Many of us think we’re not creative because we don’t create. We believe that creativity cannot be denied, cannot be suppressed. We believe that it bursts through. We believe it overcomes everything else. And if it doesn’t……it’s not there. This is one of the great myths of our time. The seed is planted by a culture in love with the overnight success stories of X-Factor winners and internet entrepreneurs. It’s then watered and fed by a system that is still trying to churn out industrial workers, in a post industrial society.
Creativity as a skillset is becoming more and more important to employers but the truth is that many of us simply don’t have the time for creativity. We have exhausting jobs, long commutes, friends to visit, family to call, shopping, cleaning and laundry to do. Our lives are bloated with responsibilities and mundane tasks, the pursuit of and the acquisition of stuff. Our lives are bloated, but they’re not full. A full life is energising, not draining. A full life is challenging, but in a meaningful way. Creativity is synonymous with a full life.
Many of us first experience this fullness of life while travelling. Maybe we are changing jobs and finally have a little time for ourselves. Perhaps we have made the decision to take a sabbatical from our career. In that time, we have space. We have time.. And in those moments, freed from the pressures of modern, Western life, we experience ourselves as we truly are. Maybe that means a spiritual experience. Maybe it means an artistic experience. Maybe it’s as simple as clarity about the things we want out of life and the ways in which we might get them. It’s all the same thing and it all comes from that small, quiet creative core that is so easily drowned out by the noise of everyday life.
Whether we want to create artwork, or just the life that we want, creativity is not an innate natural talent that some have and some don’t. We all have it within us. What we often don’t have is space and time. So how do you make space for creativity in your busy everyday life?
Here are my 3 top tips for finding space to bring more creativity into your life:
— Take one day a week for yourself. Get away from friends, family, partners and spend time with yourself. Do whatever enriches you. Maybe it’s visiting a gallery. Maybe it’s getting out in nature. Maybe it’s exercise. If a full day isn’t possible for you, take an hour or two. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way refers to this as an Artist’s Date. It’s one time of the week that is for you and your personal enrichment, a date with your true self.
— Get rid of your stuff. Seriously. The amount of crap you think you need and the amount of crap you actually need are miles apart. Clutter drains your energy and the debts incurred from constant buying can keep you trapped in a career you hate. (Watch this video from Adam Baker at Man vs Debt for a really convincing argument about why you should free yourself from at least some of your possessions.) If you don’t know where to start, start with anything you don’t love. Getting rid of the things we don’t love, makes space for the things we do love to enter our lives. At his first house Steve Jobs had no chairs. He was waiting to find the chair he really wanted, and would rather have no chair than a chair that was merely “good enough.”
— Learn to say no. Saturday night drinks or time spent crafting the life you really want? It really comes down to daily decisions about whether activities enrich your life or distract you from it. Decide how much time you want to spend with friends and family in order to satisfy your commitments to them and then say no to any engagements beyond that.
What can you do today to make space for a fuller life? What can you get rid of? What can you say no to? The decision is yours.