Caring for your creativity
I used to take my creativity for granted. I’ve since learned creativity is a gift that needs to be nurtured. When I’m not looking after myself, my creativity suffers. When my creativity suffers, I am unable to express my ideas and my work is affected. If you've been coming to this realization too - here are a few ways I've learned to look after myself as a creative.
Mentally:
Surrounding myself with goal-affirming people + thoughts:
As a creative my path is non-traditional. To succeed with my goals it’s important I’m not around people who believe in the security of a job, that creative business is hard or that it's my job as a woman to be virtuous and always put others first. This is especially true when I’m feeling unsure and vulnerable. Some of the ways I generate helpful + affirming thoughts is by listening to Abraham Hicks when I need a boost or re-reading past journal entries of my own successes. Instead of going to others for guidance, I love to timeline jump and work with my future self.
Related:
• Protecting the fragility of your work
• How to timeline jump: journaling prompts
Generating feelings of control:
One of my core needs is control. It’s why I love an organized space, a morning routine, and freedom within my career. When I feel out of control, my nervous system goes into a freeze response and I get stuck. This is why I need to make feeling in control a priority for myself. Some of the ways I do this are 1) having spreadsheets that show me exactly where my money is/goes 2) having a home that is visually safe (de-cluttered and calm with a designated space for every item) and 3) when possible, staying near exits or having an ‘escape plan’ for gatherings in the case I want to leave. Having these in place allows me to keep a sense of control in my life so that my nervous system stays calm. A calm nervous system = less survival mentality and more creative thoughts.
Related: Understanding your core needs to build a productive vs. destructive mindset
Remembering I always have a choice
Earlier this year I started working with a new therapist and one the things we’ve talked about is always having a choice. No matter how the pandemic years impacted you, across the board there was a restriction on personal autonomy. Be it having borders closed and being told where we could and could not travel to, losing jobs and being told how we could and could not work, and even being told how to think via social media and mainstream news. This restriction had me believing it didn’t matter what I wanted or what I thought, I “no longer had a choice”. A belief system that had me retreating more and more into a shell and living passively rather than going after what I wanted. Remembering I have a choice has become my new mantra. Nothing is done just because. Getting out of bed this morning was a choice. Getting dressed this morning was a choice. Sitting down to write this email is a choice. I could have stayed in bed (a choice), not got dressed (a choice) and chose not to write. Realizing my autonomy in the smaller things is helping me change my belief system to one of freedom rather than restriction which is really important to have as a creative.
Physically:
Trail runs
The main way I look after myself physically is by going for runs. Not only is getting outside so good for a healthy mood, but learning to run longer distance has taught me so much about creative discipline. One of the best lessons has been around the idea that the first few miles of any run are meant to be the slowest. This ensures you’re able to actually reach your destination instead of just burning all of your energy at the start. Creativity is like this too. Whether it's building your creative business, working on a new product, or running a launch, it’s so important to go step-by-step and know that, ‘when you aren’t there yet’ you are closer than you were a mile back.
Emotionally:
Time alone
Too much time around other people disconnects me from my own truth. I also need lots of creative white space to get my best ideas for moving forward. I realized how important time alone was after moving in with my partner + having to be home together 24/7 during the pandemic years. While I could be productive when he was around, it was always when he left that I got a burst of energy to be creative or take aligned actions. When I noticed this pattern, I started to work with it, asking him to leave the house so that I could nourish my creativity and therefore my goals.
🪐 If you follow astrology it's helpful to look up what planets are in your 12th house. The 12th house is solitude, an energy of going within, so knowing what planets are in your 12th house will help you better understand what benefits or rewards you get from being alone. I have Jupiter in the 12th house + Jupiter is the planet of expansion and luck, so when I have time alone, I always get the aha! moment that makes everything click leading to effortless growth.
Related: Coming back to yourself: 4 Tips for Putting Yourself First
It can be easy to fall into an energy of survival, but taking time to assess what you need mentally, physically and emotionally is life or death to your own creativity.
What nurtures the creative part of you?
What changes can you make to care for it even more?
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Robin
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Hi! I'm Robin —
The diarist behind The Diary of an Empath and creator of Empaths in Business, teaching empaths how to turn their work into a business that works, with strategy, healing and support.
