Keeping Creative

Working in a creative field can easily lead to burn-out so coming up with ways to counter this, often impending doom, calls for some creative solutions. This is difficult because how do you throw more creativity out there in the world when that's of the very thing you're depleted?

I take the divide and conquer approach and by this I mean it's time to concentrate on another creative outlet and of these, I've got many. Craft and art tend to be isolating activities as they require presence of mind, concentration and often, planning. Whether the activity is gardening, playing an instrument, sewing, photography, painting, it is necessary to be in the moment. Sure, social knitting is a gas but eventually the wine and chit chat will render your project a mess.  I've done this enough to know that if the girls are coming over for a knit session, don't dig out the silk lace shawl to work on. No, this is the perfect opportunity to start a bulky bouclé crochet blanket, but I digress. The point I'm making is, sometimes it's best to switch your creative focus rather than force the outlet that's tapped out or turn it off completely.

By pursuing other endeavors, the mind has time to percolate, to meditate and make room for new ideas.  This can take time but it's so important to fill the well again and come back to task excited and fresh. Creative work is hard work. Those of us who have chosen this path take a beating whether it be by others or by self in some degree or other. We are often our harshest critic so when it's time to reboot, it's important to choose something that gives us back something in return whether it be peace and quiet or a garden in full bloom.

For me, I make things. I've always made things but now, my interest lies in how close can I get to the beginning of a process - namely food and textiles. Spinning wool in which to knit a hat is a huge investment of time but it's just that, an investment. I will be getting something out of the process that I can then apply to my business, my art and my craft and by engaging in these other pursuits, I can ward off burn-out when the first symptoms arise.