What Do You Need to Create?
Rediscovering the Magic of Creativity: Part One
Dear Reader,
I wanted to write a letter to help you rediscover the joy of creation. While many people are affected by political unrest, I also feel that this can apply to people who are burnt out, grieving, depressed, or suffering other types of losses. This letter will be the first in a series. I’m not sure how long it will be, but I do have a lot to share and say about the subject.
If you’re new here? Welcome. My philosophy regarding advice is to simply trust you. I trust that you will take what you need and leave the rest. If you disagree with any point I’m making? That’s okay. This letter won’t outline a strict set of rules for you to follow. I simply want to empower you to take a pulse, understand where you’re at, and find direction if you’re feeling overwhelmed or lost.
Everything I share comes from my own life and the lessons I’ve learned. As I continue on my own journey, I recognize that who I am as a creator and what I think about making art changes over time. Experiences, zeitgeist, and others’ perspectives affect what I think about productivity, and changes within my body, mind, and soul alter how I need to produce. You probably recognize your own needs and have some requirements of your own. Before you can create, you need the “right” pen, the “right” device, the “right” environment, the “right” community. Some of these needs are requirements, because we are people who have a range of health-related physical, mental, and emotional needs.
Don’t, however, conflate your needs with what makes you comfortable. Don’t mistake comfort for safety, either.
All of those things that you “need” but don’t actually require? Those things that you’ve added to convince yourself you can’t make art without them? They’re pieces of armor or components in a ritual you’ve devised. That cute washi tape. Your favorite ink. The perfect playlist. A specific spot at a coffee shop. A routine that, if missed, means you won’t create that day. That doesn’t mean these things can’t and shouldn’t bring you joy—or that some of them are necessary for a healthy work environment. The point that I’m trying to make, here, is that if you can’t create because you don’t have what you need? Maybe it’s time to re-examine your needs so you can continue.
Maybe, you’re stressed out or don’t feel safe to create. Maybe, you’re judging yourself or you’re afraid you’ll be judged as a person. Maybe, you’re unconsciously stopping yourself from creating, because you fear it’ll suck and won’t be fixable. Maybe, you are unsafe in your waking life: mentally, emotionally, physically.
If these scenarios don’t resonate with you, what does? How do you know your needs are met? What emotions do you feel when your creative requirements aren’t met? And, what are your actual needs?
What do you actually need to create versus what do you enjoy creating with?
Once you identify your needs vs. desires, you have a direction. Fulfill your core needs and, if you can’t, figure out how to make do. (Recognizing, absolutely, that your needs and limits will vary widely. Sometimes, you just can’t. And that’s okay, too.)
I can’t give you a checklist filled with boxes to tick off, because your creative life is yours to explore. (If you need to write with a fountain pen? Then you do.) Own it. That’s my advice to you. You get to choose what that creative life looks like. What I’m suggesting, is that the first step to figuring out how to reclaim your joy, is to pause, breathe, and determine what you actually need.
Sometimes, I find, all I need to create is a gentle push. Hopefully, you’ll take this letter in that spirit of camaraderie and support.
Since this series will continue, you’re encouraged to leave comments and feedback. I want to be helpful, and hearing from you allows me to draw more specifically from my own journey and observations.
Be well,
Monica