{"id":6043,"date":"2016-10-24T21:08:47","date_gmt":"2016-10-24T21:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindfulartstudio.com\/?p=6043"},"modified":"2017-08-02T11:34:08","modified_gmt":"2017-08-02T15:34:08","slug":"get-inspired-create","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindfulartstudio.com\/get-inspired-create\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Inspired to Create"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Hello Wonderful, Creative You:<\/p>\n

I recently picked up Big Magic<\/a>* by Elizabeth Gilbert. (Did you catch her\u00a0podcast interview with Krista Tippet<\/a> at On Being?) I\u00a0was excited to hear her talking about how to get inspired to create, and the\u00a0connections between her creative and spiritual life. While she doesn’t use the term “creative self-care” it’s exciting to hear this well-known author speaking my language.<\/p>\n

As I’m reading Big Magic, I find myself nodding a lot, and internally saying, “Yes! YES!” \u00a0She adeptly explains the evidence of why WE ARE ALL creative beings. Even the most boring person has the capacity for creativity. I would add that one of the reasons we know this because of the way the arts are woven into every day life in the oldest cultures on earth.<\/strong> Everyone takes part in rituals involving song, movement, dance, and body paint. The practice of “the arts” does\u00a0not belong to a chosen few with special “talent” but to the community.<\/p>\n

I love that Gilbert gives us permission to create – not because it will be special, original, important, or even inspiring. She tells us to create because it feels good. Because we need\u00a0to make something. It’s how we’ve survived for a long time before we\u00a0sat with our face in a screen waiting for something to happen. Here’s my ideas on how to get inspired to create.<\/p>\n

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[bctt tweet=”You DO need time to create. It IS essential for\u00a0your well being.\u00a0#artheals” username=”amymaricle”]<\/p>\n

Clear the\u00a0Obstacles in Your Creative Life<\/h3>\n

So if you can acknowledge that there is at least some creativity within you, how do you get started? I know there seem to be a lot of obstacles getting in the way of you creating: time, inspiration, clutter, health issues, perfectionism, self-doubt, etc. I have good news and bad news about this. The only way through these obstacles is to decide that you must create.<\/strong> When you decide this, the excuses will clear, the clutter will go (even if you need a little help) you will prioritize creating over something else,\u00a0and you will find a gentle approach to creating that eases, not causes pain.<\/p>\n

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Give Yourself Permission to Make Art.<\/h3>\n

Sometimes hearing someone else tell you that it’s okay to do something can help you give yourself permission. I know it might seem silly, but I know this has worked for me.\u00a0I’d like to speak\u00a0straight to your heart, so I’d invite you to open your heart and listen. If it feels right, you might write some of these down, or even make your own permission slip to create, and keep it visible at home.<\/p>\n

You have a right to create.<\/strong> As a young child, chances are, you danced, sang, babbled, drew, told stories, and tried new things, all without shame, fear, or critical self-talk. You created because it was natural, and because you experienced the world through your 5 senses as a way of exploring. Somewhere along the line, you let other people tell you to shut all that down, to sit still, and only to pursue those activities in which you had\u00a0“talent,” if any.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have to tell you, that’s total bullshit. We are all creative.<\/p>\n

Being creative is the exhale to the inhale, the output from the input. It’s the natural order of cause and effect, things moving up and down. We use creative energy in all parts of our lives. If you feel called to write, dance, craft, paint, or make music, why not just do it? What’s the harm in playing if it makes you feel good?<\/p>\n

Perhaps you feel stuck because you are think your art isn’t\u00a0“good enough.” I say, it doesn’t have to be “good enough,” so do it anyway. If you think your paintings are ugly, do it anyway. If you sing off pitch, do it anyway. If you can’t dance on the beat, do it anyway. It’s about the joy of expression. That’s what makes art normal. That’s what makes art healing. That’s what makes art necessary.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”So you have permission: Create. Do something. Make something. Be wild. #calledtobecreative” username=”amymaricle”]<\/p>\n

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Give Yourself a Simple, Doable Art Assignment.<\/h3>\n

Even once you give yourself permission to create, staring at a blank white page and a mountain of art supplies and no ideas\u00a0can be overwhelming. If you are feeling overwhelmed,\u00a0I suggest structuring your creative life to make it feel a bit more manageable. (That’s a big part of how to get inspired to create.)<\/p>\n

To structure things, you might give yourself mini art assignments with small, doable steps and limited materials.<\/strong> Put away everything else and give yourself permission to only focus on the assignment you chose. I’ve set this up as daily art prompt for 5 days, but you can adapt it to a\u00a0weekend, a month, or whatever makes sense for you.<\/p>\n

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  1. Project Idea #1:<\/strong> Focus on Drawing in Pencil.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n