Yesterday, while looking through my google reader, I noticed a post by my fellow creative blogger Tanner Christensen on creating the work you dreamed of.. It was a deeply personal post that touched a nerve with me and I am sure many other “creatives” out there.
In it, he tells his story of being a creative who, listening to everyone around him, forgoes a career as an artist to become a designer – considered to be a much safer choice. But like a lot of us out there in similar situations, he still longs to be an artist and challenges his readers (and I assume himself too) to take just 5 minutes a day to do something creative, whether it’s writing a quick poem, taking a photograph, or doing a simple drawing to get back to your creative dreams.
I believe the reason his post and suggestion resonated so strongly with me was because, I too, have gotten into a place where I am safe and doing work, that while still part of my dream, is comfortable. No matter who we are, we get in that rut of doing the same thing almost everyday and forget about our lost creative dreams.
Like Tanner, I believe in the power of short – planned or unplanned stints of creativity. Small steps are what helps to build a larger practice of creativity. Recently too, I’ve tried to weave this into my own life, whether it’s creating redesigned website wire frames on post-it notes during my lunch break, or snapping images of my daily life and altering them on instagram, or even pledging to create one thing a day for the next thirty days.
Let’s start a Build Your Creative Dream in 5 Minutes a Day Challenge, where we take that short amount of time each day to express ourselves and rediscover our lost creative dreams.
- What can you create in 5 minutes?
Melanie, this is a great post and I’ve cycled back for a second read. Like you and Tanner (a tweet fave of mine) I can relate. The last two weeks have been all about shaking the writing-client tree and not about creativity from an art perspective. (I believe I bring creativity to my clients, but that’s a different satisfaction standard.)
What can I create in five minutes? I haven’t thought of it that way but it’s worth some reflection, at least five minutes’ worth.
Patrick
Thx Patrick! After I wrote this post, I decided to take the 30 Days of Creativity Challenge a step forward by limiting myself to 5 minutes per creation and only using what I already have.
Loved this idea of a 5 Minutes a Day Challenge.
Though I do other writing-types things as my career, the most fun I have – and the biggest creative buzz I get – is doing my travel blog. I used to always put it last (being a “hobby” I didn’t think I could justify plowing regular time into it) but about 2 months ago, during a marathon of introspective writing, I got the inner guidance loud and clear that I need to stop that attitude and give my most enjoyable creativity more priority. So I did and what has been resulting from that is all kinds of magic that’s affecting other parts of my life. I’m now motivated to find more and more small snatches of time to greedily work on the projects I love.
~ Milli
P.S. I came here from my friend Patrick’s Creativity Tweets. :~)
Thanks for this post. i realized last week that I’ve been so busy working that I haven’t taken the time to create anything (besides writing). Time to schedule in some creative time.
I love this post!! In our modern-day lives, school-work is so important for teenagers. I spend so much of my time writing term-papers and studying for exams that I sometimes forget my creative side – one that I cherish very much!! I am really touched by your post, as it reminds me of why I started my own blog in the first place!
http://www.theartofbeebeeing.blogspot.com
It is sad that being an artist is not enough of an occupation in this world. I love the idea of taking 5 mintues a day to do something creative! I think picking out an outfit, to singing along to the radio in the car can be simple little things that help get creative juices flowing for the day.
Been doing my little postcards every day — I’m past 70 days. It feels very very *right* for me. And I find my tiny sketching time influencing the stuff I end up painting during studio sessions throughout the week. It’s an interesting experience.
Mandy, I love seeing your postcards. Can’t wait to see more!