Hello! This is the first Human Stuff Thread — a weekly space to share recommendations, experiences, tools & tips related to a topic of choice.
I get asked all the time for recs: books, recipes, healing modalities, creative practices, ritual ideas, writing tips… and everything in between. I thought it would be fun to carve out a space where we share recommendations each week based on a topic I bring — as a way of connecting, creating shared support, and curating a list of great resources from people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Moving forward, the weekly thread will be for paid subscribers only.
It is a work in progress /experiment and may shift and change as I get more feedback and practice — but I am hoping it will be a welcomed addition to this space (and most of you voiced excitement about it!).
So, for our first Human Stuff Thread: I’m thinking a lot about creativity lately — how to tap into it, how to express it, and where to get inspired. I’d love to hear from you: what supports you in accessing and expressing your creativity? How do you get inspired? What tools/practices/rituals/resources add guidance to your creative practice (or motivation to begin one)? Who inspires you creatively?
PS... Today is International Creativity Day and I had no idea that was even a thing! Alignment and synchronicity -- I love when things randomly line up in that way ✨
I'll go first: For the last two years, I've been so inspired by The Isolation Journals (type it into Substack to find it). The writing, shares, and prompts are so helpful in tapping into our inherent creativity. Another tool I swear by is having simple spiral-bound notebooks around. I find when all my notebooks or journals are special or fancy, I easily become afraid to ruin them! So having simple spiral notebooks makes me more inclined to write or draft ideas.
I have also been really supported by carving out a special space to create and write: even if it's just a tiny corner of a room, naming a space as your creative space can support you in starting or returning to a creative practice. I am also inspired by remembering that JUST LIVING is creative in itself -- that creativity doesn't always require us to make something -- that creativity can be as simple as a way of seeing the world.
I hope you share some of your tips/tools/recommendation, too -- and I may add this segment onto my weekly letter if a separate space ends up not flowing. We'll see! Thanks again for being here. xx
Apr 21, 2022·edited Apr 21, 2022Liked by Lisa Olivera
This might sound kind of odd, but I like referring to my creativity (mostly poetry) as "goofy" or "silly" to help take the pressure off. So I'll write a goofy poem in the silly notebook I keep in my purse. I used to think everything I did had to be so amazingly brilliant so it's nice to have the freedom to be a goofball sometimes.
Really *basic* answer, but the book The Artist's Way has really changed my relationship with my creativity.
Also, I've found that my focus shifts between different creative pursuits. I used to beat myself up for "not following through" and struggling to achieve long term goals. But I try now to ride the waves of my interests as they ebb and change, rather than trying to put myself in a box of what kind of artist I am.
And also recognizing that everything comes in seasons and some seasons are for creative output while others are for input (feeding, observing).
I really like creating videos even if & especially for mundane “boring” things! For example, recording clips of workouts & putting them together in a creative way. I get my workout done & also satisfy my desire to be creative too! I do the same sometimes for things like cooking or cleaning. It’s not content I share typically but it’s something that taps into making something fun and beautiful out of something ordinary I do every day.
This is such a wonderful and inspiring community - thank you so much Lisa for creating the space for us to share and connect! I really appreciated what you said about creativity not always being equated to a product or skill. I've never considered myself a creative person based on its conventional definition but I'm realizing that I've actually always been because life itself is a creation. This week's newsletter on the power of ordinary moments beautifully ties into this notion that everyone possesses inherent creativity in simple and mundane acts. One way I've been accessing creativity is breaking my daily flow whether that's my work schedule, exercise regimen, or relationships. For example, I'll meet up with a coworker from a different department during my work break and learn more about their expertise instead of responding to emails (at least not the time sensitive ones, ha) or I'll challenge myself to create a recipe with leftover ingredients in the fridge for dinner instead of ordering take-out. This forces me to step out of old patterns of thinking and behaviors and experiment with new ideas and different perspectives. So, in a way, creativity looks like stepping out of my comfort zone in my everyday routine :)
Apr 21, 2022·edited Apr 21, 2022Liked by Lisa Olivera
I recently discovered improv in general and improv for anxiety in particular, and I cannot rave enough about it. It is so FUN. I'm a playful and expressive person and improv helped me reconnect with this part of myself.
I'm going on month two of participating in weekly (intro) improv classes and its been such good medicine that I didn't know I needed. I've been describing it as a spiritual enema that loosened up some emotional constipation I didn't know I had, ha! Its been helping me feel more Flow and connected to my life force. A bonus piece to this is connection and collaboration that came from it -- Cathy the facilitator is great and silly and fun to play with and she generously agreed to offer a few free classes to my clients so they too can experience the benefits of it.
I am a huge fan of anything creative. Such a big part of being human is creating. So many things and people inspire me, if I'm in the head/heart/spirit space to see/feel/receive it. Music most often gets me there in the most direct way. For the longest time I've been wanting to explore male impersonation/drag king'ing.
Something I've been feeling a pull to do for some time is to better understand and tell My Story. I am good at making space for & helping others to do so but find it quite hard to do myself.
My environment definitely impacts my creativity. Music helps calm my inner world, which creates more access for that creative flow (Ólafur Arnalds, Joep Beving, Slow Meadow are some of my favorite artists to play).
Also, I’m realizing more and more that the most important influence in my creativity is continually engaging my story. Often, it’s not difficult to be inspired or access my creativity…. expressing it is where I tend to get stuck. Parts of me have fears that are connected to deep wounds in my story that I used to ignore or tried to “get past.” That lead to a type of externally focused creativity which, for me, leads quickly to burnout and shame. Befriending and being curious about all parts of my story, leads to a more Self led creativity which is energizing and authentic to me. Lots of words… but makes sense to me!
I found expressing myself through my own words and craft to be quite difficult, however, because of that I value the words and works of others so much more because I’m able to express myself through them. What inspires me is difficult times. It shapes me.. or rather it unravels all the layers to show me what I’m truly capable of. Who I am. I also enjoy taking pictures and documenting pretty much everything. Helps me stay grounded and supports the present moment, the now.
I have always enjoyed making Christmas ornaments. I started to do it 20 years ago and then suddenly stopped. I started up again during the pandemic while spending more time at home. This past January I purchased a Sizzix die cut machine with the intention of incorporating paper elements into the ornaments. This led to me starting to make cards and I have fallen in love with it. I find the creative process to be a form of meditation for me. I become focused on the present and so relaxed. I feel like rediscovering my creative side has brought a balance back to me that I had been lacking.
I love knitting as a creative outlet, and using my good yarn and working on projects for me has helped me to continue touching in with the practice regularly.
My go-to is art journaling. I paint mostly intuitively, so I just show up, start putting paint down, and am constantly amazed by what happens on the page. It’s like having an inner dialogue with my subconscious. I also like filming some of my painting sessions & sharing them on YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/ModernGypsy
Morning pages have become an intrinsic part of my day & fuel my creativity especially since I started doing them on the laptop. Writing them by hand just wasn’t working for me. I also like writing, but I need to get more regular with my practice.
i really love making collages — either with magazines or on pinterest and i’m part of two writing groups that meet weekly/biweekly -- this keeps me accountable to my writing parts. also i may or may not be creating a dictionary of new feeling words. i'm also learning how to substack ;P
I love hearing everyone's answers! As a full-time artist cultivating creativity is a daily practice.
I've tried approaching creativity and my schedule in countless ways but I realized that I was trying too hard to cram myself into a box that wasn't conducive to helping my creative expression. Yes to discipline but also yes to more space to simply be. Giving myself permission to accept the ebb and flow of creativity - whether that is due to life's circumstances or something more nebulous - has been very freeing. As well, the permission to create "bad" art or be mediocre/ordinary/enough as you wrote about, is important too! I find it is easy to believe that we are only being creative when we are producing something spectacular or able to show up and create something daily but I'm convinced what happens in the ebbing times prepares us for the times of flow - and is a key piece of our creativity.
Reading through this thread itself is really inspiring. Newsletters and blogs filled with creative ideas and prompts for mindful living energize and nourish me. Other random sources for me are the weather (I'm a rain romantic), nature, friendships, love, travel, clouds, nostalgia and dreams.
PS. I once hand wrote and recorded your post on self-acceptance for my own reference ~ to internalise the message. All your work is medicine. Excited to dive into the book :) And so grateful for you. <3
I'm part of a creative community at thecreativegood.ca which helps me follow through with my projects task by task, week by week, season by season. I listen to podcasts such as Letters from a Hopeful Creative and Lisa Congdon's podcast. Chill, atmospheric music really helps me go inward, especially of I have headphones on. Aromatherapy and candles help me to set the intention as well. I need to sort out my notebook game, though—they're all over the place and many are half-full!
I started at a weekly painting class - and the act of going, being a student, and the weekly camaraderie has helped me more creative already. It’s made me question how I can add routine to my writing.
I’ve given myself permission to write in whatever way comes to mind- my notes folder is super full and chaotic but I’ve found it freeing. My hope is to carve out specific writing time to flush these out into a newsletter.
Gardening, baking, paying attention, a hot bath, diving into a good book, following what sounds good each day… all ways I try to live as a creative person without my own rules.
As an artist, I actually get inspired by doing my work and being in conversation with my materials (following the thought of Walter Benjamin "What Do Pictures Want?"). I am also infinitely inspired by the natural world. When cultivating careful habits of observation there is always something new to spot and I think about what Georgia O'Keeffe said "“Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.” So work and observation, for me.
I feel like this is such a small thing, but a few months ago I got my own room for the first time, and it's been so cool to see the things I love out in the open. Usually I kept my collections in shoe boxes or somewhere else out of reach, but now I can arrange all of my postcards on the wall, put out my favorite books, and decorate however I want. I have crystal collections, framed moths and butterflies, and little plants all arranged around my room. I spent most of my childhood caring for my younger sisters and sharing all my stuff, and then I had my own daughter sophomore year. I know my younger self would be SO excited to see the space I live in now and see my all interests and creativity on display. I feel like I could just stay in there and draw and read and listen to music for forever.
I see creativity as something that we do habitually and naturally. Can you think of all the ways that you're creative in a day? I mean, I read some of the responses below and some of us are parents, which means you're creative all the time, even if unintentional. I find that exhausting. I have to be so creative with my kids that I don't have much left over for writing my own stuff, or doodling, or whatever. Anyway - one way I try to keep up with creativity is trying new things or circling around - I enjoy baking and knitting, but at certain times. Recently, I discovered zine making and so I'm about to try that. I think I can even get my older kids involved, which could be fun. I'd like to make some things digitally to print out and maybe make some stickers? Who knows. I love writing and want to BE a writer, but my brain holds me back a lot. That's my number one + photography. I have a hard time tapping into my stuff - like I said, I'm overrun with kids, so I'm mostly exhausted and don't get a lot of downtime/breaks/full thought times - so I'm really trying to squeeze it in when I can. I'm also trying extra hard to make myself wake up at like 5:30 so I can write/meditate/exercise/get artsy before they wake and I'm thrust into mommy-dom. Here's to hoping!
Thanks for opening these threads. Love your writing, Lisa (I'm using your book as a mousepad right now) :D
This is a wonderful thread, I’m feeling inspired already!
Getting out of busy is my biggest challenge to being creative. So, going somewhere always helps me. Even if it’s just a little ways from the house or office.
I recently tried hand-made pottery and I loved feeling the clay in my hands. It’s also such a process which is good for me to work through my perfectionist tendencies. :-)
I'm a knitter/sewist and one thing that's become critical for me is choosing to be *very* selective about other knitters/sewists (or creaters in general) I follow on instagram, which is my main way of seeking out patterns/inspiration. I have a love/hate relationship with that app-- I love seeing what other people make (such talent exists out there!) but it can also be overwhelming to follow folks who are producing so many things just for the sake of making. I originally started making my own clothes as I moved into slow/sustainable fashion, and I keep that at the front of my mind with my projects. Making, at least for me, is an inherently slow and highly intentional practice and I try to follow other makers who also keep that at the core of their work. I may not make many pieces, but I put my whole heart into those that I do make.
Thanks for this thread, Lisa! I am loving reading everyone's responses.
I thought I was not creative. Then I saw some of the replies, which made me realise I am creative. I like making ironically funny videos. I like to record a time-lapse of me doing a particular activity, adding a song in the background of the video and then watching that video a thousand times! :P
Under the 100-day project, I have been writing daily. Yesterday I did a "connecting with the Earth" meditation and was inspired to write about how such an act of connection is a political one. So, I think meditation allows me to tap into my authentic self and create something.
Coincidentally, I was thinking about taking a walk, doing meditation and then writing about the insights. The crux of this was to connect to my being and ease into the process of creating something, deepening the connection. This question by you came at just the right time!
Many times, consciously pausing to connect with me, with nature, as well as with other human beings, has helped me to write the most beautiful things -- without the fear of it turning out to be a particular way. In these moments, I just write and the shackles of perfection melt away.
People inspire me the most. When I pause to connect to their humanity, I come closer to my humanity and vice-versa. This connection is dynamic. Sometimes, listening them speak about their passions inspire me. Sometimes, reading how they are holding compassionate space for themselves inspires me. Sometimes, seeing them support each other inspires me.
I have fallen into the ASMR Weekly YouTube channel. Specifically The Abandoned Greenhouse.
I’ve also taken to starting my morning with an hour and a half dedicated to whatever sounds soothing. Sometimes it’s journaling, sometimes it’s reading, sometimes it’s writing list after list, sometimes it’s looking up art on Instagram.
Also, after reading these comments, I very much want to try the spiral notebooks and all in one place notebook!
I have plenty of stories I want to tell, plenty of emotions to write down into poetry - there's so much that I find lacking in a lot of content, and I follow the idea that if you want to see it, make it. I have so many feelings in life that writing helps me sort them out. But without music (esp. video game music), I'd be so stuck. Music really helps shape scenes or emotions, gives me direction or helps me tap into a feeling. Video game music loops, so it's predictable, stable, and won't waver with the narrative like film music does.
No rituals sadly, life is too chaotic for anything regular, so my main priority is to keep myself inspired and wowed for when time opens up and I feel ready to write.
I'm also lucky to be in a group of queer artists, so I have people I want to make my art for.
My art therapist awakening my creativity again. I felt rigid before, trapped in perfectionism and judgement, too afraid to create. So she encouraged me to use my non-dominant hand at first. It was an amazing way to let go of judgement and let my creativity flow. To have fun, connect with my inner child. To use different mediums I hadn’t thought of before. To sing and experiment and laugh as I go. To just keep writing everyday without judging the “quality” of my work. In the end, there is no good or bad art. It’s just art. Whatever form it is. However you create. If it’s authentically you, it’s beautiful.
PS... Today is International Creativity Day and I had no idea that was even a thing! Alignment and synchronicity -- I love when things randomly line up in that way ✨
I'll go first: For the last two years, I've been so inspired by The Isolation Journals (type it into Substack to find it). The writing, shares, and prompts are so helpful in tapping into our inherent creativity. Another tool I swear by is having simple spiral-bound notebooks around. I find when all my notebooks or journals are special or fancy, I easily become afraid to ruin them! So having simple spiral notebooks makes me more inclined to write or draft ideas.
I have also been really supported by carving out a special space to create and write: even if it's just a tiny corner of a room, naming a space as your creative space can support you in starting or returning to a creative practice. I am also inspired by remembering that JUST LIVING is creative in itself -- that creativity doesn't always require us to make something -- that creativity can be as simple as a way of seeing the world.
I hope you share some of your tips/tools/recommendation, too -- and I may add this segment onto my weekly letter if a separate space ends up not flowing. We'll see! Thanks again for being here. xx
This might sound kind of odd, but I like referring to my creativity (mostly poetry) as "goofy" or "silly" to help take the pressure off. So I'll write a goofy poem in the silly notebook I keep in my purse. I used to think everything I did had to be so amazingly brilliant so it's nice to have the freedom to be a goofball sometimes.
Really *basic* answer, but the book The Artist's Way has really changed my relationship with my creativity.
Also, I've found that my focus shifts between different creative pursuits. I used to beat myself up for "not following through" and struggling to achieve long term goals. But I try now to ride the waves of my interests as they ebb and change, rather than trying to put myself in a box of what kind of artist I am.
And also recognizing that everything comes in seasons and some seasons are for creative output while others are for input (feeding, observing).
I really like creating videos even if & especially for mundane “boring” things! For example, recording clips of workouts & putting them together in a creative way. I get my workout done & also satisfy my desire to be creative too! I do the same sometimes for things like cooking or cleaning. It’s not content I share typically but it’s something that taps into making something fun and beautiful out of something ordinary I do every day.
This is such a wonderful and inspiring community - thank you so much Lisa for creating the space for us to share and connect! I really appreciated what you said about creativity not always being equated to a product or skill. I've never considered myself a creative person based on its conventional definition but I'm realizing that I've actually always been because life itself is a creation. This week's newsletter on the power of ordinary moments beautifully ties into this notion that everyone possesses inherent creativity in simple and mundane acts. One way I've been accessing creativity is breaking my daily flow whether that's my work schedule, exercise regimen, or relationships. For example, I'll meet up with a coworker from a different department during my work break and learn more about their expertise instead of responding to emails (at least not the time sensitive ones, ha) or I'll challenge myself to create a recipe with leftover ingredients in the fridge for dinner instead of ordering take-out. This forces me to step out of old patterns of thinking and behaviors and experiment with new ideas and different perspectives. So, in a way, creativity looks like stepping out of my comfort zone in my everyday routine :)
I recently discovered improv in general and improv for anxiety in particular, and I cannot rave enough about it. It is so FUN. I'm a playful and expressive person and improv helped me reconnect with this part of myself.
I'm going on month two of participating in weekly (intro) improv classes and its been such good medicine that I didn't know I needed. I've been describing it as a spiritual enema that loosened up some emotional constipation I didn't know I had, ha! Its been helping me feel more Flow and connected to my life force. A bonus piece to this is connection and collaboration that came from it -- Cathy the facilitator is great and silly and fun to play with and she generously agreed to offer a few free classes to my clients so they too can experience the benefits of it.
I am a huge fan of anything creative. Such a big part of being human is creating. So many things and people inspire me, if I'm in the head/heart/spirit space to see/feel/receive it. Music most often gets me there in the most direct way. For the longest time I've been wanting to explore male impersonation/drag king'ing.
Something I've been feeling a pull to do for some time is to better understand and tell My Story. I am good at making space for & helping others to do so but find it quite hard to do myself.
I love this thread.
My environment definitely impacts my creativity. Music helps calm my inner world, which creates more access for that creative flow (Ólafur Arnalds, Joep Beving, Slow Meadow are some of my favorite artists to play).
Also, I’m realizing more and more that the most important influence in my creativity is continually engaging my story. Often, it’s not difficult to be inspired or access my creativity…. expressing it is where I tend to get stuck. Parts of me have fears that are connected to deep wounds in my story that I used to ignore or tried to “get past.” That lead to a type of externally focused creativity which, for me, leads quickly to burnout and shame. Befriending and being curious about all parts of my story, leads to a more Self led creativity which is energizing and authentic to me. Lots of words… but makes sense to me!
I found expressing myself through my own words and craft to be quite difficult, however, because of that I value the words and works of others so much more because I’m able to express myself through them. What inspires me is difficult times. It shapes me.. or rather it unravels all the layers to show me what I’m truly capable of. Who I am. I also enjoy taking pictures and documenting pretty much everything. Helps me stay grounded and supports the present moment, the now.
I have always enjoyed making Christmas ornaments. I started to do it 20 years ago and then suddenly stopped. I started up again during the pandemic while spending more time at home. This past January I purchased a Sizzix die cut machine with the intention of incorporating paper elements into the ornaments. This led to me starting to make cards and I have fallen in love with it. I find the creative process to be a form of meditation for me. I become focused on the present and so relaxed. I feel like rediscovering my creative side has brought a balance back to me that I had been lacking.
I love knitting as a creative outlet, and using my good yarn and working on projects for me has helped me to continue touching in with the practice regularly.
My go-to is art journaling. I paint mostly intuitively, so I just show up, start putting paint down, and am constantly amazed by what happens on the page. It’s like having an inner dialogue with my subconscious. I also like filming some of my painting sessions & sharing them on YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/ModernGypsy
Morning pages have become an intrinsic part of my day & fuel my creativity especially since I started doing them on the laptop. Writing them by hand just wasn’t working for me. I also like writing, but I need to get more regular with my practice.
i really love making collages — either with magazines or on pinterest and i’m part of two writing groups that meet weekly/biweekly -- this keeps me accountable to my writing parts. also i may or may not be creating a dictionary of new feeling words. i'm also learning how to substack ;P
I love hearing everyone's answers! As a full-time artist cultivating creativity is a daily practice.
I've tried approaching creativity and my schedule in countless ways but I realized that I was trying too hard to cram myself into a box that wasn't conducive to helping my creative expression. Yes to discipline but also yes to more space to simply be. Giving myself permission to accept the ebb and flow of creativity - whether that is due to life's circumstances or something more nebulous - has been very freeing. As well, the permission to create "bad" art or be mediocre/ordinary/enough as you wrote about, is important too! I find it is easy to believe that we are only being creative when we are producing something spectacular or able to show up and create something daily but I'm convinced what happens in the ebbing times prepares us for the times of flow - and is a key piece of our creativity.
Reading through this thread itself is really inspiring. Newsletters and blogs filled with creative ideas and prompts for mindful living energize and nourish me. Other random sources for me are the weather (I'm a rain romantic), nature, friendships, love, travel, clouds, nostalgia and dreams.
PS. I once hand wrote and recorded your post on self-acceptance for my own reference ~ to internalise the message. All your work is medicine. Excited to dive into the book :) And so grateful for you. <3
I'm part of a creative community at thecreativegood.ca which helps me follow through with my projects task by task, week by week, season by season. I listen to podcasts such as Letters from a Hopeful Creative and Lisa Congdon's podcast. Chill, atmospheric music really helps me go inward, especially of I have headphones on. Aromatherapy and candles help me to set the intention as well. I need to sort out my notebook game, though—they're all over the place and many are half-full!
I started at a weekly painting class - and the act of going, being a student, and the weekly camaraderie has helped me more creative already. It’s made me question how I can add routine to my writing.
I’ve given myself permission to write in whatever way comes to mind- my notes folder is super full and chaotic but I’ve found it freeing. My hope is to carve out specific writing time to flush these out into a newsletter.
Gardening, baking, paying attention, a hot bath, diving into a good book, following what sounds good each day… all ways I try to live as a creative person without my own rules.
As an artist, I actually get inspired by doing my work and being in conversation with my materials (following the thought of Walter Benjamin "What Do Pictures Want?"). I am also infinitely inspired by the natural world. When cultivating careful habits of observation there is always something new to spot and I think about what Georgia O'Keeffe said "“Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.” So work and observation, for me.
I feel like this is such a small thing, but a few months ago I got my own room for the first time, and it's been so cool to see the things I love out in the open. Usually I kept my collections in shoe boxes or somewhere else out of reach, but now I can arrange all of my postcards on the wall, put out my favorite books, and decorate however I want. I have crystal collections, framed moths and butterflies, and little plants all arranged around my room. I spent most of my childhood caring for my younger sisters and sharing all my stuff, and then I had my own daughter sophomore year. I know my younger self would be SO excited to see the space I live in now and see my all interests and creativity on display. I feel like I could just stay in there and draw and read and listen to music for forever.
I see creativity as something that we do habitually and naturally. Can you think of all the ways that you're creative in a day? I mean, I read some of the responses below and some of us are parents, which means you're creative all the time, even if unintentional. I find that exhausting. I have to be so creative with my kids that I don't have much left over for writing my own stuff, or doodling, or whatever. Anyway - one way I try to keep up with creativity is trying new things or circling around - I enjoy baking and knitting, but at certain times. Recently, I discovered zine making and so I'm about to try that. I think I can even get my older kids involved, which could be fun. I'd like to make some things digitally to print out and maybe make some stickers? Who knows. I love writing and want to BE a writer, but my brain holds me back a lot. That's my number one + photography. I have a hard time tapping into my stuff - like I said, I'm overrun with kids, so I'm mostly exhausted and don't get a lot of downtime/breaks/full thought times - so I'm really trying to squeeze it in when I can. I'm also trying extra hard to make myself wake up at like 5:30 so I can write/meditate/exercise/get artsy before they wake and I'm thrust into mommy-dom. Here's to hoping!
Thanks for opening these threads. Love your writing, Lisa (I'm using your book as a mousepad right now) :D
This is a wonderful thread, I’m feeling inspired already!
Getting out of busy is my biggest challenge to being creative. So, going somewhere always helps me. Even if it’s just a little ways from the house or office.
I recently tried hand-made pottery and I loved feeling the clay in my hands. It’s also such a process which is good for me to work through my perfectionist tendencies. :-)
I'm a knitter/sewist and one thing that's become critical for me is choosing to be *very* selective about other knitters/sewists (or creaters in general) I follow on instagram, which is my main way of seeking out patterns/inspiration. I have a love/hate relationship with that app-- I love seeing what other people make (such talent exists out there!) but it can also be overwhelming to follow folks who are producing so many things just for the sake of making. I originally started making my own clothes as I moved into slow/sustainable fashion, and I keep that at the front of my mind with my projects. Making, at least for me, is an inherently slow and highly intentional practice and I try to follow other makers who also keep that at the core of their work. I may not make many pieces, but I put my whole heart into those that I do make.
Thanks for this thread, Lisa! I am loving reading everyone's responses.
I thought I was not creative. Then I saw some of the replies, which made me realise I am creative. I like making ironically funny videos. I like to record a time-lapse of me doing a particular activity, adding a song in the background of the video and then watching that video a thousand times! :P
Under the 100-day project, I have been writing daily. Yesterday I did a "connecting with the Earth" meditation and was inspired to write about how such an act of connection is a political one. So, I think meditation allows me to tap into my authentic self and create something.
Coincidentally, I was thinking about taking a walk, doing meditation and then writing about the insights. The crux of this was to connect to my being and ease into the process of creating something, deepening the connection. This question by you came at just the right time!
Many times, consciously pausing to connect with me, with nature, as well as with other human beings, has helped me to write the most beautiful things -- without the fear of it turning out to be a particular way. In these moments, I just write and the shackles of perfection melt away.
People inspire me the most. When I pause to connect to their humanity, I come closer to my humanity and vice-versa. This connection is dynamic. Sometimes, listening them speak about their passions inspire me. Sometimes, reading how they are holding compassionate space for themselves inspires me. Sometimes, seeing them support each other inspires me.
Thank you for this question, Lisa!
I have fallen into the ASMR Weekly YouTube channel. Specifically The Abandoned Greenhouse.
I’ve also taken to starting my morning with an hour and a half dedicated to whatever sounds soothing. Sometimes it’s journaling, sometimes it’s reading, sometimes it’s writing list after list, sometimes it’s looking up art on Instagram.
Also, after reading these comments, I very much want to try the spiral notebooks and all in one place notebook!
I have plenty of stories I want to tell, plenty of emotions to write down into poetry - there's so much that I find lacking in a lot of content, and I follow the idea that if you want to see it, make it. I have so many feelings in life that writing helps me sort them out. But without music (esp. video game music), I'd be so stuck. Music really helps shape scenes or emotions, gives me direction or helps me tap into a feeling. Video game music loops, so it's predictable, stable, and won't waver with the narrative like film music does.
No rituals sadly, life is too chaotic for anything regular, so my main priority is to keep myself inspired and wowed for when time opens up and I feel ready to write.
I'm also lucky to be in a group of queer artists, so I have people I want to make my art for.
My art therapist awakening my creativity again. I felt rigid before, trapped in perfectionism and judgement, too afraid to create. So she encouraged me to use my non-dominant hand at first. It was an amazing way to let go of judgement and let my creativity flow. To have fun, connect with my inner child. To use different mediums I hadn’t thought of before. To sing and experiment and laugh as I go. To just keep writing everyday without judging the “quality” of my work. In the end, there is no good or bad art. It’s just art. Whatever form it is. However you create. If it’s authentically you, it’s beautiful.
I get inspired by my clients. I also feel like nature inspires me to do things like write explore and be brave!
I like @inspiredtowrite on instagram. Some really interesting perspectives on creativity.