Ideas really are magic

My thoughts on creativity and how different its looking these days

Let’s talk creativity.

I’ve been thinking about my creative process a lot lately.

When it comes to work, it’s rigid. Structured phases. Hard deadlines. And sometimes, I have to meet those deadlines even when I’m not feeling creative at all.

The truth is, we’re not meant to be creative all the time.

And for women especially, our cycles play a big role in our mood and creative energy –which is something I’ve been exploring more deeply and intentionally.

Now that I’m no longer working for someone else, I have more time to fill with creativity.

Most days, it feels easy to fill. But then there are those other days. I sit down, ready to make progress on something… and I just can’t. Like, it physically hurts to try.

In Big Magic (which I’m reading right now), Elizabeth Gilbert tells a story about working on a novel. She was deep in it, full of momentum. But life got in the way, and when she finally returned to it, the idea was gone. She describes ideas as living things that move on if you don’t give them space to grow.

I feel that way a lot with picking up old projects. If the momentum is gone, I’m over it. I need to start, make progress, and launch the thing into the world.

That’s changed how I work with clients too – if they don’t get back to me, I move forward. We’re not dragging this on forever.

I’m learning to go with the flow of ideas. To act on them while they’re alive and not make everything so long and drawn out.

It’s been a total 180 from my usual perfectionist tendencies. Because it means I’m not always spending time in the small details.

Building my business and growing my own platforms gives me room to experiment. So I’m trying to do more of that… sometimes I catch myself realizing I’ve played it safe. So I’m naming it in an effort to do less of that.

I’m holding space to be intentional with my time, and open to all the ways creativity shows up.

I used to only consider myself a visual creative. My ideas would start as Pinterest boards, screenshots, photos. I still do all of that. But lately, I’ve realized I’m a words person too. Conversations light me up. Writing helps me clarify my thoughts. Voice memos help me hold onto ideas and expand them later.

And that feels really good.

Some days I feel like I don’t know where I’m going.

Other days I realize, it’s right here. It’s following my creativity. It’s having conversations. It’s seeing where it leads me. It’s the journey of life. Not the destination

Elizabeth Gilbert says something along the lines of:

“Battle your trauma, not your gifts.”

That hits. I have so many gifts that aren’t being used to its full potential. Why would I spend hours of my life using them on things that drain me? When I could use them to build something that is fully aligned with the person I want to grow into? It really has felt like a battle.

I’m working on quieting the voices that say not yet or not good enough. Because I am good enough. The passion is here. The ideas are here. And I need to stop telling myself no.

So anyway...

If you’re wondering where the newsletters have been, I’ve just been taking some solo creative time. Thinking deeply about how I want to show up here and what parts of myself I want to share.

Thanks for being here and reading this.

It means a lot.

References/Resources:

📖 Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

🎧 The Creative Process by Hello Hayes (I feel like she launched this just for me! Thanks universe)

See ya next time 👋