Three Steps to Overcoming Creative Resistance (or, I Write What I Need Most)

I’ve resisted writing this blog post for nearly two weeks now.

Do you see the irony?

I’m enjoying a pretty solid art-making practice these days, but when it comes to writing, resistance seems to have a special hold on me.

I’ve been rug hooking, collaging, painting and photographing, but writing…

I set out writing this post to help anyone struggling to build a desired creative practice, but it turns out, as in most cases, I humbly and selfishly write what I need to hear.

There are many ways to move forward into a creative practice. The three steps below were especially helpful to me in the past and, writing blog posts excepted, still are today.

1. Set a goal

Give yourself a clear, specific, closed-ended goal. Keep it doable and make it easy to know when you’ve met it. For example:

• I will create 100 floral sketches.

• I will take one photo a day for ten days straight.

• I will wake up 30 minutes earlier to spend time in the studio this week, Monday to Friday.

• I will publish two blog posts this month.

Then do it.

2. Evaluate

Check in on your goal and see how it’s going.

• Did I complete what I set out to do? Am I on track? If not, why?

• What’s working well? What could be better?

• Is there something blocking me?

• Do I need to simplify? Shift the timing? Shift the target?

• Do I still want to do this? (It’s OK if the answer is no.)

• What can I do to set myself up for success?

3. Tweak if necessary

Make the changes you identified in #2.

Don't let things get too precious, just do. Experiment and see how it goes.

At worst it doesn’t work out as planned and you’ve learned something from it, at best it creates momentum and you’ll want to do it again.

.:.

I now have a new goal: write two blog posts this month.

One down, one to go. After that I’ll see.

In spirit of discovery,

Stephanie

♥

20 in 2020 (or, Gently Welcoming Dreams and Goals Back Into My Life)

In 2009, for my 36th birthday, I wrote a blog post called 36 Before 37 listing 36 things I intended to do before I turned 37. Reflective and goal-oriented lists were big at the time in the world of blogging, but seem to have fallen out of practice these days.

Today I felt like resurrecting the practice.

Voici, in no particular order, 20 things I would like to do in 2020:

1. finish 100 collages from the cube

2. work my way up to 30 minutes of movement 3 times a week, maintain this for at least 6 weeks in a row - preferably more

3. get a working fireplace in the living room, this may or may not include having it re-faced

4. show my art at a local venue

5. try selling prints online

6. take a class or workshop related to textiles (rug hooking, weaving, embroidery, etc.)

7. take a creative class or workshop in real life (IRL) vs. online

8. make a loaf of no-knead bread

9. dip my toes in Lake Superior

10. see Picasso: Painting the Blue Period at the Art Gallery of Ontario plus at least two more art exhibitions on my short list for 2020 (blog post on this to come soon)

11. finish the latch hook rug I started last fall

12. take a trip somewhere new with D.

13. take Daphnie - our pop-up camper - out camping at least 3 times this summer somewhere OTHER than our driveway

14. do a solo getaway

15. go see a live concert with D.

16. hang artwork on the dining room walls

17. get a mammogram

18. replace the old fences in our front yard

19. replace the outdoor shed

20. host a party or gathering in our home

And because I like flexibility and it’s hard for me to declare a list finite, here are a few honourable mentions:

• take a surface pattern design course

• scan my Sketches from the Cube, all 400 of them (500 if I achieve #1)

• get the dental work I’ve been avoiding done

• go down East twice

• move to the country (<— WHOA!)

And because I feel like throwing caution to the wind:

• achieve inner peace

I haven’t allowed myself to dream and look ahead in several years so I’m a bit out of practice. I welcome the process with a mixture of skepticism, faith and determination.

Just for today I’ll take that.

.:.

What’s your 20 in 2020?

In spirit of discovery,

Stephanie

♥