It seems like the mental tiredness is an almost universal phenomenon. Finding our way to our creative practices through the fog can feel refreshing & restorative.
Thank you for sharing this! I love the practice of making our tools of creativity accessible, removing obstacles to "getting started" makes so much sense. I don't have a designated art space yet but it's one of my goals! For my writing, having my laptop on my desk and charged, notebooks I can jot things in, and a deck of tarot cards nearby with a few good playlists makes it easy to begin!
A charged laptop at the ready is an excellent way to make getting started with writing easy! I have my notebooks & tarot decks pretty accessible all the time, too, so I can jot down ideas on the go. Hope you get your dedicated art space up and running soon!
I resonate so much with your experience! Those moments of mental exhaustion can indeed make the idea of starting a creative project feel overwhelming. Thank you for sharing Shinjini.
I like this! I often see being creative as another task I have to complete, rather than something natural and relaxing. I think this is what keeps me from creating most of the time. I think I need to reframe how I define creativity, and change my viewpoint to be more positive.
I also think we tend to get that daunting feeling from creativity because we expect so much from ourselves. We define ourselves with our best work, which makes the action of starting something new feel more stressful than it has to be. I've been focusing on writing rather than art recently, and I always remind myself that I cant edit a blank page. In other words, just write something down, even if its junk. It can be edited later!
Oh yes! Creativity is a natural state; by expecting it to be perfect, we put so much unnecessary pressure on ourselves. We can just start, and go slowly. We don’t have to finish a piece or create a masterpiece every time we sit down to create. It can be a work in process that we add to slowly, over time. I love how you approach your writing. Just get some words down and come back and edit -- or even re-write -- later!
Ahh this was me during the week: noticing that I hadn't been in my play space for a while, but not actively going in there either. Yesterday I did, and i felt healed by it. For me, it starts with some music, a clear-ish table, watercolours, my journal and some black pens, a gluestick and a box of paper scraps. My comfort zone is intuitive self-expression, whether it's just scribbling shapes with the pens, splashing some watercolour or gluing in scrap papers. It always comes together in ways that surprise me - and I never approach it with a finished idea in mind 🤗
I love your process! And I miss seeing it on IG, though I understand being over the platform and reclaiming your mental space for yourself. It cuts down so much unnecessary noise & unnecessary expectations and distractions, doesn’t it?
Oh thank you, and yes, it has been a difficult separation (IG) but a necessary one for now. I haven't quite found the right place to share my thoughts and process, aside from my own journals! Perhaps that is all that's needed for the moment? And who knows what else next year. It's lovely to see you thriving here and sharing your creative world 🌟
Thank you for being here, Jen! I’d love to hear your plans for when/if you decide to share your process again. Maybe Substack could be a more interesting/inviting place for you than IG?
It seems like the mental tiredness is an almost universal phenomenon. Finding our way to our creative practices through the fog can feel refreshing & restorative.
Yes, yes, yes! It makes the process so frictionless!
I loved that your young niece helped you get back to your creativity!
I so look forward to our painting sessions! And when she calls at moments when I need it most, she feels like my little art fairy! :-)
Thank you for sharing this! I love the practice of making our tools of creativity accessible, removing obstacles to "getting started" makes so much sense. I don't have a designated art space yet but it's one of my goals! For my writing, having my laptop on my desk and charged, notebooks I can jot things in, and a deck of tarot cards nearby with a few good playlists makes it easy to begin!
A charged laptop at the ready is an excellent way to make getting started with writing easy! I have my notebooks & tarot decks pretty accessible all the time, too, so I can jot down ideas on the go. Hope you get your dedicated art space up and running soon!
I resonate so much with your experience! Those moments of mental exhaustion can indeed make the idea of starting a creative project feel overwhelming. Thank you for sharing Shinjini.
It really can! As a writer, how do you approach writing if you’re exhausted?
I like this! I often see being creative as another task I have to complete, rather than something natural and relaxing. I think this is what keeps me from creating most of the time. I think I need to reframe how I define creativity, and change my viewpoint to be more positive.
I also think we tend to get that daunting feeling from creativity because we expect so much from ourselves. We define ourselves with our best work, which makes the action of starting something new feel more stressful than it has to be. I've been focusing on writing rather than art recently, and I always remind myself that I cant edit a blank page. In other words, just write something down, even if its junk. It can be edited later!
Oh yes! Creativity is a natural state; by expecting it to be perfect, we put so much unnecessary pressure on ourselves. We can just start, and go slowly. We don’t have to finish a piece or create a masterpiece every time we sit down to create. It can be a work in process that we add to slowly, over time. I love how you approach your writing. Just get some words down and come back and edit -- or even re-write -- later!
Ahh this was me during the week: noticing that I hadn't been in my play space for a while, but not actively going in there either. Yesterday I did, and i felt healed by it. For me, it starts with some music, a clear-ish table, watercolours, my journal and some black pens, a gluestick and a box of paper scraps. My comfort zone is intuitive self-expression, whether it's just scribbling shapes with the pens, splashing some watercolour or gluing in scrap papers. It always comes together in ways that surprise me - and I never approach it with a finished idea in mind 🤗
I love your process! And I miss seeing it on IG, though I understand being over the platform and reclaiming your mental space for yourself. It cuts down so much unnecessary noise & unnecessary expectations and distractions, doesn’t it?
Oh thank you, and yes, it has been a difficult separation (IG) but a necessary one for now. I haven't quite found the right place to share my thoughts and process, aside from my own journals! Perhaps that is all that's needed for the moment? And who knows what else next year. It's lovely to see you thriving here and sharing your creative world 🌟
Thank you for being here, Jen! I’d love to hear your plans for when/if you decide to share your process again. Maybe Substack could be a more interesting/inviting place for you than IG?
I enjoyed this As always I need to get back to not thinking so hard about what I'm going to do. <3
Yes, Jeanne! Just let go and see what happens. It’s a bit scary in the beginning, but the more you do it, the easier it gets!