How do you reboot your creativity?
Because guys, I’ve been in a creative rut.
That hurts me to admit as the leader and creator of the Everyday Eyecandy Project 52, compulsive instagrammer and creator of this here photography based blog
Truth be told, this has been happening for a minute. I know it’s a normal process and that sometimes my creativity just gets overwhelmed by everyday life.
But being in a creative rut SUCKS guys.
It SUCKS.
But things keep happening for me anyway:My Facebook Community for the Project 52 is thriving, full of beautiful wonderful ordinary extraordinary folks who inspire me everyday. I got nominated for an Iris Award for both photography and Instagram and I’ve been offered a few opps that have blown my mind.
All while in this rut.
Because I keep on pushing though. Because sometimes, even though you are in the rut, you keep picking up your camera and taking a photo. You keep opening up your blog and you keep writing, you pull up to your easel and you keep painting.
You create THROUGH the rut, to get to the other side.
I was talking about things that can help jumpstart your creativity in my Facebook group earlier this week and I realized that it can apply to every aspect of our creative lives, not just photography. because we have all been in a rut. And sometimes it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Here are Three things that have helped me while I’m in this creative rut that I’m in . Three things that you can do to reboot your creativity right now.
1.Stay off Social Media
Comparison is the joy thief. In the world of Facebook groups for every single interest, if you are like me, you belong to a ton of them. I’ve got photography groups and blogging groups coming out of my ears! While they can be good places for learning and inspiration, they can also be big downers. Because Comparison is the joy thief. While I am genuinely happy for people and LOVE all of the creative things I see coming out of the groups, it can be not only intimidating, but downright crushing when you feel like you can’t produce something half as good as you see in the groups.
Stop looking.
Take off notifications from the groups. Stop going in. Focus on your world, your creativity. That way, the only person you are comparing yourself to , is yourself.
2. Keep a Creative Journal
I keep several journals. But my favorite by far is my photography journal. When I read a quote, see an idea I love, see a course I want to take, see that the light in my backyard is great at exactly 7:15 am, I write it down. It’s like a creative brain dump where when I get stuck, I leaf through it to see what I was inspired by.
Get a journal. Write down your ideas for your next post, or your next project or your next photo.
3. Do what you love, not what is expected.
There will always be trends out there. But trends don’t last. What you love will. If you love photographing yellow buses, photograph yellow buses. If you like to write about your wonderful ordinary life, write about it. If you like to create art out of buttons, DO IT. Don’t worry about what you SHOULD be doing, or what everyone else is doing. Do what you love. Because when we do what we love, you can’t help but to be creative. And the ideas and creativity will come.
Creativity is a fluid thing. Something we as creatives will struggle through over and over as long as we are creating. Embrace those ruts. Try these 3 things to reboot your creativity.
And just keep creating.
5 Must Read Books for Mompreneurs - Everyday Eyecandy
Friday 26th of June 2020
[…] a guide to finding inspiration in your everyday. It's hard to be a constantly creative person, and consistently find creative ways to express yourself over and over again. It's hard to find inspiration. But I love how this book changed the way I thought of the […]
Tiffany
Tuesday 2nd of May 2017
Amen to pushing through. At times when I write I'll get stuck. The words don't come out right or read like rambling on the page. But I keep writing, knowing it isn't the best, and finally get to that one word or sentence that changes everything. Yes, I'll start over from there, but sometimes I have to wade through murky waters to find clarity.
Jada
Saturday 29th of April 2017
"You create through the rut, to get to the other side." Love this post!!
Clemencia
Friday 28th of April 2017
You are right, It is hard to admit when we fall in a rut, but it is true that keeping a creative journal helps a lot. When I fall on a rut I naturally stay away from social media because it doesn't help me, it depresses me more seeing that everybody is creating but me lol it's o.k. to stay away and wait until you get over it, just like you did :)
Jessica
Friday 28th of April 2017
I was listening to a podcast episode about this just this morning! The podcast is called Shailey and Katie: The Podcast and it's episode 6. I would link the episode here but I have no idea how to do that lol. Its so hard to keep pushing and keep creating when in a rut.
I really really like your first point about getting off social media. Sometimes I find social media incredibly inspiring and it inspires me to look at something a new way or create something differently. But when I wallow in it and obsess over the fact that my creations are just "never quite as beautiful/perfect/inventive/whatever" as other people's not only do I start resenting that person for no reason but I start to stagnate and stall my own creative process because I'm so worried about not looking like X, Y or Z's creations.
I'm not X, Y or Z. I'm me. So if I fill my head with their designs and their achievements how am I ever going to leave the creative space for my designs and my own personal achievements? I may have just had a perspective shift typing that out lol.
Jennifer Owens
Saturday 29th of April 2017
Yes! Can you write about keeping a creative journal? Seems like I would love it but not sure where to begin! ?