23 Ways to Support Your Creative Practice in Any Situation
Some of us have this idyllic, Pinterest-fueled idea of creative practices, like sitting down to write in a picturesque place with a hot beverage and a smile, but really, daily life has lots of obstacles, there's resistance (see Steven Pressfield’s book The War of Art for more on this), distractions, the list goes on.
Keeping up the habit of your creative practice (or really, any habit) is not easy, but it absolutely can be done!
On the positive side, your creative practice makes you feel more like yourself, connected to the universe, excited about life, curious, etc. This is how I strive to feel, although I’m not usually surrounded by magical unicorns!
Despite all of these good feelings that come from creating, there’s the negative side, too - feelings of self-doubt, uncertainty, fear, all of the feelings.
Often conditions really aren’t what we want them to be - we might be feeling tired, on the verge of getting sick, distracted by life stuff, etc. In spite of that, we still have to show up to do the work!
Even when I was at my busiest and most burned out, I still managed to do 2 100 Day composing challenges in 2017. That was only possible because I made a small, doable commitment - I only required myself to write a minimum of 8 measures per day. Also, choosing a format that included public accountability was helpful - if I declare that I’m going to do something, I follow through.
Certainly if you’re sick, take the day off, take a nap, do whatever you need to do! But, I know that’s not always an option. When I’ve been run down, but not sick enough to cancel everything, my strategy is to expend the least amount of energy while also fulfilling my responsibilities.
Here are some things that help me help me do my most productive creative work when conditions are less than ideal:
Create a solid habit
Set reminders to make sure you don’t just plain forget to do it, especially early in the habit-forming process.
Check in with yourself regularly to see how/if your habit is working, and tweak your commitment as needed - this is okay! If you’re not sure how to adjust when habits aren’t working, this is one of my favorite things to help clients with, so they can make consistent progress on their most important creative projects.
Figure out a trigger for your habit (for example, you could always do it first thing in the morning or after another activity).
Stay as consistent as possible - consistency breeds consistency. People who miss two days in a row of a habit are way more likely to give up entirely, and I know that’s not you!
Make yourself successful, with realistic, or even ridiculously small goals (such as, floss 1 tooth) - do it daily no matter the outcome.
Motivate yourself (you can!)
Figure out your “why” for your creative practice. For me, part of it is knowing that I want to amass a body of work that will make me proud when I get old. In the muck of the everyday, that’s not always easy to remember, but I don’t like to make Future Me mad at Past Me (that’s the worst!)
Reminders of your why - visual reminders in your workspace, on your bathroom mirror, even paper that you’ll trip over on the way to door. There will always be obstacles, so a commitment to yourself and your habit is crucial.
Public accountability (if that motivates you) - Gretchen Rubin’s book The Four Tendencies, sorts people into 4 types based on how they respond to inner and outer expectations, and the majority of people are Obligers (tend to meet outer expectations, and resist inner expectations). You can take the quiz to find out your type here. This book is more fascinating to me than most other “personality type” books because it really addresses different ways that people are suited to forming habits.
Most of us, when we declare that we’re going to do something, do follow through, and supporting that accountability for my clients (and helping them create it themselves) is something they find invaluable.
Eliminate distractions - make it as easy as possible to do the habit
Block social media and other distracting websites with the Self-Control app (for Mac, but there are similar ones for PC) Seriously, this app has saved me so many times when I'd get the "twitch" (credit to Anthony Ongaro of Break the Twitch for that term) to start mindlessly clicking and scrolling because my task was no longer comfortable.
Don’t keep email open - only open at very few specified times. There most likely aren't going to be any emergencies arriving via email.
Do as little work at the computer as possible, to avoid getting spaced out and/or easily distracted). Visual artists, you have it easier with this one, but brainstorming, writing, and composing can all be done without screens. Sometimes I convince myself that I need to be in a Google Doc, but that’s not actually true!
Delete social media apps from your phone while you’re working, or just put your phone in another room entirely.
If you can, pick a designated work time when you’re less tired. For example, if you’re a morning person, do it then, or if you get sleepy after lunch, avoid that.
Take care of physical needs
Be sure to stay hydrated (tea counts as long as it’s not caffeinated) - this makes a huge difference in my mental clarity and mood.
Plan to have food at the ready so you don’t work through lunch and get hangry, or forego a needed snack - brains need glucose to function!
Get some exercise every day - this doesn’t have to be anything big, even a 7-minute walk is enough to light up more brain activity.
Try invigorating your senses, and thus, your energy, through smells - I love this Mental Clarity oil.
Take short breaks for meditation or lying down whenever you’re dragging. Staring out the window is okay, too!
Shifting your mindset
Only make a short to-do list (less than 5 items that must be done), in the exact order you’ll do them, which eliminates the indecision of deciding what to do next, or bobbing between things and never really starting anything.
Expect resistance - it won’t feel easy or inspiring every day, and this is totally normal.
Get more comfortable with uncertainty - the blank page can bring up so many other uncertainties that we feel, especially when creating is our work (am I any good at this?, etc.) So, you have to know yourself and know your excuses. Leo Babauta addresses this really well in this Zen Habits post.
Repeat after me: "Done is better than perfect." Don’t overthink it!
DON’T GIVE UP! The process of forming habits is also a learning process. So, give yourself some grace. If you miss a day, this is not a failure - just start back up the next day.
Of course, you can’t expect to do all of these suggestions at once, but even one or two can make a huge impact in moving you toward consistency in your creative practice, and making big progress toward your creative goals.
One day when I wasn’t feeling well, I discovered that, even when my head felt like it was filled with applesauce, by utilizing some of these suggestions, I was able to free up enough space to allow the conduit of creativity to be open. One writing idea came to me so quickly while I was in the shower that I had to rush to finish and write it all down!
Now, I’m not necessarily saying that these strategies will immediately lead to magic results, but there’s definitely a strong correlation - if we set up the conditions for creativity to happen, it’s much more likely to show up. After all, it’s not like we are totally in control of creating the thing, anyway. If we show up, we’re inviting the creative forces to work in our favor. Or if they don’t today, they will soon - just show up every day and be ready to receive.
And if you need help deciding which strategies to try, go ahead and sign up for a free discovery call (no pressure, ever) where we can go deeper on exactly what's holding you back so you can commit to your creative practice no matter what, and finally create the work you’ve been craving!
DURING THIS 30-MINUTE CALL:
We'll get to the root of your overwhelm and talk about one small shift in your routine so you feel energized and excited about each day
We’ll brainstorm ways that you can support your whole self so you have more energy for your creative pursuits
You’ll leave with one tangible tip that you can easily implement right away so that you’re moving forward toward your goals
I’ll also send you a note with any resources and tools that we talked about.
Sign up for a free 30-minute call below to take the first step toward eliminating the overwhelm and tapping back into your creative flow, so you can have the energy and time to do the stuff that matters.
I’m excited to connect with you!
Pianist and composer
