What Keeps YOU from Creating?

We’re talking about what keeps you from creating today, and though I’m sure we all have different circumstances, here’s a glimpse into my reasons. Might as well be honest, right?

The alarm on my phone sings its morning song and I continue to lay in bed. “Just a few more minutes”, I think as my eyes close. And it’s true. Just a few minutes later, my daughter wakes and it’s time to start the day. We get up, make breakfast, eat, and suddenly the morning hours accelerate until they’re gone. It’s suddenly nap time and I need a nap too but this is my chance to work on projects. I look around the house and realize I also need to do some cleaning. I want to exercise too. And I’m hungry for lunch. I end up taking a quick nap, eating, and doing part of a video workout. And then my daughter wakes up from her nap, and she’s hungry.

There are many variations of the above scenario, but you get the idea. Life is busy. Creativity seems like a luxury so it is often shelved because who has TIME these days anyway?

I hear from readers all the time who struggle with this reality. We all have constraints on our time that keep us from leading a perfectly creative life. But as I’ve been thinking about this concept more and more, I’ve come to the conclusion that I can still be creative, it just takes some planning on my part. It also takes a certain acceptance that I think author Jeremy Secrest words perfectly here:

Maybe your current circumstances don’t seem tailor-made for your dream life, but maybe they’re just right to create something that’s uniquely you.

Jeremy Secrest

What could you create that is uniquely you? What delicious recipe is the sum of your experience, circumstances, and talents?

I remember my mom talking about Edith Schaeffer here and there when I was growing up. Mrs. Schaeffer wrote several books and along with her husband led a ministry in Switzerland called L’Abri. (That brief description does her a disservice, so for those who love the Schaeffers, please forgive me!) I mention her because she made creativity an integral part of her life—from how she made meals to making simple arrangements for the dinner table. Even mundane and frustrating things like doctor’s appointments were faced with a “What can we learn from this?” attitude.

This way of thinking along with my mom being raised in a creative family, influenced her deeply to make our lives magical. Creative time wasn’t limited to sewing dresses. It was how we played, it was woven through singing through the day, and finding ways to make things with the supplies we had on hand.

What could you create that is uniquely you?

I say this to encourage you as you’re trying to find time to be creative this year. Think through your day—What keeps you from creating? Is there a way you could make the simple things in your life more meaningful and beautiful? Consider . . .

• Turning on music to sing to when you’re making dinner
• Taking a few minutes in the morning to count your blessings and record them in a gratitude journal (This is what I use, but I recently discovered this cute journal which is perfect too.)
• Scheduling in time to start or work on a creative project you enjoy
• Spending a few minutes to draw my day
• Reading a book that nourishes your imagination before bed
• Taking 5 minutes to write a letter to someone who needs encouragement
• Doubling a recipe and packaging the leftovers for someone who needs a meal

With this mindset, we can say goodbye to the guilt trips and actually make creativity a reality in our lives.

I hope you have a wonderful {and creative} day!