Day Eight of the 12 Days of Creativity

This is Day Eight of the 12 Steps to Creativity: Embracing Your Creativity Challenge!


Check out Day Seven: Appreciation here!
Check out Day Six: Patience here!
Check out Day Five: Community here!
Check out Day Four: Inspiration here!
Check out Day Three: Imitation here!
Check out Day Two: Work Space here!
Check out Day One: Confidence here! 


On the Eighth Day of Creativity Meghan gave to me: BALANCE.

Photo nabbed from Flick | HomeSpot HQ

TIP 8 - Take breaks when needed, and stay up all night when needed. There are times that you are working on something and nothing is turning out right. Everything is messing up, frustrating you, testing your last nerve. You are ready to rip it up and throw the project out. STEP AWAY FROM THE PROJECT! Take a moment away to regroup. It is no benefit to anyone or your project if you are forcing anything. If you are tired and over it, nothing good will get accomplished and you will start questioning yourself.

On the other hand, if you are in the groove and still working even as the clock ticks away, keep going! Some nights I'm done early, some nights I stay up extraordinarily late because I'm in the mood, and my juices are flowing. If you have an important meeting the next morning, I suggest you prioritize your responsibilities. But if you can get away with it, stay up and go as long as your mind and creativity will allow you.

If you try to stick to a schedule you will hinder your creativity a lot of times. Turn on the t.v., crank the tunes, take a Saturday and get to creating! Most importantly, though, listen to your body as you are working and keep going when you need, and stop when you need! It's important to listen to yourself so you want to continue creating and you don't burn yourself out.



TASK 8 - This task is a little less concrete than some of the others, but I want you to do an exercise in listening to your body! As I said before, the purpose of really listening to yourself is being able to enjoy the craft you are working on not burn yourself out.

The next project that you are working on, be it a holiday Pinterest gift, a picture frame, re-decorating your living room, anything artsy, I want you to really listen to your body. Make note, on paper and mentally, about when you were doing something that you just had to step away from, and when you were really in the groove and kept going.

When you are trying to re-create that awesome wall collage of mirrors and you just couldn't get it to look right and you are starting to get frustrated and down on yourself, take a break and make note of that moment. You will enjoy coming back to it once you are mentally refreshed.

On the other hand, when you are working on that holiday Pinterest exchange gift and it's going well and you are chugging through it, make note of how that feels and the excitement you have to keep going and creating. I bet you will feel empowered to do another craft and excited for the next one!



Share your moments of frustration and excitement and how you felt through them!
Leave me some comments on your thoughts on Day Eight.
AND Stay tuned tomorrow for Day Nine: POSITIVITY!