Where Has My Creativity Gone?
How I'm going to try to tap into my flow state
My girl is almost 14 months old, we have a new house that feels very unorganized and cluttered, we are getting our garage finished, and our pup is going through an IVDD flair-up… oh, and running a business ;)
So yeah, I shouldn’t be surprised.
I’ve gone through slumps like this before, but, in all honesty, we can’t afford for me to go through this right now.
They say you never really find the ‘balance’ as a parent. Right now, I feel that more than ever.
With the new house, my husband {who stays home to help with our daughter} has been so busy with house stuff and yardwork that I’ve had to step in a lot more.
We didn’t realize having 4 acres would be so time-consuming. From mowing, picking sticks, collecting dropped walnuts, dealing with moles, re-grading around the house, picking rock, you name it.
You would think that the few broken hours I get a day would allow me to get in some good ‘work sprints’. I see other WFH moms with businesses do that, but I’m struggling to tap into my creativity and flow state during those small moments. :(
FLOW STATE
“There's this focus that, once it becomes intense, leads to a sense of ecstasy, a sense of clarity: you know exactly what you want to do from one moment to the other; you get immediate feedback. You know that what you need to do is possible to do, even though difficult, and sense of time disappears, you forget yourself, you feel part of something larger. And once the conditions are present, what you are doing becomes worth doing for its own sake.”
Some people also call this period of hyperfocus ‘being in the zone’. Whether you call it ‘flow’ or ‘the zone’, it's not just a state of mind. It’s accompanied by physiological changes, too. In a 2010 Swedish study on classical pianists, the musicians who entered flow exhibited deepened breathing and slowed heart rates. Even the facial muscles that enable us to smile were activated.
How I’m Trying to Get into Flow State:
1. Perfect my Space:
I know I do best with the sun shining in near me and an organized space. I’ll be taking the extra few minutes to tidy up and adjust the items around me until it feels ‘right’. I tend to follow the sun as it moves, so if that means sitting in our bathroom, I might just do it ;)
2. Create a Ritual:
Having a warm drink, be it coffee or tea, is crucial. I don’t know what it is, but that helps me get in the mood. I noticed that my best ‘work hours’ are in the morning and early afternoon.
Not only that but getting the right music or noise (at a VERY low volume) is helpful. In the Spring I’ll just play bird sounds and in the Summer it’s chill classical.
3. Stay Mindful
Before I dive in, I want to be mindful of the moment and the time I am given. I have such an amazing view when I sit at my desk and I want to appreciate that. I’m going to take some deep breaths, start out my window, and give myself some grace. I need to work on letting myself know that it’s okay if I don’t get ‘everything’ done and to appreciate the work that I do.
Having time constraints is so new to me since having Charli. I used to be able to work for hours on end and finish when I felt I was close enough to do it. This has by far been my biggest struggle and something I’m very aware of.
4. Create the Goals
I’m trying to choose 1-2 things to focus on during my work chunks. I love pen and paper, so it helps when I just write a few things down on my list. However, if I put too much on my list, I’ll easily get overwhelmed and that guilt comes over me.
So, focusing on just 1-2 goals is helpful ;) - Also, I think I need to design one that includes a warm-up below!
5. Get Warmed Up
If you’ve read The Artist’s Way or Steal Like An Artist you’ll know it helps to warm up your creativity with small creative exercises.
For me, that typically hopping on Pinterest and more recently, Cosmos. Typically if I’m working on a design, I’ll look at inspiration within that vibe to get in the mood.
Not only that, but sometimes playing music or movies that align can help too. For example: I did a vintage European coastal/classic brand and had The Talented Mr. Ripley playing in the background.
SOME CREATIVE PROMPTS:
1. Sketching:
30-Second Sketch: Set a timer for 30 seconds and quickly sketch an object in your immediate environment. Repeat with a new object each time.
Abstract Shapes: Draw five random shapes on a page. Then, transform them into something recognizable by adding details.
2. Journaling:
Morning Pages: Write two pages of stream-of-consciousness thoughts first thing in the morning.
Creative Goals: Write about a creative goal you have and describe the first steps you’ll take to achieve it.
3. Freewriting:
Word Association: Write down a random word (e.g., "sky"). Set a timer for 5 minutes and free write anything that comes to mind based on that word.
Story Starter: Begin with the sentence, "The door creaked open, revealing…" and write continuously for 10 minutes without stopping.
4. Creative:
Limited Palette: Choose just two colors and design/create something with only those colors.
One-Line Drawing: Create a drawing using one continuous line without lifting your pen from the paper.
6. Release Perfection
This is TOUGH. I can easily get stuck on tweaking one letter for over 15 minutes, to end up just changing the font completely. By allowing myself to release some of that perfection could help me speed up my process, but allow me to tap into my Flow faster.
7. Embracing Time Constraints
Because I am often put into short time constraints I want to try to embrace it. I use Toggl Track and noticed it has a Pomodoro timer. I’ve done that in the past, and it really was helpful to keep me from straying off into perfection-land. So, I’m going to give it another try and hope it helps!
8. Reflect and Refine
In Austin Kleons, Show Your Work, he suggests that you reflect or journal about your creative process and what worked and what didn’t work. This can help refine the process (ie: what distracted you, what actually inspired you, did the Pomodoro work, etc).
With all this being said, I’m going to start off this week by trying to focus on these 8 ‘steps’ and see if they can help me get some of my creativity and flow back! Wish me luck!