Learning to Nurture the Creative Process

 

The creative process is a deep and mysterious thing ... more so for some than others, but we all know how exhilarating it is when we have those Ah-ha Moments!

As kids we enjoyed the luxury of slowly waking from sweet slumber, while simultaneously calculating the possibilities of the day ... and all this before our feet even touched the floor. We were still innocent enough to feel a giddy excitement about what the day had in store, never doubting it would be brilliant!

Happiness is ... knowing that every day I will be Brilliant!

Picasso said, "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

I wasn't intimidated by the box of 64 Crayola colors, worried about what to sculpt with my play dough, and lord knows, as soon as I could get outside to greet the day there was no need for Nintendo to facilitate my game playing adventures. I made up my own games and more importantly, my own rules. I was not in survival mode back then, life was easy ... life was fun.

 

When we become adults, the times seem to change. Corinthians puts it much better than I ever could ... "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." What a shame!!!

The creative spirit resides deep within, even as a young child. But as grown-ups with lots of distractions and the stress of daily life, what happens when we become scattered and our creative juices suddenly and unexpectedly run dry? As a jewelry designer, I ponder this dilemma, albeit only momentarily. I have several quick fixes under my belt. Here are some suggestions to help you through those unproductive periods that haunt us all.

Sometimes it can be hard to get your act together ...

• Commit to taking time out of your day, maybe early in the morning before anyone else is awake, to be quiet and at peace, even meditate if the spirit moves you to do so.

• The space in which you work needs to be comfortable as well as inspirational. Hang pictures of images that kindle the imagination, paint the walls your favorite color, and place your special pieces in prominent locations throughout the space.

• Go for nature walks, they are refreshing and you will be surprised by the things that inspire you along the way.

• Engage in artistic pursuits other than your chosen medium. Even though I am passionate about jewelry design, I also write, play the flute and shop ;D

• Go with the flow. Creativity is a mysterious process that ignites unexpectedly and if you allow it, will flow continually all your days. When an special idea explodes let it take you over ... It's not about you, it's about the process. Creating really is a form of surrender. For me, it often takes place in the early hours of my day, while I am putting a bead on, taking a bead off, until I am no longer thinking, just doing, and that's when something fresh & unique just might become form. Once the trance is broken I may as well walk away until the next urge to slip back into my studio takes over. I live for those moments.

It is nice to remember the days of our carefree childhood and how much easier it was to 
"let our freak flag fly", but I sure would like to believe it's still possible to live that way each and everyday of our lives. So, even though the restrictiveness of our daily schedules try to crowd out our precious play time, it is important to take the time for creative pursuits and conceive the impossible!

Contributor: Jill Q of jQ jewelry designs

Photo Credits:
Happiness is ... Sarah Jane Studios