Navigating new creative endeavors isn’t easy

Once I start something- I jump in with reckless abandon. Even as newness and the honeymoon phase runs out, as long as I’m getting some kind of feedback and encouragement, I come back.

But beginning to write here- this is a new thing and it’s just so stinking hard to fight inertia. It’s hard to start and do something alone.

Maybe what I need to do is build an audience in my imagination. And pretend that people are there. Because writing is something that matters to me.

I’ve recently felt disappointed, like my options for stretching creative muscles were dwindling, because I’m going through a few transitions right now. I’ve just moved and and after not working for two months I’m going back on the first of June. I’ve felt directionless and in that grey space between feeling a little depressed and feeling like I need to snap out of that and just do something.

How has this time of social distancing affected your creativity? For me- It’s been put on the backburner more than I thought it would be. I thought I would be so excited to use time to play and enjoy. It turns out, I need accountability and interaction and a deadline to make something. I start to trade my creating time to trying to help and encourage other people, and sparking discussion and while those things are fun and meaningful, it still isn’t good to let a whole side of myself lie stagnant.

I’m not the best at time management. I either over plan or I just drift through my time, and it gets eaten up by scrolling on my phone. Are you like this too?

One thing I’ve used some of my time on has been making books and doing collages and writing and poetry in them.

I’ve felt this need to downsize the creative supplies I had hoarded and give them a home within pages. Clearing the clutter is good to just be able to see what is in front of you and to focus on that. There’s a lot of freedom in making a book out of junk- because no matter how it turns out when it’s done, it’s going to be SOMETHING.

One aspect of creativity I’ve had a lot of fun with is editing videos. Putting together special memories and find the best moments- It’s like a digital scrap book. Youtube has been an outlet for me for almost a year and a half- but when I really put my time into writing something meaningful, it doesn’t get so many views. So, I’ve needed to step out into the blogging world for awhile now. It’s just taken me awhile to take the leap.

And sometimes, you have to do something. You have to post something, and just get over that hurdle of doing it the first time. So here’s my first medium article. I’m happy to be here.

Thanks for reading and spending this time with me.