Creative Wellness Letters - 👏 let’s hear it for imperfect habits

💗 Before I get into today’s letter, I want to extend tons of compassion to everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Helene - if that’s you, I hope you’re okay and am wishing you fortitude and ease! 💗

If you’d like to help out, I found this Google Doc with a huge compilation of resources.

Hi Reader, 

Do you know that prioritizing your creative practice would make you feel happier and more fulfilled, but all of that other urgent work/life/family stuff keeps getting in the way?

(Congrats, you’re a human, our brains are fickle sometimes! And sorry if you felt attacked by that question.)

The good news is that even small efforts can add up to big things, and small habits can grow into bigger ones, even if you don’t have large blocks of time to create.

Lately I have been reminding myself that I am happier when I start my work day at the piano, NOT the computer!

I typically get to work from home in the mornings, and sometimes email seems so urgent and compelling, then internet things lead to other internet things, then I find myself running out of time to practice or compose.

This is *not* in line with my priorities for my life and career, but yet it still happens a lot.

I know that I’m better at thinking and being creative in the morning, because this is when I have the clearest mental energy, and we all know how going on the internet can quickly spiral out of control and dump you into an attentional black hole! 

Plus, doing the important thing first ensures that there will be time for it.

So, in September, I restarted my old morning practice routine - straight to the piano after breakfast!

This was a habit I started years ago in order to put the important above the merely urgent, but got out of it at some point. 🤷‍♀️

I know I don’t have to tell you that our culture of urgency, with myriad modes of communication, has such a convincing pull, complete with more quick dopamine bursts than the more complex and deep thinking of creative work.

It’s an uphill battle, and some days it doesn’t work out!

What helps me (and my creative coaching clients) the most is knowing that my habit-keeping doesn’t have to be perfect.

Humans aren’t perfect, so imperfect efforts and habits are the only kind we have, and will always point you in the right direction!

Knowing that, we have to be willing to start again, and again, and again, making the best effort that’s available to us that day.

With this piano-after-breakfast intention, at least it has a spot in my schedule. I want to do at least an hour each weekday morning, but if that doesn’t happen, I show up to do something.

When I’m busy in the morning, I try my best to schedule piano time for later in the day (and yes, I actually put it in my Google calendar, in a separate, private calendar - digital makes it so easy to make a placeholder and drag to another spot when needed)

Even when I don’t have the mental clarity to do transcribing, transposing, improv, composing, or other stuff that takes a lot of brain power, I can still show up to play something I already know well, to refresh it. 

Or I can work on technical things that involve more mindless(-ish) repetition. There’s always something to work on.

Having a loose plan or menu for what you’re going to do in your creative practice when you don’t have a deadline or pressing goal can also be really helpful (this topic needs its own letter, coming soon!).

I’ve learned that sometimes I avoid practicing because decision making feels hard, and I don’t like the feeling of not knowing what to do, so the menu comes in handy in those times.

Also, it’s important to acknowledge that not every season is one of prolific creation - some seasons are about other things, and that’s a normal part of life. It doesn’t mean you’re not a musician / artist / <insert your field here> anymore.

To recap:

1) Figure out what time of day works best for you to do your creative practice - aim for that

2) Give it a place in your schedule (habits also stick better when you attach them to something you already do regularly, like a meal time)

3) Show up at that time to do something, even if it’s small

4) Repeat as desired (including restarting after taking breaks, intentional or not)

I also have more tips in this blog post: How to Keep Up A Creative Habit When Life Gets in the Way, as well as this book I wrote:

Coming next time, as promised: a letter about physical and digital decluttering, with some tangible steps for fall cleaning in the creative realm! 🧹

Wishing you wonderfully imperfect creating this week!

When is your best time of day for creativity, and what keeps you from using that time? I’d love to hear about it, if you’d like to share!

🕸️ Staying on the good side of the internet 🕸️

• Turning Toward a Task You've Been Avoiding for Weeks (Zen Habits) - So easy, yet so hard, but so amazing once you do it!

• The Collapse of Self-Worth in the Digital Age (The Walrus) - I've been thinking a lot about AI in the realm of art lately and sometimes it feels a little scary. Up with humans! 
• Astronaut-Violinist Sarah Gillis Performs from Space with Music Students on Earth - The first violinist in space, so cool!