How To Fall Back In Love With Creating
I remember listening to an acting podcast a few years back where the host and guest were talking about how there is this kind of hypocrisy that artists aren’t allowed to complain about their jobs. The guest was saying that other people who weren’t artists could talk and gripe to her about their jobs all they wanted. However, whenever she would bring up work struggles of her own with others – such as the stress of preparing for an audition or feeling exhausted after a grueling gig – they were often unsympathetic. They would tell her that she wasn’t allowed to complain because she was working a job that others could only dream of ever doing.
But, as anyone, creative or not, who has ever worked and held a job can tell you – no job is fun all the time, nor without its cons. And yes, while this may come as a shock to some, creatives (even those who are working their “dream jobs”) are still allowed to have bad days on the job, stress over deadlines, and yes, vent about their work.
Sometimes creatives experience burnout. And like everyone else, sometimes they fall out of love with their craft. It happens to all of us and it’s a completely common experience that we don’t talk about enough as creatives.
So, today, we’re here to talk about how to fall back in love with creating. The more we talk about things like burnout and falling out of love with our crafts, the more we can realize that we’re not alone in these feelings. Read on for how to reignite your creative spark and fall back in love with creating!
Reconnect With Your Why
If you want to fall back in love with creating, you need to rediscover why you fell in love in the first place.
Ask yourself: why did I start doing this?
Most likely you started engaging in your craft because you found it fun and exciting. Maybe you discovered your love for it as a kid, or it started as a hobby and turned into a full-blown passion.
Try to go back to the beginning and rekindle those feelings of pure excitement, curiosity, and passion. Do what you did then. Rediscover your craft all over again. Revisit some of your past work to see the progress you’ve made.
Then, ask yourself this: why does my work matter?
I think many of us never ask ourselves this question and then we get burnt out and begin to fear that none what we’re doing matters. If you’ve never taken the time to answer this question for yourself, then I encourage you to do that now.
Are you working towards a financial goal? To leave a legacy? To make a difference? Are you looking to connect and resonate with a particular group of people? What is the message you are trying to convey through your art? What is the story you are telling in the way you show up – both in your art and the world?
Knowing your why can rekindle your passion and be a good motivator to keep you working towards your goals.
Switch It Up
Sometimes all you need to fall back in love with creating is to just get some fresh perspective. Try switching things up – whether it’s working from a difference place or trying a different approach to your craft.
As artists, sometimes we pick up bad habits or techniques, or even just bad ways of thinking. Often we have to unlearn our way of doing things as law and play with new approaches in order to find that spark in it once more.
Revisiting old works you’ve created can remind you of old processes or ways of thinking. You may be able to re-adopt some of these old processes and join them with current ones. This marriage of old and new reconnects your past and present journey as an artist and gives you fresh perspective.
Try to make creating playful again. Create just for fun without the pressure to share it with the world. Remove the need for your art to be perfect and just have fun with it. Allow it to be messy and imperfect and have fun with the process!
You could even try a new style or medium within your art for a fresh approach! For instance, if you typically paint with acrylics, then give watercolor a try. Or, if you are a romance novelist, you could try out some writing prompts in other genres.
Another way to find play in your craft is to engage in a “challenge” within your niche, whether it’s a writing challenge like NaNoWriMo or a thirty day art challenge. (Note: you can search “[your niche] challenge” on Pinterest for all sorts of fun, creative ideas!) These challenges do exactly that: they challenge you to think and create in new ways which is great for rekindling your passion!
Take A Break
Sometimes the best thing for rekindling your passion for something is to actually step away from it for a while. When you’re too close to something for too long, it can quickly begin to lose its appeal.
Taking a break allows your creative mind to rest and gain some fresh perspective. If you can, take some time off from your work and allow yourself to try new experiences. You could travel somewhere you’ve never been before, immersing yourself in a new city and culture. Or, if your budget is tight, you could have a staycation. Approach your town or city as a tourist, and visit places within your community you’ve never been before but have always wanted to!
Step outside of your usual comfort zone and allow yourself to explore art in ways that you don’t usually. If you normally stream music digitally, buy yourself a record player. Record stores, especially vintage or used ones, usually have a lot of character, and it can be fun exploring them for new vinyls!
Study different forms of art – whether it be paintings, sculptures, mosaics, film, music, or books. Try to see as many of these in-person as you can. Seek out local shows or exhibitions. Being around other people who love art is infectious and can be great inspiration to return to your craft!
I guarantee you that if you allow yourself to stop being the producer and approach art as a consumer for a while, you’ll find inspiration. Keep consuming art that inspires you and challenges your perspective. Do this, and before you know, you’ll feel rested and reenergized to start creating again!
Let Go Of Perfectionism
It’s all too easy in this modern day of social media to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. However, we must remember that we’re each on our own unique, creative journey. While we can gain inspiration from or even aspire to be like others, our art and social media profiles shouldn’t look like anyone else’s.
As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy. So stop comparing your life and work to others! Instead, give yourself the permission and space to show up authentically, exactly as you are.
Authenticity is infectious! Even if your art isn’t where you want it to be yet, people will resonate with your transparency and personality when you let go of trying to be perfect.
I know I’m paraphrasing here but there’s another appropriate saying for this: when you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one.
Stop seeking external validation for your work, whether in the form of comments, likes, or shares. Instead, practice having more grace and love for yourself, your body and mind. Those things allow you to create things like no one else on this planet can – and that’s pretty cool!
Perfection isn’t real. Especially in art. What one critic deems perfection, another might just as easily shrug off as garbage. I’m sure there’s something you love – a book, film, album – that other people didn’t enjoy. The sooner you learn and accept that your art isn’t for everyone, the less pressure you feel to appeal to the masses. Create for yourself. Tell your story. Share what’s in your heart. And stop trying to be perfect – because perfection, just like beauty is all in the eye of the beholder!
Create A Ritual
To reignite your passion for creating, try making a creative ritual for yourself! Having a creative ritual, or routine, allows you to more easily access flow state while you’re creating. This can be a fun excuse to revamp your creative space.
Create a cozy environment for yourself that is conducive to your creative process. Light a candle while you create. Play lo-fi or classical music. Eliminate any distractions or clutter. Your environment should set the mood for creating. You want your creative space to be inspiring, yet not overwhelming. Keep your creative space tidy and simple to allow more space for your creativity to shine!
Figure out what your ritual should consist of. What activities inspire or get you into the mood to create?
It could be prayer, meditation, saying affirmations, journaling, looking at a mood or vision board, or doing some yoga. You don’t need to do these for long, either. Setting aside five to twenty minutes to go through your ritual before you start work is enough.
Making these activities a part of your creative ritual signals to your brain that it’s time for deep, creative work. The more you practice your creative ritual, the faster your brain will be able to tap into a state of flow.
Seek Creative Community
If you’re still struggling to fall back in love with creating, it may be helpful to seek creative community.
Reach out to a fellow creative or invite them out for coffee where you can openly express your feelings. Talking with someone who can easily understand your perspective is helpful for reminding us we’re not alone in our struggles. Getting feedback and support from someone you admire or respect can be very reassuring and motivating!
Join online or in-person communities. Oftentimes, others will share their own personal struggles and feelings in these spaces. This can give us insight into how others persevere through feelings of self-doubt, burnout, and lack of passion. By empathizing with others, we can gain perspective and clarity in our own challenges.
While seeking out community can be scary if you’re, like myself, someone who prefers brooding in solitude, it can open you up to so many new ideas, opportunities, and friends! So here is your sign to join that workshop, forum, or event. When we push ourselves out of our comfort zones is where we learn and gain the most!
Conclusion
Every creative falls out of love with their craft at least once in their careers! The more we talk about the hard aspects of being an artist, the more we normalize having healthy conversations about topics such as how to recover from burnout or deal with stress as an artist in a healthy way. Feeling a lack of passion or motivation is a totally normal feeling to have as a creative – and it doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you or that you weren’t meant to create! Sometimes all we need to fall back in love with creating is to do things a little differently for a while in order to gain some fresh perspective and rekindle our creative passion!
Photo Credit: Sarah Brown on Unsplash
