How to Navigate Creativity with Low Energy
A few weeks ago I polled a few groups of people about their creativity, in particular, I asked what it was that held them back from their creativity. (And to be clear, when I speak of creativity, I don't just mean the visual arts, I am speaking to any form of creating...from dance, to painting, to cooking, to writing, to planning a party).
The thing that most people resonated with, was a lack of energy. For most of us, with working long days, taking care of our kids and tackling other day to day obligations, the energy we have left to devote to creativity is pretty well depleted.
So how do you continue to tap into our creativity, even when feeling low on energy? Drinking copious amount of coffee may help a little, but I'd like to offer a few different ways that may help you maintain your creative momentum, over the long haul.
1. Start to notice or even track your energy highs and lows throughout the day. When are you most clear headed and energetic? When do you hit a wall during the day? Notice when you feel most open, energized and inspired, then prioritize your time around that when you can.
2. Once you've started to notice a pattern in your daily highs and lows, try to tackle your creative projects small bits at a time. Don't create the expectation that you have to go from start to finish all in one shot. When you are limited on time and energy, break your projects down. I spoke about this over on Instagram when I was prepping some beads in the few minutes I had available.
3. Acknowledge your goals. This one seems obvious, but it's important. Want to write a book? What are some goals you can set in order to do that? Why do you want to write a book in the first place? What does your timeline look like? Creating some expectations from the start, will help keep you momentum (and excitement) throughout your creative journey.
4. Set up a system for capturing creative ideas throughout the day. If you're anything like me, my best ideas come when I'm pushing my daughter on the swing, or in the shower, or on a call. It is always when they are inconvenient to capture, which is why having a place to get those ideas down so you don't have to spend your mental energy trying to remember them later is a good idea. I've created a free worksheet that could help with this, otherwise utilize a "notes" app on your phone, always have post-it notes nearby or there's always the old stand by...writing it down on your hand. :)
5. And finally, know what you need. By this I mean, do you need to give yourself a break, do you need rest, do you need family time? Really pay attention to what you need right now, in particular this year, when things are just a bit more hard to navigate. Honor what you need, knowing that creativity will be there when you are ready.