What is “Creative Self Care” and who needs it?

First let’s define creativity:

Creativity the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.

~Google

Basically, creativity is the use of our unique minds to come up with something new. For example, this article is a creative work because I came up with it and it did not exist in the world before I wrote it.

So then, what is creative self-care? When we think of traditional “self-care” we often think of eating well, exercising, resting and doing something nice for ourselves, like getting a massage—and creative self-care certainly includes all of those things, but Creative self-care is a little more than that. Creative self-care is about feeding the creative part of your mind and spirit.

Who needs creative self care?

Many people who lean into their creativity complain of creative blocks. You’ve likely all heard of the proverbial “writer’s block”, but what exactly is that?

Creative blocks, or barriers to inspiration, can be described as the inability to access one’s internal creativity. Those in creative professions—writers, musicians, stage performers, artists—are often more likely to be affected by creative blocks, which can last for days, weeks, months, or even years. One of the most common reasons for creative block is the fear of imperfection, feeling like you are not good enough to see an idea through.

~Google

Many creatives consider themselves perfectionists, which can prevent the pursuing of ideas or completing projects. I believe this is also why so many people look at the great artists of the world and then compare themselves to these people, only to decide that they, themselves, are not creative at all. The reality is that nothing and no one is perfect.

Perfectionism and I’ll also include comparisonitis, are both killers of creativity. So often we compare ourselves to someone else’s best work and crush our spirits under the pressure to measure up. But here’s the thing. You will never make the exact art or invention that someone else does. You can’t!

You will, and should, only create something that is unique to you. And the world needs that very special creation! Think of all the technology and innovation that has come about over the past century alone. Maybe you’re not oriented in a technological way, but you’re someone who markets ideas, or cares for people, or helps them with finances. Maybe you’re like me and offer the world a form of entertainment. Whatever you do has a creative element. EVERYONE is creative in some way.

Do you need creative self-care?

Perhaps you’ve found yourself staring at your current work, or alternately, a blank work page or space and had no idea what to do next. Your inspiration took a hike and your muse moved to Tahiti. You might feel dried up, barren, edgy, scared, sad, desperate, bored, rebellious, lonely, even angry. Perhaps you gaze at your un-started piece of work, or maybe you pace, or stomp around. Are you one to throw wadded up paper at your computer or spit balls up to the ceiling? Maybe you spin circles in your desk chair, like me.

If any of this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing a creative dry spell. But why? How did this happen and what can you do about it?

The good news is that your muse hasn’t really moved to the islands. It’s just hiding under a blanket in the closet, exhausted, parched, and under nourished. There is an old saying that goes: “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Creatively, we must continually refill our cups. It is time to woo your inspiration back with some desperately needed, creative self care.

What does creative self care look like?

Let’s start with the importance of regular self-care and discuss why each of these facets matter to our creativity.

First, be sure to eat a proper diet. It’s well known that our brains work better when fed a balanced diet – lots of fruits, vegetables, and quality protein. Don’t forget to stay hydrated. Hydrated cells are cells that work and that includes brain cells.

Then, there’s exercise. Did you know that exercise which increases the blood flow to our brains helps our creativity to soar as well? Next time you’re feeling uncreative, go out for a walk or do some squats. Move!

Third is rest. Rest is crucial. When we sleep or even relax without giving our mind input, our brain has a chance to process all the challenges of the day. Sometimes we try to create something new, but our brain is too full of miscellaneous details to attend to fresh ideas. Work toward getting 7- 8 hours of good sleep each night.

Finally, we come to the doing something nice for ourselves part of self-care and where we make the turn into “creative” self-care. Of course, a massage never hurt anyone, but how do we care for our muse? Our inspiration? We need to feed it.

We need to fill our cup.

I find that when I’m feeling empty, when I’m staring at the blank page and have nothing to say, my first reaction is to distract myself with busy work. This is counterproductive because I’m only giving myself more details for my brain to wrestle with.

This past summer, I finished my most recent book and I took some time off – sort of. I mean the author business side never really stops. But, when I came back to my computer to write my next book, I drew a blank. It was scary, actually, because I don’t just write because I love to. I write to make an income.

A quick aside here – creatives that take their passion and make it a career face creative blocks frequently because of the additional pressure they’ve added to what should be one of the great the joys of their life. It’s why creative self-care is crucial for people like me.

Anyway, I had no idea what to write. I felt like my characters stopped talking to me and all the crimes have already been committed and solved. I had NOTHING! After some chair spinning, website tweaking, and email inbox purging, I reminded myself the best way out of the creative desert is to fill my cup with an alternate form of creativity. For me, that looks like going into my studio and painting.

Iron sharpens iron.

Well, creativity enhances creativity too. This works if you do something else creative yourself or enjoy someone else’s creative gift.

First, take some time to quiet your mind. Let it work through whatever is on the front burner, and then settle your thoughts. Maybe take a nap. Then take yourself out to an art museum, or listening to music, go out in nature and enjoy creation itself.

Find the inspiration that fills your personal cup. When you feel replenished, create something in a medium that’s new for you. Try drawing, painting, crafting, writing, dancing, anything that is new or not the norm for you. The list of options is truly endless.

Create with a playfulness. Remember when you were little and it didn’t matter if your pot was crooked or if the people you drew didn’t have fingers. Refuse to judge the outcome of these early attempts, simply experience the act of creating. This is what will replenish your dried out well of inspiration. Before you know it, you will return to your primary work, the place you need fresh ideas, with renewed vision and energy.

You are a creative being!

 I hope you see yourself as creative being and understand that we all need to care for that part of ourselves with creative self care. That refilling our creative spirit is helpful—even necessary—for all of us in our work and daily lives, even if we aren’t professional creatives.

If we make this type of care a regular practice, we will face fewer incidences of creative blocks, and when we do have them, we have the tools to work through them. Expressing ourselves in our own unique manners without comparing the outcome to others, will bring joy and playfulness back to our lives.

So, I encourage you, go… create!

What are the Four types of Creativity and why does it matter?

In 2004, Arne Dietrich, a professor of cognitive neuroscience, published a research article in the Psychonomic Bulletin & Review on what he, and others have studied the four types of creativity. If you’re interested in the science behind the creative mind, here is his article:

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review/Arne Dietrich

I am a creative, right-brained, type of person. I am a writer, artist, and singer. Creativity comes easily to me in the same way mechanical thinking come to my middle son and husband. Their form of creativity is deliberate and cognitive. A given type of creativity may feel more natural to you than others, but I firmly believe that EVERYONE is creative.

Deliberate and Cognitive

These creatives are purposeful. They systematically learn about a certain topic and then combine their knowledge with their particular skill set and make a plan. These creatives are the inventors, the researchers and problem solvers.

Deliberate and Emotional

The work of these creatives is influenced by their emotions. They tend to be more sensitive and may prefer solitude for reflection but are also logical and rational. This type of creativity is born from a logical mindfulness. They often are writers of diaries.

Spontaneous and Cognitive

This type of creativity can happen to anyone when they are trying hard to solve a given problem. They think it through from every angle but can’t find a solution. Later, when their conscious mind is relaxed, perhaps when they’re in the shower or sleeping, and Presto! The solution dawns on them.

Spontaneous and Emotional

Spontaneous ideas and creative thought happen when a person’s prefrontal brain is resting. Emotional and spontaneous creatives are the artists, musicians, writers, and painters and their ideas seem to come to them in the form of a divine inspiration or sudden realization.

What Type of Creative are You?

Can you recognize yourself in any one or more of the four types of creativity? Did you notice that none of the types mentioned perfection? I like to think of the word Creativity as another word for Play. We don’t have to be good at play, just willing to be open and try. So, whether you are Deliberate, Cognitive, Emotional, or Spontaneous, or some combination of the four, you are a CREATIVE!

What kind of creatives do we have out there? Be sure to comment on this post and let us know!

 

Take our fun Creative Archetype Quiz and learn more about how you create!

Do you make time for creativity?

Or do other priorities rise up shouting for your time and attention when you plan to write, paint, sculpt, or explore your craft? Do you struggle to capture time for creativity? Perhaps family members want to talk or need help with something, friends call, or chores you’ve left too long start haunting you. Do you feel a niggling sense of guilt for spending time on yourself—making time for creativity—when there are so many other things to attend to?

How can you put these hinderances behind you?

7 Ways to Capture Time for Creativity

1. Respect your own personal need for creative time.

We must first learn to give ourselves permission to claim time for creativity. Understanding that for a creative person, having time set aside to express this side of ourselves is not an indulgence but an absolute necessity. The time challenges in our busy world are real but not insurmountable.

The first hurdle is to realize the importance of creative time to our emotional and mental wellbeing. Once we believe this for ourselves, it becomes easier to claim the time and set boundaries around it.

2. Mark your creative time, in ink, on the family calendar.

Build this time into your routine. Think of it as an appointment or a job. Block out several regular hours a week. Be firm with yourself and others about the importance of these appointments.

Many people, especially folks who aren’t particularly creative themselves, think that what you do creatively is simply for fun or a diversion and should take second place to how they would like you to spend your time—with them.

I find this particularly true with writing. I’ve finally learned to scheduled my writing time as though it is a job. It’s a funny thing in our culture, often our time is not valued unless it is accompanied by a pay check.

Set aside time for your art and keep it. Tell others you have an appointment, it isn’t necessary to tell them what the appointment is for.

The only way to get others to respect your time, is to first respect it yourself.

3. Avoid the black-hole time-vacuum of technology. Turn off your phone and stay away from social media during your designated creative time.

It is tempting to catch up on emails and social media the minute you have a little time to yourself. DON’T DO IT! Set aside time later (with a timer) to attend to your inbox, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, etc. Don’t steal minutes away from your creative time. Once you open Facebook or Pinterest you’ve lost a precious half-hour at the very least!

4. Turn off the TV.

Everyone likes to veg-out and watch a good TV show once in a while but a constant stream of non-interactive entertainment can dull your creative edge. Try taking one of every two hours of television time and use it to make something new.

5. Privacy

Close the door or find a way to screen yourself off from others. A designated creative space is crucial. Let others in your house know you don’t want to be disturbed. It helps to give them a time frame. “Do not disturb until 3:00pm.” Another option is using pockets of time when others in your house are sleeping, doing homework, or watching TV.

6. Take a personal creative retreat.

Of course, you may want to go on an art-oriented vacation but when that isn’t feasible, you can still set aside a day for a creative retreat. Some art communities offer opportunities to have a retreat day with other local artists. However, if you can’t find one, you can always create one for yourself.

Set a special day, include time to walk or do yoga and eat delicious, favorite foods. Have a quiet time for reflection and dreaming. Learn a new art form or try a new technique. Give yourself several hours to immerse yourself in your craft. Take a nap.

7. If you can’t beat them, have them join you.

Teach the people who share your life about your art. Share and afternoon of creative time with them and help them understand what you are doing and all that it involves. It may be easier for them to realize why you need time to yourself in the future.

No matter which steps you take, maybe even all of them, setting aside designated creative time will feed your soul and enhance your art.