Have you ever found yourself in a creative drought? It seems as if these periods just come upon us. Maybe they are the result of simple fatigue, overwork, pressure, the desire to sit on the porch for five hours on a beautiful summer day, or…who knows what. With so many projects on the (literal) drawing table and in the sewing workshop, I am finding any reason to do something else these days. The most creative thing I’ve done in the past week was to do a bit of editing on the above photo of one of our nursery plants.
I love Sarah’s advice today in Simple Abundance. She talks about her own experience with creative drought and says that when these periods show up, it does not mean we can quit. We must still “go through the motions, keep showing up for work: on the page, at the drawing board, stove, sewing machine, computer. Continue to prepare the canvas, moisten the clay. Pretend you’re a creative temp, here to fill in until your authentic self arrives.” She offer suggestions on how to get our creative groove back.
I’ve searched through my little library, looking through garden and art books for inspiration, even pausing to take a second look at the business section, and here are the selections I’ve chosen to help me in my role as creative temp:
- The Magic of Thinking Big (David J. Schwartz, Ph.D.)
- The War of Art (Steven Pressfield)
- Rework (Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson)
- Steal Like an Artist (Austin Kleon)
- The Artist’s Way (Julia Cameron, of course!)
So now all the time I am not spending on something creative, I am at least filling my brain with good things. What do you guys do for inspiration and motivation when kicking back like Homer Simpson seems like all you can manage?
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Music is a big inspiration for me. I always have it on when I am painting or drawing, so when I am feeling uninspired I turn on some music and hope the inspiration catches 😊
That sounds like a wonderful idea! I never even think about music while I am trying to get into the creative mood. For whatever reason, music is a “car only’ thing for me…not sure how that has come about. What types of music do you listen to? Thanks for visiting and for the great comment!
Thank you for the follow! 💛 That is funny, I drive such a short distance to my job I hardly every have the radio on in the car! I like mellow music most of the time, Iron and Wine, City and Colour, singer songwriter stuff. But sometimes I just like relaxing instrumental in the background, or 60’s “hippie” music, or whatever pops up on Pandora, haha. What music do you enjoy?