How to Maintain a Creative Mindset
To sit, to stare, to find beauty in a blossom, fallen leaf, and barren bough ~
always searching for a better word to fill the vacant pages;
especially when caught up in a conundrum.
I like being creative and it gives me a great high to perceive my surroundings with a ‘different eye’; searching for the hidden meanings that are buried under the thought process, and finding connections, symbolism, and metaphors in my daily life. Amid a lucrative and flourishing business, family, friends, blog, and my SM channels ~ I always find myself fumbling when it comes to trying to find my space.
I feel that daily routines and other distractions are making me lose a bit of my focus when it comes to being aesthetic and creative. Especially since creativity and I share a symbiotic relationship, and I know that my existence will become mundane if I have to let go of the art of being creative. But yes, a few tugs and pulls here and there, and lo! I have my problems solved. So many of you have asked how I even have time to do everything, so I thought it imperative to share my techniques with all of you, on how I keep my creative faculties active. Read on for a guide on how to maintain a creative mindset.
1. Morning Call
I find being up at the break of dawn to be the quietest and most peaceful time to introspect, contemplate, and reflect without disturbance. I set my morning alarm to 6:30 AM so that I get some uninterrupted time to read the headlines, scroll through my emails, be updated with what’s the buzz word by flipping through Instagram posts, and of course, practice yoga and take a few minutes to connect with my inner self. This morning time of 60-90 minutes is revitalising and is what sets the tone for the rest of my day, keeping me on the quest for that better word and seeing my creative restlessness get manifested.
2. Exercise
Working out is just as good for my body as it is for my mind, and many a time, it is during these workout sessions and yoga practice that I get my motivation. Alternatively, a morning walk with my husband, Vikram, or even biking gives me that much-needed escape from the daily routine and helps me find beauty and inspiration in the enchantment and eroticism of nature.
3. Like-mindedness
I have observed my creative process taking flight when I am in the company of those with whom there is harmony and a great rapport. I am constantly made to cogitate when I am with my working team and I find that a blessing in disguise because they challenge me in many ways during our brainstorming sessions and weekly meetings to hone my creative self to the deepest.
4. Scheduling
The busy schedule of life can slow you down both consciously and unconsciously, and I have tried to get that spare time to think and listen by making that much-needed-creative-time for me. An hour a day jotting down fragments and thoughts, daydreaming, and pursuing art can be quite helpful as long as it does not stifle you. There is no need to be rigid about that one hour ‘my/me time’. You can always be flexible during days when there are limitations. The best is to take it easy during days when the tired spirit needs to be rested.
5. Podcasts
Actually, this should be at the top of the list as it ignites the images buried in the deepest realm of my mind and brings out the hidden creativity to the fore. For someone like me who is always in search of anything that will uplift my cognitive mind, podcasts help me think of things in a new light. I find it a necessity especially while travelling or commuting.
To conclude: The wisdom with art and life can be given longevity if you are consistent. With that comes the responsibility of maintaining a healthy mind which will be instrumental in keeping a consistent tempo, pace, and movement when it comes to your creative purpose.
Everyone’s got their own tricks for fostering creativity, but if you’ve got any favourites that didn’t make the list, tell me about them in the comments below.
Super cool post that combines routines with innovativeness! A personal battle for me on the creativity front has been to be consistent. And, I have found it hard to deliver inspired work without inspiration.
I don’t have a secret for instantaneous sparking of inspiration, however I do have a couple of ‘tricks’ I rely on to boost inspiration and to keep myself writing consistently, whether I feel inspired or not… 🙂
Flow is that remarkable motivated space we love to be in while working…
It’s the act of taking the necessary steps that build more adeptness and emotional solace with it, thereby opening up room for greater inventiveness.
You look beautiful, Tanya! ❤️ I’d like to add that inspiration isn’t as uncommon and ethereal as we may like to think. It’s also not an ensured daily condition, regardless of how creative you may think you are. 🙂
There are ways to make inspiration happen more often. It’s still not going to be a nozzle of innovative inspiration that you can turn on and off at will. It can, nonetheless, be more frequent and even (dare I say it) more dependable.
Such a beautiful write up! Your routines or daily rituals, will assist you with moving through the motions required to produce something (anything), even on the difficult days.
Thank you for resonating with this. The way of the ongoing creative requires thoughtfulness, cognisant development, and an unassuming acknowledgement of your need for help.
Oh my! That’s a gorgeous photo-shoot! ❤️
I have found that following a day by day (or week after week) quota helps me to continue advancing on ventures even when I’m mentally stuck and spares me from stalling even more.
You are wise. Following a daily quota, however minimal, encourages me to deliver an assemblage of work, little by little. Somewhat consistently means a great deal accomplished over a year or more.
This is a beautiful share! ❤️ Let’s be productive, yes! Let’s be creative. Let’s make stuff, do stuff, and change the world!!
Let’s also sit on the hammock on a breezy evening. Let’s also take naps, enjoy the company of friends, and say “no” while giving ourselves solitude to play and meander. 🙂
Simply beautiful! Innovative work is diligent work. It isn’t always fun, however when it’s flowing, it’s essentially the best feeling on the planet!
My advice: construct an existence that bodes well for you as a creative. Put in the thoughts and efforts to support yourself, so you can sustain the creative work.
I hear you… There is no other road to developing inventive work besides energetic interest.
Curiosity is the secret sauce to an intriguing and imaginative outcome. It’s more essential than some of your passions.
You are an ocean of talent, Tanya! I treasure every bit of advise for the emotions are precious!
On that note, I find myself at times “done” with concocting one more imaginative thought! However, over the years, I’ve come to realise that being creative breathes life and vitality into me. 🙂
Thank you for your fulsome appreciation. The traits of creativity have the potential to give you a healthier, more fulfilling life. 🙂
I absolutely understand how you feel. I’ve discovered that imaginative thoughts come after I begin doing the creative work. But if I sit tight for the creative idea to come first, nothing gets delivered!
Yes! Work brings results. Doing the craft generates more ideas.
True that. Some people function admirably in activity and chatter. Others require calm and order. My recommendation is to discover what your creative space is.
On a side note, you look so lovely! 🙂 I admire your personal style and sometimes regret not having more dresses in my wardrobe.
Thank you, Pamela. Surround yourself with what’s required for the creative energy to flow. 🙂
Oh my! So gorgeous – both you and the outfit! ❤️❤️❤️
Mindset is key. I make an effort to find something that inspires me to be creative and fully immerse myself in it… utilise all of my senses!
Nicely done. My goal here is to guide you through the steps of creating work that not only delivers a meaningful experience, but also allows you to share your light with those who are in the dark. 🙂
Appealing colour combo with lovely motifs all around, escalating the beauty of the dress. Love your outfit and makeup! ❤️
Now, there are definitely key things you need to take into consideration when you start creating Mindful Content, and get into the groovy era of conscious creativity! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your kind words.
So glad to hear this. So many people try to be who they think they need to be… Be authentic, be real, be you and people will see it!
A beautifully candid post! One thing about being a creative problem solver is getting an insight into your story ~ by getting into the depths of what you believe in. Additionally, you do have to keep re-inventing and re-inventing and re-inventing all the time, that’s just the nature of the human being.
When you are vulnerable and honest, something beautiful truly develops.
If you can’t fly then run,
if you can’t run then walk,
if you can’t walk then crawl,
but by all means keep moving forward!
Keep up the good work and keep on building good thoughts! The world needs more people like you!
p.s. I can’t take my eyes off these photos! ❤️
You’re an evolved soul. Lets jointly change the world for better and make it a better place… 🙂
How beautiful is this share! A simple thought transformed… You are an inspiration!
Creativity… it’s a lengthy process. The making of parts, bending and finishing your own findings, lacing them together… it’s all a time consuming process but so worth it in the end!
So happy to have your sweet thoughts. 🙂
Your style is your art! I love having a look at different creative styles and picking up different bits and pieces of the technique and incorporating it into my own style. Because the more I assimilate the information out there that’s available to me, the more well rounded my creative skills become. 🙂
Well, I guess the more you expose yourself to ~ you become more knowledgeable about.
I have always admired your impeccable writing style, Tanya! To me, creating is about making an effort to make an action. And then, to keep going and make adjustments and re-engineer. To have a look at the feedback between what you think (what’s in your mind’s eye) and what you create, and make little adjustments.
So creativity is just like any other skill. You wouldn’t ride a bike just that one time, and then never ride it again. You just keep going and it gets better and better and better!
This totally lit my screen… With creativity, I learn a few processes, make time to practise and relearn, and then see where my flow takes me. (It’s easy when you decide to ride the process and understand it is a flow.) It has now become the the process of making decisions on which way to turn and where to go with your freedom…⠀
Well said. Being creative is easy once you realise it is just like any other process…
The pièce de résistance! You look utterly gorgeous, Tanya! Truly relearning the art of styling from you. ❤️
While I understand the repetition of actions helps to imprint skills. I feel being creative is about mixing ideas together and seeing what gets born out of the soup of energy and influence.⠀
Aw ~ thank you!
Your skills of creativity can be trained. The key is to keep trying new techniques and adding more and more knowledge to your memory bank. 🙂
Trust the process. Trust the journey. Put ideas into action. Always keep creating. Because it’s one thing that you will never run out of. Creative ideas only produce more creative ideas. That’s fact! ❤️
So many times the blank page, the blank canvas, the uncalled contact, the empty subject line are all spaces we are nervous of moving into. Break the habit and just make a mark, any mark and move forward!