Keep Calm and Carry On

These are uncertain times. We have been reduced to keep our thinking largely to the “essentials.” And though a lot of people have extra time on their hands, many are not really in the mood or mindset to really use that time to create.

This is understandable. Incomes for many are uncertain. There are a thousands kids in the house. People are tired of talking on FaceTime and on the phone. There is fear all around. Even more than fear, at this point, it is even just confusion….like about who to believe when all the experts disagree. And all the extra time spent on processes, protocols, cleaning and keeping everyone healthy.

It’s all just pretty exhausting. And… exhaustion is the enemy of creativity.

Or exhaustion, can be repurposed and seen as the REASON to create. And creativity, then seen as the fuel of choice and free will. THIS is the EXACT time we should create. It’s not a luxury to create, it is a necessity. As a good friend once told me “pain has to have somewhere to go.

If we can learn to channel our feelings at this time, we can convert them into new energy in the form of creativity. This can be music, art, design, photography, drawing, writing, new household projects, conversation of recycling old resources, or creative “how can we” type problem solving at work or with family.

Notice I say LEARN. This is not a natural thing for most people. It takes mental discipline at a time when we don’t have energy left. No energy is our clue that we should stop everything we are doing, and FIND the energy. We find this energy through creativity, fully shifting out of our worried, exhausted mindset to focus entirely on something unrelated, even if just for 15 or 20 minutes.

Remember that this is not about producing a product or getting the next great idea. This is about creativity itself, the role of brain function and the importance it plays in our mental health. We Americans want to turn everything into profit, and tend to look at how we can be productive during our creative time. This is not always about being productive right now, though we might end up with a product- if we feel that pressure – we likely won’t even START. Because this is yet another pressure we do not need.

How to Get Creating When You Don’t Feel Like You Have it in You:

1. Set aside 30 mins to 1 hours. And commit this time will be spent creating or just sitting there if you can’t actually think of anything.

2. Allow 5-10 mins of that time for a wave of emotions and for wiggling. Peeing. Getting a coffee. Getting a snack. Mentally complaining. People don’t realize this wave will end and they let it overwhelm them. You just have to get to the other side of it, 5 minutes is usually enough. Ride it out and side through the pain of it.

3. Have a plan for something to get you started. A photo walk. A paper and pencil to doodle draw with. A vase and random flowers to rearrange. Making a recipe without a book and left over ingredients. Coloring something without copying someone else’s color pattern. Knitting a scarf without a plan.

4. Start small. This is like exercising a muscle. Small, consistent and manageable is better than blowing out your muscle all on day one.

5. NO JUDGING. You are not here to determine whether what you created was “any good.” If you’re doing that, you’ve missed the point. This is about your brain function and stretching muscles that want to stagnate.

6. Try it again tomorrow. Until you can fully shift out of whatever space you are in.

Over time, I’ve found that to create for creation sake is vital to my health, my decision making and my ability to pivot in managing uncertainty. This is a discipline to shift fully in an out of stressors. It’s not just about making pretty things like we artists get accused of so often of being frivolous. It’s about fully processing pain.

Try it:) Get creating and get some control back. Who knows! You may even discover a hiding talent or passion based hobby in the process.