In so many ways this year has been hard, yet at the same time, it's been wonderful beyond measure. Being able to take the time to do some deep inner work, has resulted in a beautiful reconnection with my creative self and the things I'm most passionate about.
Last year of course, I wrote my book, which I'll publish at some stage when the time is right. What that did was help to reconnect with the art of writing, something I've loved since high school. And, through this blog, I've been able to continue that passion this year. With each post I write I have the opportunity to express my thoughts and feelings, and craft a creation with my words.
Over the last few months I've looked within to examine what I could be doing that would bring me more joy. I really wanted to start creating a more balanced life after spending five and a half years building a business, and really, not doing a lot other than that. What I'd found was that I'd become exhausted from doing everything myself, and letting go of creative pursuits I'd previously enjoyed because I no longer had the energy for them.
If this resonates, I've put together three ways you can reconnect with your creativity.
Take an honest look at your life. It's time to ask yourself some hard questions. Am I allowing myself to do the things I really want to do? Have I let go of things I've previously enjoyed?
Explore what you might do. Get a pen and paper and make a list of all of the ways you'd love to be creative. Maybe you've tried things in the past you'd like to do again, or maybe you have things you've always wanted to try - either way, write them all down.
Make a start. If you want to draw, grab a pencil and a piece of paper, find a YouTube video and give it a go. Next time you're out, get yourself some sketching pencils and a sketching pad. Or sign up for a class to learn whatever it is you want to learn. Whether you want to draw, paint, dance, play the piano or something else, just make a start.
When I went through this process, I realised that I used to love gardening, but over the last few years I'd let it go completely. I'd actually made our garden way smaller than it was because I'd totally lost interest from being exhausted. What I also realised was there were creative pursuits I'd either always wanted to try or that I'd tried once and never gone back to.
As a result of exploring a reconnection with my creativity, I have now started upcycling some clothing which I have wanted to do for more than two decades, and I have been playing around with acrylic abstract painting, something else I've wanted to do for many years. I have also discovered slow stitching, a movement I had no idea existed until a few weeks ago, and I'm loving it. Gardening is back on my list too now, with new seeds and seedlings in the beds and a plan for a beautiful white garden in one area of our property.
The way I feel when I'm creating is what feeds my soul. When I'm putting the fabrics together, choosing the colours and adding embellishments, I'm in my zone. Similarly when I'm putting paint down onto a piece, I forget time and space, I get lost in it and that is good for my well-being.
I'd love to hear in the comments how you like to express yourself creatively.
With love,
