Tapping Back Into Your Creativity

Every week, I get comments on my Draw Tip Tuesday videos on youtube. They are fun to get, and I appreciate all of them. They can be inspiring too: every now and then, someone will share an experience they’ve had.
I’d like to share a story from quite some time ago. It stuck with me, and I think you can get something out of it too.

From being busy to being uninspired

The person who commented, let’s call her Jennifer, shared how she had been struggling to get back into the art making habit, due to her work schedule. 

Then from being busy, she started feeling lazy and uninspired. Ugh, yes, I think we’ve all been there.
And from that place, it’s so hard to motivate yourself again.

From hope to despair

She hoped that when she traveled to see family, she would get some inspiration by being in different surroundings. But of course, the family obligations were kind of an excuse to not take any time to draw. And on top of that: what would they think if they saw her working in her sketchbook?

Before she knew it, she had gone weeks without making any art. And because of that hiatus, she started to worry that the time would have effected her skills and her artist eye.
Relatable? 

From worry to bravery

Luckily, at some point she got courageous and took a decision. Instead of lingering on that feeling for too long, she just took the plunge. When she was going out for a bite to eat, she had taken her sketchbook and pens with her. She simply grabbed them before thinking too much about it, and did a quick sketch out in public.
Of course, the gap of time without art making, had not broken her skills. She had known that all along, but her inner critic had been telling her otherwise. Once the ink was flowing on her paper, she was reassured and the chatter of the inner critic faded out. 

From one-time action to habit

That quick little sketch was Jennifer’s cue to get back into her daily habit of 20 minutes a day. That time she takes every day for herself, grounds her. It pulls her out of the busy-ness of the day, and into the moment and the creative flow. 

I hope Jennifer’s story gives you some encouragement and inspiration to keep your art habit going. Even when there’s a lot of distraction and ‘reasons’ (read: excuses) to skip our art time. That sketchbook time for you, is so important. Because it makes you feel happy. 

Personally, when I am feeling happy, I’m a much nicer person to everyone around me.
Everyone benefits.
So perhaps it’s even more important to prioritize your sketchbook time during busy times!