We finally had a really good rain storm for about three days this past week. Besides drenching our parched lawns and fields (and ponds and lakes) with a whopping dose of water, we got another blessing.
The frogs came out and started singing.
I didn't know a frog's song could soothe my soul! There is something harmonious in the hundreds of different pitches of "ribbet" that have been chorusing in the darkness of night this week.
Last night, instead of listening to music or a podcast, I turned it all off and let the sound of the frogs flood (almost literally) my sound space. I crawled in to bed, still listening to their music.
Having times of quiet and paying attention to nature stirs creative impulses in me. When I spend too much time in media and ignore that part of myself that needs some quiet time, my creativity diminishes (see #6).
When I look back on my life- at the times when I couldn't figure out what to create, I struggled with a few specific dilemmas:
1. Not sticking to a schedule
There are certain disciplines that set my day off to a good start. Waking up earlier enough to have a quiet time, get a little exercise, and have breakfast help me maintain a steady energy and clear thinking through the day.
It isn't different from our creativity. Schedules and creative rituals help avoid
2. Fatigue
Stylist, author, and speaker Hilary Rushford talked about her month where she was having trouble doing what she wanted to do, gathering her thoughts, and going in a singular direction. This was directly after launching her company, writing and launching a book and speaking at different events.
Fatigue hits hard. It's not matter of laziness or apathy (but it can feel like it). Instead of beating yourself up over it (something creatives are good at), maybe the most creative and efficient thing to do would be to take a nap.
3. Trying to do TOO much.
Sticking to a few things until complete is not always the most glamorous but it typically works out for me. We're all different, but most of us do better when the major focus of our energy is on less, not more.
4. Not really knowing what I was good at.
I'm in expert in this area. While experimentation is good, going from activity to activity because we don't take the time to really figure out what we are good at can lead to fatigue and eventually, feeling like "we've lost our creativity."
5. Inexperience: the disconnect from who I want to be and what gets created .
Are you frustrated because what you visualize in your mind is not coming out in real life?
The problem may be as basic of a problem as inexperience. For this, the solution is not to give up or do less- you need to do more!
Create, Reflect, Learn, Create. Repeat process.
A coach or class can be extremely helpful in helping push paste a plateau or problem area.
6. Too much noise.
The world is a loud place. The activity and excitement is stimulating, gives us creative ideas, and opens up many opportunities to meet new people, learn new things and connect.
It can also be exhausting if we don't recharge with quiet times of stillness and moving away from media for awhile.
How about you?
What blocks your creativity, your ability to make stuff? What do you do to get the creative vibes flowing again?
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