Find Your Creativity

 Find Your Creativity

"Use that big brain of yours to think your way out. Look for a new angle!"

Lately, I've had difficulty coming up with ideas for blog posts. I haven't done any writing in awhile. Any game design stuff I'm working on isn't creative so much as it's putting what I've already created into action. Which is exciting, but doesn't feel creative. And I haven't worked on a play or educational program in any capacity for about a year.

I thrive when I'm able to indulge my creativity. It helps me feel productive beyond the usual of work and home lives and feeds my soul. Which is a phrase that I know kind of sounds typical of an artist, but it's also accurate. We as people need more than just a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. We need creativity in our lives. We need art in all of its various, wonderful, weird forms. So I will admit that not doing the things I listed above is kind of frustrating. But I also still feel good about where I'm at right now! I'm really happy at my new job, I was recently accepted into an MSSW program, and I'm surrounded by incredible friends and family. But even so, a lack of creative endeavors has a negative impact on my mental health. So why am I not feeling it other than the frustration of staring at a blank screen as I try to come up with an idea for a blog post or glancing at my journal of board game ideas that I don't have capacity to design at the moment?

Because I was being more creative than I realized, but just sort of wasn't recognizing the creative things I was doing. Sometimes, the things we sort of identify as incidental or matter of course actually check a box we need to check. I hadn't done any painting for a couple of weeks, but I've consistently painted every night for the past week or so, making slow but steady progress on a Rising Sun mini and a Deathguard Kill Team. Honestly, the only redeeming element of staying up for the Cowboys v. Giants game this past Monday night was that I spent most of the game painting. I haven't been as consistent with my blog posts as I like, but I am still posting. I'm still spending time coming up with ideas for posts. The work I'm doing on the board game I'm designing doesn't feel creative because, for me, building the prototype out isn't the fun part. But it is part of the creative process and it's a necessary one. I've got an idea I'm starting to build out for a Star Wars Armada campaign, and frankly, I don't care how long it takes because I'm not in a rush. Also, for work, I write weekly update e-mails to my volunteers and I also share resources twice a week, so I am implementing some creativity there, even if it's less than I'm used to employing on a regular basis.

All of this is to say that no matter how busy you are, you can find room for creativity in your life. And sometimes, we don't give ourselves enough credit for how creative we're being. We sometimes come up with higher standards than we're currently capable of meeting. And that's okay! I've written this before, but maybe you need to hear it again: afford yourself some grace, my friends. Take a breath. Take some space. You're doing great. And if you make a mistake?

Makin' mistakes is part of it."

Find creativity in the little things that you do. At some point, you'll find the space to do the big creative things again. But in the meantime, fill the little spaces in your life with little bits of creativity you didn't really recognize as creative before.

I'm on vacation for the next week. Unless inspiration strikes, that means I'll be off from writing blog posts as well. But I'm hoping to come back with some new thoughts as well as the energy and capacity to finish some old thoughts. I hope I'll see you right back here in about a week!