Creative Wellness Letters - life is hard, how about a pep talk? 🥰

Hi Reader, 

How are you doing, really?

Things have been feeling pretty collectively heavy to me lately, mainly in the political realm - I am sensing that more coping strategies will be needed for me to make it through this U.S. election year. 😬😬😬 

I am grateful that things in my life are generally going okay, but there’s still this feeling of anxiety and precariousness that’s hard to shake.

Life is always fragile, I suppose, but when scary things happen, it has a way of making our vulnerability more obvious. If you’re like me (a person with anxiety), these moments might make you want to retreat inward and might steal your creative energy. That’s okay!

It might take a period of rest and replenishment for your creative zest to reappear, or it might just be coming in little drips, but it’s not gone forever, I promise.

Or, creativity might seem like the least important thing among the heaviness, but we need these moments of joy and fulfillment to keep going onward.

We need to keep creating!

It is not frivolous or unnecessary.

When creating is part of your identity as a human, you need to keep doing it in some way to keep feeling like yourself.

Continuing to create is going to be essential both for processing tough times ourselves, and for helping others process them.

Artists throughout history have made work in response to difficult political and cultural situations, which has helped the collective make sense of the situation, and also has led to positive change.

Even if you’re not making art with a political slant, making and sharing your work might be the thing that connects you to another person and gives them solace. Can you remember the feeling when you heard a song that sounded like it was speaking directly about you? That can be so comforting.

I fully get that those of us with sensitive brains (most of us, as artists?), especially those of us with mental health issues, might be finding it hard to focus on anything right now, and might be losing the energy and motivation to keep creating.

When I did my 1st 100 Day Project of composing in 2017, I was experiencing some of the worst anxiety of my life, and I also ended up writing some of my favorite music I’ve ever written. The ritual of showing up to compose every day, no matter what, became a comfort, and bonus, when you create tons of work, it really takes off the pressure of it being good, because you’re going to show up and make more the next day!

So let’s SHOW UP ANYWAY and share our work, whatever that may look like.

You have a unique perspective. We need your creative work, and you need it, too. (In case it’s not clear, I’m saying this from a place of encouragement, not pressure!)

I also know how important it is to take care of yourself so that you have the energy to show up for your creative work. Extra self care is most needed when you’re feeling overwhelmed, but that can make it hard to think clearly enough to take the right actions that really impact your overall wellness.

If it’s been feeling too hard to create, try something tiny!

I have a set of free creative and wellness prompts called the Feel-Good Creativity Un-Challenge, which help soothe your nervous system and put your mind in the right place for making art at whatever scale is possible right now.

Usually they come in a series of 5 daily emails, but you’re already on the list, so go ahead and check them all out at once, if you want:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

If you’d rather talk to a friendly coach (me!) about where you’re getting stuck in your creative projects, and find some momentum to move forward, I’m here to help!

Even if you’re not ready or able to invest in coaching right now (payment plans are always available without penalty), I’m always here to cheer you on - please don’t hesitate to let me know what’s going on in your creative life.

I hope you’re hanging in there, and, as always, I’m cheering for you!

🕸️ Staying on the good side of the internet 🕸️

• As Slow As Possible - I enjoyed this 99% Invisible episode about the ORGAN2/ASLSP performance that began in 2001 and will last 639 years! It changes chords once every year or two, so it's a major event. Just more encouragement for following your wild creative ideas! 

• The Powerful Effect of Bringing Play Into Your Life - I wholeheartedly believe in play being a hugely important part of a creative life (and all life), but I still need reminders, like this one from Zen Habits. (Tsuki the Cat also approves this message.)
• I love this list of 40 Places You Deserve by Kat Vellos, which she also illustrated in a fun way!