Happy Friday everyone how are you? how was the first week back to reality?
I guess mine didn't quite get off to the all guns blazing start I was hoping for, but hey, at least I won't run out of steam before we get to February! sometime change has to be like that doesn't it? Slow burning. Sure it's great to tackle something with real enthusiasm, and there have definitely been instances in the past where diving in at the deep end has done me the world of good, but some things, usually those smaller every day things, you need to take one step at a time.
Small changes every day make a big difference.
One of the big changes I want to make this year is to create more freely. I am creative in some way, shape or form, nearly every day, but most of the time, my creativity is on demand, and most of the time, it's for somebody else. My day job involves creating marketing campaigns, content, design, workshops, all things I love doing - but not always for things I would CHOOSE to create myself. Simillarly with my freelance work I am lucky enough to be at a stage where I write shows on comission - but these shows aren't about subjects I have chosen, and they aren't for me to perform in.
So yes I am creative every day, for work, but I am so rarely creative just for me.
This is something I want to get back, to be creative just for the fun of it. Not to be sat there stressing about how my creativity fits a set of objectives, or how perfect it has to be, or how it will pay the bills. I want to remember how to be creative and be ok with failing, to loose hours to a task just for the pleasure of doing it. And while this change might not seem that monumental or challenging, for me, it will be a big readjustment of my mindset.
So I'm approaching it one step at a time, and luckily for me the 64 Million Artists January Challenge just so happens to be the perfect readjustment treatment.
Everyday in January 64 Million Artists emails you - usually early in the morning - with a creative task for the day. The tasks are small, designed to take up no more than 20 minutes (but of course can be longer if you want), they don't need any fancy tools, or even expertise. The point of the challenge is to simply DO the task, think about how it made you feel, and then if you want to, share it - either with friends also signed up to the challenge, or in the facebook group.
So far I've had to build towers, sketch the view from outside my window and make a list of all the blue things I noticed on my way to work. The tasks have been small chunks of my day, giving me a break from a computer screen on my lunch hour, and completely free of pressure. I can't really draw but I enjoyed taking 10 minutes to sketch. My tower didn't reach any great heights but it was fun to build, and my list of blue things felt like it had the possibility of becoming more (a poem, a story?) but at the same time was perfect just as it was.
I thought about sharing with you the products of my daily challenges but then I decided against it - this challenge isn't for my blog, it's for me. But I am in the 64 Million Artists January Challenge Facebook Group so if you do sign up for the challenge (it's definitely not too late) and you do want to have a nosey and what I've been creating you'll find me in there!
You can find out more about 64 Million Artists Challenge and sign up to join in here.
If you're having a similar struggle readjusting your mind set whether that's with your creativity or something else, let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear your thoughts on what brings you joy and how you make time for it! x
Post a Comment