Anything artistic takes a
creative mind—obviously. But, creativity-inspired work takes so much more. It
takes years of studying and honing a skill, whether it is writing, painting,
weaving, pottery, cooking, or…
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| Sauteeing farmers' market swiss chard |
Having said that,
artistry also takes concentration. And to concentrate, the mind must be free to
explore.
These last few years have been daunting, in that the problems of the world seem to overtake the creative part of the brain and shut it down. At least it has for me. Freeing my mind to create has been tough.
In order to attain
freedom of mind, I’ve had to shut off the things that cause me anxiety. And
those stressors can vary from day-to-day. Whether it is the news or dealing with
family issues or catching up on the never-ending barrage of email or keeping up
with social media, even if it is fun—all those things can put one in overload
mode.
Add in your creativity priorities and deadlines, and the stress can become overwhelming. Finding other creative outlets that don’t have timelines or expectations, is a good way to jumpstart the creative parts that have shutdown. For me, it was the simple idea of grabbing a few sheets of computer paper and my ten different-colored sharpies and scribbling out a drawing of flowers in a vase. I am not an artist, even though everyone else in my family is. But I had fun creating what I call Kindergarten / Picasso-Inspired-Abstract. And even though it was the only creative thing I could think to do in my marathon, TV-induced haze of procrastination, IT WORKED!
Find something to
distract you that will jump-start your creative mind. Cooking, which for me
starts with a random set of ingredients to create a new recipe, has always been
a relaxing and creative endeavor. But push yourself out of your comfort zone,
whether it is buying an adult coloring book and a set of bright-colored
pencils, picking up knitting needles after thirty years of not knitting, pot gardening
on your deck, trying a ZOOM belly-dancing class (yes, I did that and what fun!,)
trying something new and creative is a great way to free up, and jump start those
stagnant brain cells.
So, my advice, as all of
us try to get back into a more “normal” life pattern, whether it is resurrecting
our creative mode, or jumping back into in-person work or meetings or social
events, is to pinpoint potential stressors, and limit yourself. And not only do
this for the things we must check off our lists. Do so as you ease back into
the joys of life and discover a new, fun distraction.
And most of all, define
your own freedom. I’m usually an outgoing, social being, but this last year of
isolation has diminished that part of me. So, I’m easing back into interacting
in-person, in order to save my brain from the overload shock of dealing with
real people.
Having said that, there
is nothing more that energizes me then running into a friend in the grocery
store parking lot and just getting to yack, yack, yack for a few minutes. Or
talking to a farmer at the farmers market about their wonderful offerings and
getting ideas for recipes. Or hollering “over the fence” to a neighbor to find
out how their chickens are doing or their garden grows or their kids or dog is
faring.
Enjoy your new creative outlets. Have fun setting your new boundaries. Recognize your limitations that may have changed. And take back your freedom in whatever way works for you.
What tricks do you use to free up your brain?
The Love Left
Behind
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Left-Behind-Hartford-Estate-ebook/dp/B08L5N5DS9/
Books2Read books2read.com/u/mglVqK
~ cottages to
cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~
Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and
spicy romances and contemporary westerns from the mountains of Colorado to the
shores of Maine.
Author of the Starlight Grille
series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short
romances for Woman’s World magazine.
Her new novella, The Love Left Behind, will release in late fall, 2020.
Social Media
Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/
Photo
Credits:
Exploding Brain - free
clip art brain exploding - Google Search
Belly Dance- Free Belly
Dance Silhouette, Download Free Belly Dance Silhouette png images, Free
ClipArts on Clipart Library (clipart-library.com)
Crowd: free
clip art crowds of people - Google Search
9 comments:
I tried something new last night. I'd watched Colette Baron-Reid on You Tube and the side bar showed Jonathan Winters on Johnny Carson...the headline was Winters had glued his cat to the floor. Some people wouldn't find that funny but I was laughing and distracted from the You Tube video I was watching just seeing the headline! And I did watch it and another one with Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams on The Tonight Show. Went to bed laughing and slept the entire night through! Freeing my mind by doing something very different that interrupts my routine works.
WOW - Judith - Love this! probably the same reason I watch numerous repeats of Hallmark movies before going to bed and reading light romance.
Listening to music never fails. Thanks for a great post.
Excellent post. Great ideas in there for everyone these days. You've spent a lot of time to sort through all this. Thank you.
Great ideas, Deb! I like to knit to release stress, or take a walk outside. I've joined Curves an exercise for women and find that helps a lot with stress.
You are so right, Anna - music is a great soother and a catalyst for creativity.
Susan, glad you were able to stop by. Out of necessity this last year, plus, I've needed all the tricks I can think of to jumpstart creativity.
Diana, I just came across my old curves book with the exercises. I used to do this with several co-workers. I didn't know they were still around. I'll have to check out my area to see if I can find a Curves studio. It definitely helped me in the past.
Great post! Freedom and creativity go hand in hand and it's so important for us to ignore the negativity around us while we allow our imaginations to take us to beautiful places and possibilities. Thanks for sharing!
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