Good morning (afternoon, or evening) everyone! Are you having a good week so far? I know you're busy ladies with lots of responsibility so I hope you can squeeze in some well-deserved time just for you today. :)
Today I want to let you in on a few "secrets" I’ve learned and continue to discover about cultivating creativity in my own life. It’s not always easy with all of the daily demands and pressures, that’s for sure!
MAKING THE TIME
I think the most important thing I’ve learned is to carve out time to be creative. If I can’t set aside time every day, I make a point of creating something over the weekend. I feel empty when a week passes and I can’t think of even one thing I’ve done with my hands (other than scrub the kitchen counter or clean the toilets). Try to reserve even a few minutes each day to be creative, if possible. On an extra busy day being creative might mean I simply decorate a bare wall or do a blog post for Simply Hue. If you’re working a full-time job or have small children demanding your attention, it can seem like there is no “good” time. But I promise that you won’t regret squeezing in even a few minutes after the house is quiet in the evening or on Saturday morning while the kids' (hopefully) are still sleeping.
SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Next, it’s important to keep abundant supplies on hand. These might be inexpensive collage materials (a few of my supplies; vintage library cards, wallpaper scraps, old love letters and photos, paintbrushes and paper, sewing supplies, camera equipment, etc.) Craft supplies can be expensive and there are times it’s best to invest in high quality materials (paint, paintbrushes, papers) but often you can find what you need around your home, at thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, or craft stores.
You can set yourself up for success by having all of your supplies in a place where you can reach them. My cameras, photography equipment, and collage materials are in a visible place, not only so I can adore them (ha, ha), but as a reminder for me to pick them up and use them!
SPENDING TIME WITH LIKEMINDED FRIENDS
Do you ever feel lonely as a creative person? Do you sometimes feel like the "odd man out" or misunderstood by people who are, let's say ... less creative? I don’t think these feelings are uncommon amongst creative people. We are generally free-spirited and not necessarily rule-followers. Because of this, we may appear a bit eccentric at times. If you're like me, I need to have at least a few friends who understand and who have similar creative interests and hobbies.
I’ve met most of my creative friends online through blogging and photography. I never thought it was possible to make lasting friendships via the internet, but I'm so thankful to have met so many inspiring women here! It often starts with leaving an encouraging comment on someone's blog or featuring their work on Simply Hue. Through corresponding and taking the time to build up other creative women, solid ties are established and friendships are built. And, as in “’real life”, some of these friendships come and go, but many continue to grow.
If you’re fortunate enough to live near friends who have similar creative interests, make plans to spend time with them. Nothing is more inspiring than spending time with other people who have like passions, and not all of us have such a wonderful opportunity.
On Friday I'll share a few more ways to cultivate your creativity. Can't wait!
This is a difficult one, I really need to work on this because all my frustrations come from not feeling as creative as I would like in this moment in my life. Between the house, the husband, the two kids and starting my own thing I am struggling and it is taking me so much longer to accomplish things.
ReplyDeleteAll I know is I need to do creative things in order to be happy and be a better person, wife and mother, and I think keeping my focus on that it the only think I can do... I am not sure, I am just thinking here.
A big problem for me is not having people with whom I can share the same interests... but that's why I need to work a lot on this one and as the question says: CULTIVATE
I love a quote from Henry Matisse: "Creativity takes courage"
isn't so true?
Cristina
I understand Cristina, I truly understand. It would be so nice if a day would count 48 instead of 24 hours, isn't it? Being a woman in this era isn't the easiest job in the world, on the contrary.
DeleteMaybe you could try to treat yourself with one creative hour a week for yourself to begin with. Or take a notebook with you and write down some ideas every single minute you have for yourself. You'd be surprised how this could add a little sparkle to your life. I hope this can be a little bit helpful for you ... I really like this quote by Matisse but once you create some time and space for yourself, how little it may be, you'll see that having the courage is really well worth the effort. It adds quality and colour to your life: every single second of creativity is a second of real happiness! and I wish you loads! Abrazo, cococita
Hi Cristina, in my own experience, it was quite challenging to find the time or energy to be creative when my kids were youngz, it's not a bad idea to come up with a plan B. you might want to complete a project in one afternoon, but you'll probably need to just do a little bit each day instead.
DeleteTake a few moments just for YOU each day, Cristina. I wish I had learned that when my kids were young. :)
gracias Cococita :)
ReplyDeleteI follow lots of people on pinterest. I search that site daily to just see what others are doing. You can find almost everything on that site easily, so for me I try to search ideas while I am rocking the baby to sleep, or while riding in the car (as a passenger), waiting at the doctors office, any time I have "down time". I don't have many creative friends, so I can't be around that vibe often, so I feel I am on my own to find it...which can be hard at times. I NEED more creative buddies to hang with and brainstorm and create with!
ReplyDelete