03.05.2021
The past few days, I’ve been feeling completely exhausted and honestly overwhelmed. Not just by my to do list, but by my creative outlets as well. On one hand I am flowing with ideas and I’m ready to get them off my chest. On the other hand, I’m feeling like I want to do nothing but sleep. Constantly busy with daily life, as a creative, I sometimes have that back and forth pull, do I put my to do list aside and go at it, or do I choose the responsible route and save my ideas for a rainy day?
As the old saying goes, those who are artists create everyday, it’s part of who they are, and unlike studying for a last minute test where you try to overload your brain the night before with everything, we know that the only effective way to practice any form of art or skill is to make it apart of your daily life, not just a quick weekend thing.
But then in modern times, now we have the added public pressure of being an artist, making sure we have a never ending supply and flow of creativity and art to share on social media to stay relevant.
I won’t rant too much about the issues we have with social media today, I think that’s a concept we’re all very well acquainted with, and truth be told I’m extremely grateful to have an easy outlet to share with the world, a place where I can immediately publish a thought or piece of work without any lengthy process, just finish it and done.
But then because of that, we have that pressure to put out as much as possible because, what’s our excuse not to now? We have to study all kinds of ways to make your simple publishing more effective. So that, is where the creative frustration and overload can come in. Wanting to take the time to just do it, but also hovering over you, do I have enough to share, do I even want to share this, am I good enough?
And thoughts like that can keep you in a frozen state, just like an overwhelming to do list. Most of us consider our creative outlets to be something that is pushed to the side once the other daily life work and chores are completed, so what happens when we find ourselves too exhausted or overwhelmed to even complete those tasks, let alone setting aside the time to write or do a piece of art or music. Maybe we feel guilty partaking in these pleasures when we know we’re putting off our responsibilities.
But yet, don’t we have a responsibility to ourselves? Sure a nice hot bath with some candles is known to relax, and a cup of tea and some peace and quiet can really set your mood right. These things are necessary to our health, but so is being creative. Getting up to dance or to paint or write a song, tell a story, add some important details to your novel or script, and maybe for some, it’s achieving a goal in an online game.
It’s about what sets your soul on fire and ignites passion in your heart. It’s about the things that make you so happy, you get butterflies in your stomach. The things that you would gladly do for free just because it makes you happy. That’s what it’s all about, and these things are also completely necessary to your health and well being.
So why are we made to feel guilty when we sit down and put off our to do list (reasonably), in order to have the daily time to be creative, to make our mark in the world? There’s a song by Sheryl Crow where she sings, “If it make you happy, it can’t be that bad, if it makes you happy, then why the hell are you so sad?” and honestly, it rings in my head on the regular when I tell myself what I should be doing. As in, why shouldn’t I be doing what makes me happy on top of what is expected of me as a person, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a member of society.
So I ask you today, would it be so bad to shave away one hour, or maybe even a half an hour at the very least every day to take the time to do something creative that you truly enjoy?
No pressure from the outside world, though share away if it makes you happy and this is your livelihood. No pressure from your overwhelming to do list or potential guests or visitors or family etc. who might need something of you. Maybe swap one small thing a day to make this time for yourself. Think, is there even the smallest task that you could either make easier for yourself, put off until later or even ask a loved one to help pitch in? Is it so bad to say, let me skip a complicated dinner and just heat leftovers or order in so I can have an extra hour tonight to dance, paint, make music, game, write, craft, whatever it is. This is just one example, so do yourself a much needed favor and find that one thing you can make happen today regardless of your daily life and work. Before you know it, it’ll come to you as easy as breathing.
This is something I myself, have to work on everyday. Some days I’m so exhausted and overwhelmed that the most creative thing I can do is zone out to music and make notes for my next piece of work. But steps are steps no matter how big or small.
I hope whatever you choose to do for yourself today, that you truly enjoy the process.
Love and Blessings, Storm.
Life in a Storm 