The myth of the miserable creative wasting away in solitude for the name of art haunts our popular culture. It's a frustrating image that keeps a lot of creative people from getting the help they need for fear of losing that spark of imagination. For me, finding help has meant that I am back to creating instead of just wallowing.
But no matter how much help you find or how well you are, life happens and things outside of your control spiral in and threaten to throw things off balance. For me, routines and structures help build a life that I can manage but when, for example, the water heater stops working or the cat gets sick, your plans get thrown to the wind and it can be a struggle to do anything.
Right now, there is a lot of uncertainty and fear in the world. Things feel dangerous, scary and unpredictable. Part of that is life and no matter how much I want to control things and be able to 100% know what will happen, that's never happening.
I struggle sometimes to find the line between prepared and panicked. It's not an easy line to find, even for people who aren't already anxious messes. I've been working on finding some new ways to handle creating in times of stress and uncertainty and I wanted to share those with you.
1. Start small.
A five-minute writing session feels manageable when a 30-minute session feels impossible or just isn't going to happen. Doing something, even a tiny thing, can make a difference and help me feel like I am still okay.
2. Express your feelings.
I do something I call free writing. I set a timer (usually for 15 minutes but not always) and I just word vomit out what's on my mind. I freely share my fears, worries, hopes, dreams, frustrations and story ideas. It all comes out in imperfect blocks of text that don't always make sense. It helps get those thoughts out of my head and onto a page where I can be slightly more objective. This honestly has helped a lot with keeping me from getting obsessive about a thought pattern and helped a lot.
3. Do something fun.
Part of creating is about play and exploration. To keep that part of my brain active and happy, I like to do something fun every day. Sometimes that might be playing The Sims and other times it might be reading a cozy mystery in a bubble bath. I try to do something that brings me happiness to remind myself of the good and creativity in the world.
4. Remember the physical.
I am the worst at drinking water and eating healthy. I frequently live on pasta and coffee and it's not the best for me at all. In times when my stress starts to get to be too much, I take a time out and drink a glass of water or go on a walk around the block. Bringing myself back to my physical body helps me get out of my own head and remind me to take care of myself.
5. Forgive myself.
This is the one I am the worst at but I am still trying. Sometimes there is enough going on that there is no way to keep creating or do the things you hoped to do. Some days, you just need to accept that the rest of the world has gotten the better of you and that's okay. Tomorrow is another day to try again and get back on your feet. Everyone has bad days where nothing gets done and that doesn't make you a failure, it just makes you human.
I wish there were a magic wand I could wave and make worries and stress vanish but that technology just doesn't quite exist yet so for now, I'll have to keep with these tips and see if they keep making a difference in my life. I hope these tips can help you see above the noise that stress and anxiety can build in your head.