It's really tough so I completely emphasize with you on the struggle! I think it's important to listen to yourself and know when you are truly feeling the call to create or when you may feel an external obligation when the passion isn't truly there. If it's your job of course, this can be hard/unavoidable - but I'm trying to be more okay with not wanting to create anything from time to time. I find my brain sometimes needs to rest, to be re-inspired, and to just take in new experiences before it wants to create - and that's okay and good!
When you do truly feel the call to create but life is getting in the way, I find that I often just have to brute force it - Put an hour on your calendar and protect it with your life, be honest with and ask for support from family/friends (hey, can you take care of X so I can get some creating time in?), etc.
Lastly, try to remove any sense of quality or judgement from your work in the moment (this is MUCH easier said than done). Don't edit - just create. Use your time to make something new - bumps, bad bits, and all. You can polish it up later if it calls to you again.
"Put an hour on your calendar and protect it with your life, be honest with and ask for support from family"
This. I desperately need this on my first or second consecutive day. I can trick myself easily enough to get going on the first instance, but that barrier comes into play instantly. My wife is my biggest fan and best friend, and she can be very motivational for me. She knows my struggles ;-)
"I find my brain sometimes needs to rest, to be re-inspired, and to just take in new experiences before it wants to create"
One of the few things that really resonated with me from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way was her nature walks and 'personal time. I found (in the past) that this was 110% effective. I need to get back to that.
Thanks for reading and commenting! Talking to other folks is always a great way to for me to feel re-fueled. The nature walks and quiet time is a great call-out too! My photo at the top of the post was one I took during a long weekend trip we took amidst all the stress and chaos, even though doing that felt hard (and maybe financially ill-advised), but it was such a spiritual and mental recharge for me - well worth it!
Thanks for sharing this. I've been feeling the same and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one. I've broken through the gloom and gotten a couple pages of my Victorian Sci Fi skirmish game and it's absolutely healing. Going to need to remember how valuable that feeling is.
First off: Victorian Sci-Fi Skirmish sounds like a great blend! Second: It really is so healing. It can easily feel frivolous among the rest of life's concerns, but it absolutely isn't. We are called to create for a reason, just like we may be called to lay in the sun or go for a hike or eat a good meal - we need it!
Care to give advice on what motivations get you through the hump And. Just. Create?
And of these successes, which are sustainable over more than a day or three. This has been my struggle and I have yet to break through.
It's really tough so I completely emphasize with you on the struggle! I think it's important to listen to yourself and know when you are truly feeling the call to create or when you may feel an external obligation when the passion isn't truly there. If it's your job of course, this can be hard/unavoidable - but I'm trying to be more okay with not wanting to create anything from time to time. I find my brain sometimes needs to rest, to be re-inspired, and to just take in new experiences before it wants to create - and that's okay and good!
When you do truly feel the call to create but life is getting in the way, I find that I often just have to brute force it - Put an hour on your calendar and protect it with your life, be honest with and ask for support from family/friends (hey, can you take care of X so I can get some creating time in?), etc.
Lastly, try to remove any sense of quality or judgement from your work in the moment (this is MUCH easier said than done). Don't edit - just create. Use your time to make something new - bumps, bad bits, and all. You can polish it up later if it calls to you again.
"Put an hour on your calendar and protect it with your life, be honest with and ask for support from family"
This. I desperately need this on my first or second consecutive day. I can trick myself easily enough to get going on the first instance, but that barrier comes into play instantly. My wife is my biggest fan and best friend, and she can be very motivational for me. She knows my struggles ;-)
"I find my brain sometimes needs to rest, to be re-inspired, and to just take in new experiences before it wants to create"
One of the few things that really resonated with me from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way was her nature walks and 'personal time. I found (in the past) that this was 110% effective. I need to get back to that.
Thanks for responding.
Thanks for reading and commenting! Talking to other folks is always a great way to for me to feel re-fueled. The nature walks and quiet time is a great call-out too! My photo at the top of the post was one I took during a long weekend trip we took amidst all the stress and chaos, even though doing that felt hard (and maybe financially ill-advised), but it was such a spiritual and mental recharge for me - well worth it!
Dig the motivational talk! The character class is rad too!
Thanks for sharing this. I've been feeling the same and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one. I've broken through the gloom and gotten a couple pages of my Victorian Sci Fi skirmish game and it's absolutely healing. Going to need to remember how valuable that feeling is.
First off: Victorian Sci-Fi Skirmish sounds like a great blend! Second: It really is so healing. It can easily feel frivolous among the rest of life's concerns, but it absolutely isn't. We are called to create for a reason, just like we may be called to lay in the sun or go for a hike or eat a good meal - we need it!