Cultivating Creativity
Some ways we can get back into the joy
A lot of us have this image of creativity where we see ourselves with the perfect set up.
For a writer this could be a desk well lit by a window and a hot cup of coffee or tea; our fingers tapping away at a keyboard full of inspiration.
For an artist this could look like a canvas that we have time to paint on with slow, easy brush strokes. Above all, these moments are uninterrupted…
But for many of us, when we have children, we find that this idea of a “productive” creative time is disturbed with the messy and inconsistent reality that is parenthood.
And I’m not just talking about messy as in: there are clothes all over the floor and your workspace for art is now covered with books and toys and Graham cracker crumbs.
I am referring to messy, as in: I have this guilt that eats away at me anytime I desire to step away and not help my family so that I can try to create some thing in the way that I used to.
No matter how you decide to fill the hole that I truly believe art calls to fill as human beings every single day (we could honestly have a whole post about God making us creative beings), there are certain things that we can do specifically as mothers that help us find joy and ease when we cultivate creativity once more.
I really struggled with this in the beginning after I had my daughter.
I remember sitting in the nursery recovering from my C-section and propping my journal next to the sleeping infant beside the cold cup of coffee. I remember trying my best to get a few minimum sentences out in those early days. I was starving from the nonstop nursing and starving mentally for any hint of my formerly easy-going creativity.
I think an excellent place to start, for someone struggling to find time to be creative, is to sit down and journal (or be on your phone if you have to) and type out some narratives you’re believing.
For example, what does your ideal creative time look like?
What appeals to you about this ideal scenario?
Are you letting this idea get in the way of flexibility when it comes to being creative?
(If you’re reading this stuck on the phone in a nursing session or in the car, maybe copy and paste these questions into a phone note and do them later. I will wait, no worries.)
I had forced myself into the idea that I could only write in the morning or paint in the house alone. Eventually, I was so desperate to be creative I set up a table in the living room and painted with children songs blaring for my active daughter. It felt freeing but exhausting at the same time because I lacked the ability to create boundaries and think outside the box.
I think the equivalent would be someone who hasn’t gone to the gym in a while and suddenly does an hour workout. It feels good but it’s not a consistent practice you’re dedicating time to, which leads to burnout and self-criticism. What once was physically relaxing turns into a physical source of exhaustion for our nervous system.
My second suggestion is to redefine what art is in your life.
A huge obstacle for me to journal through was believing my creativity was defined by my ability to write for publishing. Additionally, that ability to write was measured by my dedication to long-form writing.
This mindset did not allow for me to realize that, as an extremely creative person, I was already cultivating creativity all around me.
I see this in the planning I take with meals and introducing new foods to us with new recipes. I see this with the solutions I’ve implemented for organization in our business and home. It’s in the graphics I create or captions I make in social media posts. It’s in the way I can schedule our day to make things work easier for our family.
When we realize that creativity does not just mean “traditional art” we bring back the joy the creativity provides for us. Creating traditional art or even the act of setting time aside to make art has its benefits.
It is a great practice for mothers (or anyone) to learn boundaries when it comes to balancing the act of servitude with the act of rest. The cliché rings true: we cannot fill the cup of others without making sure our own cup is filled (and you can read more about my thoughts on self-care in my previous post).1
Lastly, we can be encouraged by practicing art without needing to create for capitalism. There is a culture of hustle that has punctured the act of doing things for fun with the pressure to do things for money/ status/ fame.
Although your art deserves to be paid for financially (by the way, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING MY WRITING FINANCIALLY) I hope you are first driven to create for joy.
One of the beautiful things about creating Motherhood Minute was the freedom it finally allowed me to explore in how I wrote. You can read more about that in my very first newsletter in the archives about deleting my blog.
(A great account to follow is @inspiredtowrite on instagram for this topic on money and art as well.)
How do you cultivate creativity? What did I miss?
Please share some of your thoughts to keep the conversation going!
