Nurturing creativity is something we can all use a little (or a lot) of once in a while.  We live in a culture that see’s art making as frivolous unless it is done in the context of making a living from it.  Something reserved for professionals or the play of young children.

This past Saturday I led a workshop of Muses through an intuitive painting process.  Each participant was challenged to work on the same painting throughout the day.  At the end of the day when asked how they would continue to nurture their inner Muse there was a sense of uncertainty.  Though they had given themselves permission to create for the day, they were not clear how to continue this at home.  Time was definitely an issue as well as having the space to create.  When we look at these elements more closely it becomes clearer that permission is key to nurturing one’s creativity.

Make space for your creativity!

Time is there, it always is, it’s just how we choose to organize and prioritize our activities for the day or week.  Schedule in some time for yourself starting small and increasing as your comfort with doing so allows.

Tell others you are going to take this time for your self.  Sometimes it is about accountability, and sometimes its just about creating the head space around allowing your self the time.  Saying it out loud in front of others often helps strengthen the commitment.

Gather materials that you need to express with, pencil or crayons and paper to start with will do just fine! Whatever is available.  Sure maybe you’d like to use other materials and want to make a trip to the art store, next weekend or some day soon, but I say start with what you have! The longer you delay, well, the longer your creativity is delayed.

Figure out where your art space will be.  Will it be in a corner in your home, perhaps at a desk or at a wall? Will it be at the kitchen table when not in use, pulling your art supplies out of a handy dandy box just for the occasion?  Will it be in an art journal, with a baggie of art supplies that you carry with you on the go?  Or how about a corner of the garage or basement for your little personal art studio?

Give yourself permission not to share your art if you don’t want to.  Explain to others that it is personal self-expression, not meant to be shared- much like a diary.  In my recent Visual Journal Journey workshop, participants struggled with whether to share their journal with friends or family because they began to realize how personal the content was.  Only after they identified that it was more like a visual diary did they give themselves permission to not share or to share with only those who they felt they could trust and would honor the sacredness of their entries.

We live in a society that praises results, outcomes, and production.  Showing your art to others may elicit compliments or criticisms.  Either way these comments can stifle our creativity when we feel we have done something “wrong” in our art expression as deemed by someone else or even when others compliment our work we may feel the need to continue to “produce” similar art works, thus constricting our expression.

Join me next week when I share more ways to nurture your creativity.  But for now, what are you waiting for, start making art!

If you need some support getting your creative practice going, join me online or in person for Art Journaling or Intuitive Painting.  Click below to find out more!