Saturday, October 17, 2015

My creative rituals




I recently came across a few articles that made me think of my personal creative rituals. I'm sure all of us at some point feel uninspired, or tired. This is actually normal. I think what most creative people fear most is the lack of inspiration because that's pretty much the driving force of our work.

Having said that, I have also learnt through these years, that sustained creativity doesn't come from a single spark of a brilliant idea. You are what you do everyday. I cannot stress that enough. Having consistent rituals are essential to set the stage to help bringing your ideas to fruition.

So, when I saw this article which showcases the daily routines of some of the most world known creative people, I was truly fascinated. You know, I'm glad to know I'm not the only oddball who doesn't sit down for hours in a row creating. It just doesn't work for me.

But do you have creative rituals? And if so, what are some of your favorite rituals? Things that you need to do on a daily basis that helps you to keep your creative journey moving along?

Here are some of my favorite rituals.

1. Quiet mornings

The first few moments when we wake up is actually quite precious and important as it sets the tone for the rest of the day. I like waking up naturally and luckily, I am a morning person and don't have a problem waking up. I also don't have bad mood when I wake up, thankfully! I rarely laze in bed, and I like getting up to a quiet morning to start another brand new day!

2. My first cup of tea

Another one of my must favorite rituals! Nothing better than waking up and enjoying that first few sips! Seriously! I think even coffee drinkers will understand this, as it's similar to their first cup of coffee of the day.
I feel like I can accomplish and get through anything once I get my first taste of tea. I love my tea to be strong, bright and bold :) I usually have one cup in the morning and another in the afternoon.

“There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.”  ― Lin Yutang, The Importance Of Living:
Photo from here

3. Breakfast

This probably sounds crazy, but I love breakfast and sometimes I go to bed getting excited thinking about eating breakfast in the morning. I've had always eaten breakfast as a child, before going to school, so this is a routine for me. I can't start work without having some food in my stomach. These days, I'm into gluten free honey corn flakes. They are so yummy!


Honey’d® Corn Flakes | Nature’s Path:  
Photo from here

3. Take time to find beauty

I found that this works for me. When I'm uninspired, I take time to look and find beauty in things. I like going onto Pinterest to find beautiful pictures. Most of the time, and really I mean 99% most of the time, when I find something, I instantly feel excited and that helps to keep me going. I like looking at flowers, home decoration, desserts, cakes.  

4. Pause and be grateful

I learn not to take anything for granted. Being able to sit and create art is something to be extremely grateful for. I'm grateful that I am healthy and am able to pursue the things I enjoy doing. When you create with that mindset, your world changes. Every moment becomes precious and valuable.

Gratitude Changes Everything Free Printable Gray & Gold:  
Photo found here

5. Get in touch with nature

No matter how busy my day is, I never fail to go out to get in touch with nature. I love to be surrounded by trees, grass and flowers. It actually helps me in many ways. Sitting for long hours isn't healthy anyway, so I love going outdoors for my daily exercise. Depending on weather, I either go for a run, swim or walk. This has become an integral part of my lifestyle. I feel that I am a better artist because of this. 
We hike several times a week. When we pick up the pace to a jog on the trail we call it a jike.:
Photo found here

I hope you enjoyed reading and knowing my creative rituals. A lot of it is living life in a simple way. What are some of your favorite rituals?

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for this post! Just what I needed to nudge me in the right direction. I'm in creative doldrums for months now. I keep telling myself I am being lazy but I just can't sit down and concentrate on creative work. I spend hours every day weeding the garden, cleaning the back of cupboards, making and eating between-meal snacks. Needless to say, I'm growing fat and broke... I'm going to sit down and make a list of the things that used to put me in the mood to create, and then do those things!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Megan,

    Thanks so much for reading and for your comments. I can totally understand about the creative doldrums, I think all of us go through that phase in our lives. I hope some of the ideas I have shared would help to inspire you. Do whatever that makes you feel happy and inspired, and let those moments/mood to create come at their own pace! Take care!

    ReplyDelete

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