Creating space for creativity
If you are working in a creative field and sometimes feel stuck, this is for you! Especially if you are a writer and/or can take your work anywhere.
While routine and discipline are important, I feel that creating space and the right kind of space for creativity to come knocking at the door is equally important if not more! Of course there is this thing called resistance that deserves its own post but for today I would like to focus on: allowing creativity to show up, so that work becomes effortless.
I got inspired to write about this during a Yoga retreat I took over Easter at Mandali. These are the 5 key points that came up:
Creating head space
At the retreat it was recommended to not use our phones, meaning no interacting with people online and also no digital input which created a tone of mental space to welcome new ideas. Besides being a digital detox, it was also a silent retreat so in the offline world too, there was a lot of space to listen to my own emotions and thoughts.
I know, we cannot spend our life on plane mode and in silence but we can definitely create space in our everyday life to be less online, to not constantly google all the things that cross our mind or text every person we think of. In fact everything can wait! In my everyday life, it helps me to put my phone away, where I cannot see it while I work, so I’m not tempted to check if I got a message every 5min. Notice next time your hand reaches for your phone and make it a practice to not let it. Once you started creating, keep on doing so, collecting information can wait! What helps me also is to not jampack my week or day, to not see too many people so I can stay with my own energy.
Creating space in the body
with any kind of movement practice. Coming into the body helps coming out of the head even more. At the retreat there was a nice combo of Yoga, Dance & Hiking. At home I sometimes dance before or during writing/editing.
Next time you are stucked or cannot get yourself to even start, try moving in a way that you enjoy and notice if it makes a difference.
Creating space in the heart
thanks to a gratitude practice. When you are grateful for all the things in your life, you come from a place of abundance instead of lack (tightness/contraction) and so you will be more open for ideas coming your way. The retreat got me crying of gratitude for the beauty of the place, the Nature, the abundance of delicious food, the abundance of time and care, etc.
What are you grateful for right now? You can think of 3 things or journal about them.
Creating the ideal space around you
For all of us this is going to look different. I personally thrive when I can work while looking at the water, the Ocean being my number 1 or at the Sea, a lake or a river in that order. I also thrive in a nicely designed space. The retreat had both components: minimalist / boho deco, surrounded by Nature, overlooking a lake. At home, I have an office overlooking a river or when I work from home I have a garden view and if that doesn’t do the trick I go to a café I like where I can focus and where the hipster deco inspires me.
What is your ideal space to create? Where do you feel most inspired?
Creating space for the ‘just in case’
Last but not least and I think in fact the most important point: I didn’t go to the retreat to work but to relax and do something good for myself which means: I didn’t put ANY pressure on myself to be productive which had a magnetic effect to attract inspiration. Work was a choice not an obligation.
I’ve tried a couple times to go to the mountains for a few days specifically to write. And both times it didn’t work. Because a) even though beautiful, the mountains are not my ideal space and b) I expected my creativity to be there exactly during those days and it didn’t show up.
It’s a bit similar to working on the weekend: because everybody is off, there is this relaxed vibe in the air and working feels easy but as soon as Monday comes around: the collective tension sneaks in and the pressure to be productive comes with it (#conditioning). Did you ever experience that?
Where/when/how could you schedule downtime / play time / time for yourself and in the meantime JUST IN CASE creativity knocks at the door, take the time to welcome it in and be a great host?
