When Creativity Stalls, Build Your Toolkit

Sometimes the Muse eludes us, but how can we make our time valuable when the Creative bug isn't biting? We can build our toolkit so we can be better prepared for when the Muse returns. How can you utilize the time to learn a new skill to pull from when you need it? Peace out.

Transcript

We talk a lot in the Creataholics community about mindfulness,

Meditation,

Manifestation,

All that kind of stuff.

I kind of want to step back a minute and maybe go micro and think about creativity in general because that's kind of what we all are.

We're just creating.

Whatever space that is,

We're creating and it's beautiful and we're just trying to find ways to access that creative energy without roadblocks,

Without things that come into our life and kind of distract us from that because the more we're creating,

The more we're making this world a better place because we're expressing who we are and we're expressing our experiences.

And the more that you can do that,

We're all benefiting from that.

The one thing that I remembered early on,

And this is kind of a rule that I've always lived by and it's really served me well,

Probably because I lived in fear for so long because I've been in the music industry.

So I'm like,

Oh my gosh,

If the phone doesn't ring for me to go play this gig,

Then I'm going to have to do web design and then teach myself that.

And then like,

If that doesn't work,

Then I'm going to have to learn how to build a studio and be like,

I always was looking at the next thing because I was so fearful of losing the thing that I already had.

And the gift that came out of that was a thing I call like to call like build your toolbox.

What is that?

Well,

Every day we're not going to wake up and have the most inspirational,

Creative thing that comes out of our,

Our being.

So what happens sometimes,

Whether you're a writer,

Whether you're a composer,

Whether you're a songwriter,

Whether you're a painter,

You know,

It's,

We're only able to create with the tools that we have.

What are tools?

Tools can physically be a brush.

Tools can physically be,

Uh,

Like piano.

So like if you want to be a better piano player or if you want to be a better songwriter,

Maybe you could practice piano that day,

Like technique.

Maybe if you want to be a better songwriter instead of writing a song and you had a roadblock,

Maybe go grab a,

Grab a book to get inspiration from.

So it's like,

It's instead of being creative,

Don't get down on yourself and get frustrated if there's writer's block or whatever,

Go,

Okay,

Cool.

Well,

What tool can I use?

What tool can I bring into my toolkit that can help me the next time I'm inspired?

So I remember I just had a personal experience when I was learning how to run a studio.

Uh,

I opened up the thing that controls,

It's called a DAW.

I use a DAW called logic and I would sit there and not have any inspiration.

So I'm like,

Okay,

Cool.

Well,

What can I do today that's going to benefit me?

And one of the things that I could do was open up what we call plugins.

A plugin is something that modifies the sound in a way that is more pleasing or,

Or whatever.

It can be so many different things.

So I go,

Okay,

Cool.

How can I learn what EQ is?

EQ is where you have different frequencies and when you listen to them,

A mix,

There's frequent that all the frequencies are combined.

And when you use EQ,

You carve out different areas in the frequency.

So they're not competing against each other,

But like,

Well,

How can I learn what EQ is?

So the next time I'm inspired and I'm mixing something,

I can have that tool in my toolbox.

So whatever it is that you do that's creative,

Um,

What I would encourage you to do if you're having a day where you're struggling and you're sitting there and you're just getting nothing,

I would figure out a way to build you,

Build that toolbox.

Just,

You know,

If you're like,

Yeah,

Again,

With these,

With meditations,

As I got my teaching certificate,

There were certain days where I just didn't have the energy to write a creative script.

So what I would do is I would read a scientific paper about meditation so that I could understand better how to make these scripts a little bit more in line scientifically with getting results for people when they would sit down and listen to them.

So whatever your genre is creatively,

Um,

Build your toolkit and don't get so down on yourself when it's not a creative day because that's a gift.

Now you got a day where you can put something else in your arsenal so that when that creative day hits,

You have it and you can access it.

So until next time,

Peace and love.

Reviews

Always wise to regularly build your toolkit in whatever field you’re in. I can broaden your musical analogy to yarn arts by saying that I strained my forearms once really badly. I was trying to speed up my knitting and was eventually told (after I went to the doctor and then to the physical therapist) not to knit for six weeks. I was really saddened. But I distracted myself by crocheting which used different muscles, I thought. We all learned that the muscles were related, and I was told that crocheting was delaying my healing. So no crocheting either.
So I’d sit there trying to figure out what to do. So I tried to resume drawing. Yes, similar hand and arm muscles — so I couldn’t do that. I think I tried another art and was in pain from that as well.
What I ended up doing was finding resources online that could teach me more about my yarn and other hand arts. And I would download references and patterns for future projects.
Yes, I’m actually knitting better because of it as well as crocheting in part because I found better crochet hooks for my disabled hand that makes it easier to hold the hook and as a result my stitches are more uniform making my end product even better. And by knitting And crocheting as alternatively as possible, I don’t strain my arms as much. I’ve even sold a few of my baby sweaters and plush toys to the delight of their new owners.
So don’t “just sit like a bump on a log,” go out do something that will help you do whatever you do.
As a relatively quick accounting related analogy, when I was an accountant trying to be a CPA (Certified Professional Accountant) from January through May auditors in CPA firm would join ranks with the tax preparers to crank out the tons of tax returns that would jam up the office until they were finished or extended by April 15th and clean up work till May then we’d return and prepare our toolkits and audit bags with CPE (Continuing Professional Education) required as a standard by our field. We would work similar crazy hours we did during tax season to finish all the audits due during their various deadlines while taking the CPE of the tax law changes for the next year’s upcoming tax season.
It was a crazy dance but it really utilized time very effectively.
Thank you for the talk.
Blessings to you and all on the journey.
Warmly,
Anne