HOW TO STAY CREATIVE (WHEN YOU JUST WANT TO HIBERNATE)
photo courtesy of Veda House.
WE'VE TEAMED UP WITH CLEMENTINE DAILY TO PRESENT A NEW HEALTH AND WELLNESS COLUMN FOR CREATIVES. CHECK IN MONTHLY FOR TIPS AND DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO BE YOUR BEST SELF.
THE WINTER MONTHS CAN DEFLATE THE TIRES OF ANY CREATIVE.
On the cusp of 2016, are you feeling energized? Renewed? Ready? We hope so. But as we settle into the winter months and dive headfirst into the real work of our lives, it may become tempting to opt out—especially for those of us creatives working on, for and against our own time. Creativity takes effort, and finding inspiration to pursue passions may be deemed easier when days are long, and the sun is warm and beckoning.
But when the regular days of winter are upon us and all we want to do, really, is hibernate, how do we stay inspired and keep creativity flowing? When we find ourselves immersed in the the day-to-day grind, sparks of creative recognition may feel just beyond our grasp. So, during this stretch of grey days, here are a few tips to ignite innovative and productive thinking.
Ask yourself something, anything. It’s the perfect time of year to become internal, to be inquisitive. But be intentional about it—don’t use it as an excuse to stay in bed longer. (But by all means, if you are journaling, actively thinking about goals, finding your creative space and it happens to be while in bed, then stay there.) Be reflective in your thought process: what am I trying to accomplish? What is my end goal? How can I get there? Whether you are thinking big or small, forcing yourself to really think within certain parameters just may spark new ideas and visions.
Start somewhere and do something. Remember the old adage, don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good? Well, don’t. When you find yourself in a creative rut, it may seem harder to do a little bit of anything because nothing may seem good enough (unlike when we have wave after wave of creative energy and it’s all exciting and new). Force yourself to start and just do. You may just be amazed at what occurs.
Embrace all approaches, even unconventional ones. Creative ruts happen. They are often inescapable, so embracing this space and the myriad of ways it may take to shake it may just be your best bet. Disrupting your daily routine can do wonders for creativity. Allow yourself the freedom to make ugly art, write rambling thoughts, and don’t be too precious about any of it. Don’t be afraid to get messy and bend in uncharted ways. Creative work, for better or worse, is not permanent.
And when all else fails, perhaps the best general wellness tip of all is: get moving. Walk, jog, skip, hop, dance, stretch, wander, all to release endorphins that make us feel good. It may also give you the headspace to sort out roadblocks you found yourself up against in the first place - a little change of perspective can often do a world of good.
Written by Wellness Editor Brooke Klauer on behalf of Clementine