The temptation is always there for me.
To put off creating.
I usually succumb to the loudest invitation, and as you probably have experienced, the creating voice is a quiet one.
It’s a faint tap, a light wind, a feathery touch. It absolutely doesn’t intrude, and would rather scurry away unseen than interrupt our methodical schedules.
Creating is pushed to the backseat, lost under the list of to-do’s and piled-up tasks, and it’s promised our presence…tomorrow.
We’re coming. Then, days turn to months turn to years.
Essentially, our relationship with creativity fades, then fizzles, until finally, we’ve all but forgotten.
I understand there are seasons of greater creative flow, but even in fallow times, it’s essential we practice listening to the littlest nudges.
We absolutely must commit to never losing our taste for those unconventional ideas, our ability to putz around with the tools in our hands, or the energy to release our unique outlook into the world. If we don’t we will surely wind up divorced from our particular genius.
When you sense it’s been too long, and you’ve become aware of a growing rift between you and your creative life force, there are a few ways to mend the relationship, regain your appetite, and retrain your ears.
Basically what it boils down to is this: start with the bare minimum.
It could be that you…
- Scratch a single sloppy sentence on a sticky note. (The start of a book, a blog, a journal entry, a poem perhaps?)
- Sow one packet of seeds into a small pot. (The hope of a forthcoming cottage garden?)
- Share a simple thought, a fresh angle you have, at the next meeting. (Remember your agency and influence in the world around you?)
- Light a candle and spend just a minute alone with your wild inner landscape. (Connect with your own magic once again?)
- Splatter some paint on scrap paper. (What will come from the mysteries of a mess?)
When we accept the bare minimum as our bravest move towards reactivating our creative muscles, we are only moments away from igniting our innate artistic flame once again.
So, please don’t forsake the petty little practices you partake of when it comes to your creativity. They will fend off the temptation you have to ignore those soft strokes of ingenuity inviting you to open up your imagination!
