paintbrush or pen too!

Keep it fun

Laugh at your mishaps, embrace your quirks, and enjoy every moment of your creative revival. Creativity is meant to bring joy and help us relieve the stress of our lives. If you find fitting the time to create into your life is more stressful than leaving it, try to find a smaller step you can take. For awhile I was writing poems in the car as I waited for my children at activities. This worked really well in helping my brain see that I valued this time.

Conclusion

In the end, your creative time is time you can count on to explore your own internal landscape. Showing up for your creative self is a form of appreciating who you really are. You have a voice and ideas that are worth sharing, or at least worth exploring so that you can better understand yourself. 

Here's to the flow state!