A Skill Every Creative Should Have
Creativity is something that can be fed, nourished, and rejuvenated. Oftentimes, through seasons where inspiration falls short, practicing creativity becomes distant. It’s hard to bring back, challenging us to abuse inspiration. But what if you could call upon creativity and inspiration when you wanted? This is discipline, and it’s often a lost skill that every creative should have.
Finding discipline in your creative practice
Last year, I felt lost creatively—I lacked confidence and inspiration. Moving into 2019, I decided I would focus on the act of discipline. I would work on a painting each day, no matter what my day looked like. I wanted to push my practice, develop a strong body of work, and have assurance in my creativity.
The only way this would come was through consistent practice.
So much time is lost when you keep ideas in your head. Thoughts become fragments of ideas never recorded. Practicing discipline helps you better receive your ideas, and open up to them. Your ideas will in turn flow at an unprecedented rate, filling you with an abundance of inspiration.
learning your Creative Patterns
Finding discipline means keeping your hand in your practice. Stay close to your work and seeking the joy it brings you. As you practice discipline each day, you’ll begin to see when ideas and inspiration feel slow, enabling you to identify what causes that. Understanding your creative patterns will help you better manage your creativity. You’ll begin to recognize how and when you can pull in inspiration and when it’s okay for you to rest and work through ideas in a different way.
stepping into the creative lifestyle
Just as you begin to find your ebb and flow, you’ll also discover how to live with creativity. Think about how can it serve you, how can you cherish it, how does it become a part of your daily routine, and how does it impact/affect your daily life? As you begin to navigate these questions and find answers, you will gradually step into the creative lifestyle.
What could discipline really do for your studio? How could it transform your work? How could it bring intentionality into your practice?
