feeling stuck… when several days in a row creativity isn’t waiting to jump out of my soul, when the thought of putting paint to a canvas is more daunting than it is exciting. Have you ever felt that way with something you love?
If I am honest, that has pretty much been me the last few weeks, which is partly why you haven’t heard as much from me. I have been processing through this feeling of stuck. Telling myself to push through and just do something can often bring pressure to be productive that is more stifling to the creative process than anything.
In my processing I have come to the realization that it is less about getting unstuck (because I will get stuck at times and any artist I have talked to goes through it too), and more about how I choose to posture myself in the midst of it.
For a while I have chosen to become frustrated by it which has only led to a vicious cycle of feeling like my creativity isn’t enough or that I am not any good, which leads to the fear that I won’t create something beautiful. Stopping here in the midst of frustration only hinders the beauty that comes with struggling through. And struggling through is worth it.
What if I choose to see it as an opportunity… an opportunity to re-evaluate where my heart has been. To step back and ask myself why I create and what I believe about creativity, because chances are my frustration comes from losing sight of those things. When I step back and take a breath, get out of myself, its amazing how much more clearly I can see.
I will have days when creativity is not flowing, when I feel stuck, but I want to choose to allow those times to be just as full and fruitful as the times when my creative juices are flowing. I believe this will happen when I am able to step back, regaining perspective on what creating is all about in the first place: the process.
There is so much value to be found in the process, because in persevering through, beauty comes forth from the brokenness, and it’s all the broken pieces that are really becoming the beautiful ones.
I am thankful for this little space to write out my thoughts and hope that this can encourage you to see value in the process, whatever the process looks like for you… to find value in what you may see as broken pieces because they are really becoming the beautiful ones.:)
