When you’re working hard to get a creative career up and running, and things just don’t seem to be moving at the pace you expect, things can seem futile. What can you do when it seems like things are going nowhere fast, and you just don’t feel creative? What if all you want to do is give up and go hide under a rock? I get it. I’ve been there. I was there just recently, and so I have a few thoughts on the subject. Here are some of the things I have done to pull myself back out of that dark place and get myself creating again.
- Go outside. This is something I can’t suggest highly enough, and there are several reasons for it. One benefit of getting some outdoor time is the sun. Even if it’s a cloudy day, your skin will absorb light. Take it from the kid that got a second-degree sunburn on a cloudy track and field day. The vitamin D that produces will boost your mood, even if it’s only a tiny bit at first. You may not notice it, but over time, it can make a big difference in your attitude, especially if you spend a lot of time indoors. Now, I’m not a doctor, so I can’t give you all the details, but there is plenty out there to find on the benefits of Vitamin D on mood and overall health. Aside from getting vitamin D, you’ll be getting the benefit of just being in a different area. This brings input to the brain, and thus to the imagination. This is something that I will be talking about a lot, especially as I am taking my own journey into a more natural lifestyle. Artists have drawn inspiration from the natural world from the very beginning for a reason. If you are someone who isn’t into the whole “nature thing,” don’t worry. Going and sitting outside to people-watch counts. People are a part of nature, human nature is just as inspiring for some as getting dirty in the garden or going for a hike is for us nature freaks.
- Take a spa day. Okay, I know not everyone can afford to drop everything and go to an expensive day spa, and not everyone would want to. Still, taking some time out to care for your physical being is essential to feeling your best. If you don’t want to go to an actual spa, there are many simple and inexpensive ways to pamper yourself at home. One of my favorite things is the coconut and essential oil treatment. Just put a spoonful of coconut oil into a little bowl and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil use just the heat from your hands to melt it all together and voila! You’ve made an inexpensive massage oil to use on feet, legs, arms–anywhere. Some great mood lifters are lavender, wild orange, lemon, patchouli and anise. For sore muscles, you might use lavender and peppermint. The combinations are endless, bounded only by your imagination.
- Which leads me to my next tip. Do anything else. Find other media to engage with. Not social media, but other ways to use your imagination and creativity. If you’re a writer, try making something. If you’re a painter, try writing. If you’re a videographer, try pottery. You get the idea. Find another way to be creative, and it just may provide the space you need to gain a new perspective on your work.
Aside from just basically helping get the creativity flowing, these tips can provide space from the problems at hand and while they may not solve all of your issues, they might be just the break you need to move forward again. In the coming weeks, I will be picking one subject a week to engage with and try to help my fellow creatives break out of the cycles of resistance we have all spent too much time mired in. I will be working with resources created by those who have worked through the same things, and I will be sharing those resources with you. I have been back and forth on how to approach this blog and I have grown to feel that it would be most beneficial if I try to help other writers and creatives overcome some of the difficulties they are facing. I will be addressing these things here and over on the YouTube channel, Twisted Candle Media. My goal is to create at least one blog post and one video a week that pertains to creative writing, and to provide a resource for writers.
I will also be keeping you all up to date on my writing and progress here and through my newsletter, so if you haven’t signed up yet, go get your subscription started. I will be sending out promotions, but those will be rare, most of the newsletters will contain information about new releases, contests, giveaways, and writing prompts.
Before I go, though, I am curious. What are some of the things you have done to get back on track after a particularly rough patch?
I am so excited to get this journey started with you!
Until next time, be well.
~D~
