Six mindful ways to
nurture your creativity

If you are looking to be inspired you’ll have to recognize when creativity comes calling and give her what she’s  after. Like in any relationship – it’s attention.

Creativity can seem like such an enigma. It has that phantom-like trait and a reputation of playing hard to get. It can lure you in and then shut you out, act as you’ve never met before. It almost makes one not want to mess with her. But in her bones, she is out to get you. If you have any intention to work with her, all you have to do is recognize when she comes calling and give her what she’s  after. Like in any relationship – it’s attention.

We have a long past together. For years it was one of those ˝on and of ˝ kind of affairs, but eventually we˙ve carved a routine that works great for both of us. If that sounds like something you want, it might help to see her as a friend who can only live through you. She has this miraculous brain full of wonderful ideas on how to have fun but is stuck home unless you take her out to town. So if you ignore her, naturally she will retreat to herself, get offended and shut you out. But if you take her by the hand, she can be that best friend you never had. 

She has this miraculous brain full of wonderful ideas on how to have fun but If you ignore her, she will shut you out.

If you are looking to be inspired read my ode to The big magic book by Elizabeth Gilbert to learn why you should get your copy. It came as such a beautifully eloquent confirmation to my beliefs on this subject and has that mindset shifting potential, which might be just what you need. 

1. Make room for daily practice

Once I started to see creativity as a steady ally eager to be included, instead of an unfathomable and elusive mystic, she never failed me. And getting a job in the newspaper is what brought that on. There is no time for feeling uninspired when working on a deadline. So, if there is one thing you should make room for in your, preferably creative life, it is a daily creative practice. Be it arranging flowers, cooking, painting, or any other form of creative expression, make sure you do some every day. This is how you acknowledge your creativity and give her a chance to stretch and bread in some fresh air. Also, though, in my opinion, creativity is not about the result, but about the experience, if you are into results you are gonna need the skils, and those are acquired through practice. 

Once I started to see creativity as a steady ally eager to be included, instead of an unfathomable and elusive mystic, she never failed me.

2. Expose yourself to the flow 

Read, journal, listen to music, dance, go see an exhibition or a movie, do the things that require no effort from your creative core, but feed her with the same energy she is made of. These activities can wake her up and shake her up. Any creative work has the potential to inspire, motivate, or excite you, and get those little gears in your head rolling. Who knows what could happen next.

3. Get inspired by beauty 

Sometimes I feel like there is so much beauty around us that I get that overwhelming sensation in my chest, like Kevin Spacy in ˝The American beauty movie˝. Nothing can feed a soul quite like it, and the best part is that it is everywhere. So walk the streets, roam the woods, rest by the sea, explore old churches and new museums, city parks, and abandoned factories. Whatever gets your juices running. Take it all in. 

4. Keep (good) company

A saying – you are the company you keep, is only half of this argument. As important as it is to surround yourself with kind, inspiring, and supportive people, it is also very important to just be around people. So mingle, learn new, funny, absurd, and amazing things about the way of the world. Be a part of it. All the famous poets and painters had favorite bars and restaurants where they´d go to feel the puls of their time. I am not saying you should be a bohemian, not a fan of that stereotype. But I do believe there is much to be gained when choosing to be a part of the community.

5. Challenge yourself to try new things 

Stay curious, try something new every once in a while. Learn a new skill, take a course, watch a tutorial. As a person of many interests, I find it hard to focus on one thing, and while I sometimes lack focus, I also find that side of my personality very beneficial. I see it like gymnastics for my brain, always trying to learn something new. I took sowing, pottery, writing, photography, and many other courses over the years and am confident to say that I could feel the inside of my head stretching as I did. It is a great way to open your mind and give your creativity to some company.

If there is one thing you should make room for in your, preferably creative life, it is a daily creative practice.

6. Ditch distractions and comparison

And finally, be mindful of what you take in. As you˙ve probably learned, there is a fine line between feeling inspired and overwhelmed. Whether you choose to nurture your creativity for the joy of it or to make a living out of it, never strive to be, or do like someone else. Know your why, your true reasons for wanting to do it, and do it for the process. Nevermind if someone else is doing the same thing, even if they are better at it then you are –there are no winners and losers here, only those living their dream and those reluctant to try.

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