How do you renew your creativity when it is flagging?
Do you listen to music? Spiff up your entire house in a frenzied cleaning spree? Disappear into a novel for a few hours?
As I transition from part-time freelance writer to full-time, creativity is on my mind a lot. The other day I was feeling quite overwhelmed and rather daunted by this change in my life.
Since I was fretting about it, I assigned myself the job of taking an hour or so to just sit out in the sunshine and get settled and restored.
I spread oatmeal toast with butter and jelly, filled a cheery green cup with blueberries, and toddled out to the back yard with a stack of cookbooks pillaged from my friends kitchen.
For a while I just sat with eyes closed, feeling the hot morning sun warm my skin and dry my hair. I reminded myself to take a few deep breaths and could feel the stress ebbing away.
After a bit I dug into my breakfast then cracked open the first cookbook. Soon I was shaking my head in wonder at stunningly decorated cookies and cakes. I have no desire to do such painstaking work myself, but I was in awe of the detail and beauty of each little creation.
The next book was my favorite and I can’t wait to track down my own copy. It is the oh-so-brilliant and inspiring “The Improvisational Cook” by Sally Schneider. After reading only a few pages my creative self was off and running, darting this way and that with one idea after another.
It reminded me again of how much we need each other. Yes, we can and must work hard on our own, but sometimes our better selves and ideas are brought out by the inspiration and creativity of another.
A few days later I went outside again. I had more blueberries – sure love those little beauties – but this time I had my journal in tow instead of more books to read.
I find great comfort in putting pen to paper, letting random thoughts and snippets of ideas filter down into coherent sentences and helpful to-do lists. Slowly but surely general dreams are simmered into specific plans of action, and frazzled nerves are calmed.
Although my life is still crazy, taking time to get renewed has eased my anxiety and given me clear priorities. It’s going to be a good week.
How do you renew your creativity, luvs?
Gorgeous!Â
Thank you, Baker Street! 🙂 So glad you like them. 🙂
When I lose my creativity in the kitchen I head to my cookbooks, or more and more the Internet for inspiration. My computer is opverflowing with bookmarked recipes, si I should just do it!
I’m with you, Val. 🙂 Cookbooks and new recipes never fail to inspire me. 🙂
So exciting about the career shift! I know that you’ll succeed at whatever you set your mind to, even if it’s frustrating and slow at first! Baking definitely helps to de-stress me, which helps to get the creativity flowing!
Thank you so much, Joanne. 🙂 I AM excited and so very happy doing this work. Learning it’s good and healthy to take a step back when I’m frazzled, and soon I’m settled and ready to tackle whatever problem was stressing me. 🙂
I’ve got FB so firmly fixed in my lil ole brain now that switching to “blog mode” is a hurdle for some strange reason! I really want to be part of your online life, so I’ll just HAVE to remember my passwords, etc. Living in Australia is something I’m very familiar with, as you can imagine. Â Love you dearly, Krista. P.S. How do I get rid of all those green flaps on the left? Jus. wonderin. Â
You are such a luv, Vaila! 🙂 Thank you for breaking away from your comfort zone to be part of my blog world. 🙂 I’m SO glad you came! Love you too, my friend. 🙂 I’m afraid the green flaps follow you down the page, but hopefully you’ll get used to them soon and can ignore them. 🙂
hmmmm….. all I know is that it hits me out of nowhere. If I try to look for it, it will never come!
Good point, Duchess. 🙂 It does that for me sometimes too. 🙂
The pretty pictures in cookbooks are a great old stand by for rejuvenating creativity aren’t they.  I always know I’m overtired when a flick through some cookbooks don’t revive me, that’s when I know its time for some serious TLC & some pampering….. or sleep 🙂
Serious TLC, pampering and sleep all sound like little slices of heaven, Anna. 🙂
I renew it by……………taking a trip! 😉
I always knew you were a wise woman, Andi! 🙂
Sounds like a lovely morning…and that breakfast sure is pretty! Cleaning sprees definitely renew my creativity…they give me time to think while I do mundane work and then there’s the bonus of a nice clean house afterwards! 🙂
I’m so glad you’re like that too, Faith! 🙂 I’m itching for a good cleaning spree this morning, but since I can’t walk so well, I’m cleaning up things I can reach – like email and to-do lists. That’s something! 🙂
we have the same journal! 🙂
I love to read as you think. You are an interesting person who gives depth to her thoughts. Between the words and photos, I think we all feel as if you are our best friend.
When I need to be creative and I am blocked, I completely do a turnabout and do something else. The wash gets folded, the streets are walked, the cake is baked…… Amazing, when I turn back to my work, it is usually back.