Have you pushed “Pause” on your creativity?

An artist recently spoke with me about her work. She tearfully admitted that she’d been too busy to create new work of any substance.

She was afraid. Afraid she won’t be able to connect with the muse again. Afraid she’d made a choice to have a family, a proper job, and now that part of herself; that wonderful, wild artist is gone forever. Being an artist was something she used to do. What right has she to go back now? It’s not possible to hit the rewind button on your life.

I understand. I spent many years nursing a career in the art business. Only I was promoting other people’s work, not my own. I’d pushed the pause button in my creativity. When I heard the call to return to it, I succumbed to guilt and fear at first. “It’s too late now,” I told myself. It takes years to build a creative career. Why, I could be 50 years old before I saw any sort of success!

But then I went deeper, fast-forwarding into the future. With any luck, someday I’d be 50 years old anyway. How did I want to spend my time getting there? What did I want to show for it? That little voice that’s urging you to make new work or rededicate yourself to your creativity isn’t there to make you feel bad, or to shame you. That little voice is your creativity inviting you out to play. Work doesn’t work without play, you know.
Especially art work.

So forget about having to create a masterpiece or undertake a big project when you’ve
been away from your art for awhile. Forget about the fears and the questions. Take that pressure off, it’s not helpful. Instead, play with your creativity and connect again with the joy that it brings. And then follow that. It will lead you on a journey that will last all your days.

So to restart your creativity, first press “Play.” And then dance to the sound of your own music.