Sustaining Creativity During Tough Times
Recently, I read an article over at Creativity Portal that really hit home with me.
In the less-than-desirable economic times we find ourselves in, there’s a lot of heartbreak and sorrow. Just about everyone has been affected — some more than others — faced with difficult circumstances and trying decisions.
My husband and I haven’t been immune to this wave of difficulty. In September, he was laid off from his job. With Mississippi unfortunately boasting the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the country, we had some decisions to make. First and foremost, I would search for a full-time job and leave my freelance work to an “extracurricular” activity. Second, we knew there wasn’t much opportunity where we were living at the time.
So, to cut this long drama to its somewhat shorter version….here we are in Nashville. Most of our belongings are spread between our parents houses back home and we are living out of extended stay hotel, searching for jobs. Thank the good Lord, Josh starts a new job in February, but things are harder than they’ve ever been — financially, emotionally and especially CREATIVELY.
I never imagined it would be this hard for me to get a job. I have a masters degree and some invaluable experience. It’s easy to get down on myself and when that happens almost every ounce of creativity seems to drain right out of my soul.
BUT,
I am working on that one. Helen Read’s article is a great reminder for me - and anyone else who’s struggling with difficult times.
AND,
Even in the InTown Suites there is inspiration and creativity to be found. Here’s a few things I’ve been doing to keep my creative spirit alive and as well as I can hope for at this point.
Mandala Coloring
The mandala is ancient religious symbol, usually a complex circular design, found across many different cultures. Coloring the various patterns is a soothing form of meditation.
Stress relief and inspiring art all in one. Perfect when you’re living in a hotel!
Playing Around in Photoshop and Illustrator
There are so many great tutorials and tips for both Adobe Creative Suite products. Since I do have my computer, it’s a great way to pass some time creatively.
Here’s some Illustrator and Photoshop links to keep you busy for months.
Reading
There is nothing in this world like curling up and losing yourself in a good book. Inspiration abound.
Leo at Zen Habits has a great post about the love of reading today.
Best of luck in all your creative endeavors!
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2 Responses to “Sustaining Creativity During Tough Times”
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Great post! Thank you for sharing your story and ideas!
It’s always great to have some new ideas for keeping one’s creativity going… you never know when you gonna run out of ideas of your own
(BTW, the illustrator link doesn’t work. Can you re-post it?)
@Naomi F.
Thanks for the comment. Not sure what’s up with the link, but I think it may be blog.Spoongraphics. I can’t get the site to come up at all. Check back with it later and see if it comes up.
Much love!