Over the years I have heard people talk about “writer’s block,” and “waiting for the muse,” and several other phrases that imply creativity is some mysterious force over which we have no control.
If you are a full-time creative, someone who depends on their creative output to pay the bills, this is an indulgence you cannot afford. My husband has been a full-time writer all of our lives together, and I can tell you there are times that would have been absolutely terrifying if 1) he had waited for inspiration before creating new fiction, and 2) I did not have a steady day job that provided a minimum level of income.
You may be transitioning from a day job to being a full-time creative, and in that case you must continue producing whether or not your “muse” has shown their face today, or this week, or this month. I mean, have you had a repair appointment canceled because of “plumber’s block”? Or a surgery postponed because of “surgeon’s block”?
If you are retired and not dependent on your creative endeavors to provide financial support, that situation changes.
Still, there are reasons that we want to continue creating on a regular basis. We have talked at length about that in this series.
So what do you do when it feels as though your creativity has deserted you? How do you push forward, how do you make yourself create when you don’t feel like you want to?
I know a lot of creative people who would look askance at that question. They can’t imagine a situation in which their desire to create would disappear. That drive, that desire, is so central to their identity that it would be like losing the desire to breathe. Or eat. In fact, I know some people who would rather create - write, paint, sew, knit, bead, program - than eat, and who will forget meals when they are creating.
But for most of us, our creativity feels like a small, fragile part of us, and one that could be quashed at any moment.
The lesson we all must learn is that while you cannot force creativity, you can foster it.
You can create the atmosphere, the conditions, that nurture and encourage creativity.
Do you find that you are more creative in the morning, or the evening? Plan your schedule so that those creative hours are free of obligations and interruptions.
Do you need quiet and solitude, or do you enjoy being in the middle of activity? Choose your workspace accordingly.
Does observing the art of others inspire you, or does it make you overly critical? Plan your consumption and creation of art in the way that feeds your creativity rather than inhibits it.
Feed your creativity. Give it the priority it deserves, and nurture it. Be aware of what you need to provide yourself with the time and space you need to be successful - by your own definition - and give yourself the gift of attention.