how to find time for creativity
I'd be hard-pressed to call myself an artist (though I am coming around to the title). I self-identify as a maker, creator, photographer, and helper.
I like to create, not to make something gorgeous or even sellable, but to express myself. I create to process my emotions. I create to get thoughts outside of my body and onto paper. Sometimes I don't like what I've created, sometimes it's even ugly (well, emotions are ugly). The end goal is not beauty or composition. The end goal is release, process and clarity.
I try to set time aside daily to express myself artistically. I find a guided meditation, listen, create, reflect, and write. From start to finish, this process can take up to an hour, but sometimes it’s just twenty minutes.
This particular page was completed after a guided meditation by Susan Miller. I was inspired to create a scene that presented itself to me. This is an essence painting of an open field in Cypress Hills, SK, along the Highland Trail. Cypress is one of my favourite places and when I'm there (literally, and figuratively) I feel calm, relaxed, and clear-headed.
how to find time for creativity (and you):
Expressing yourself doesn’t take a lot of time. In fact, you can squeeze it in even if you only have 5 minutes. 20 minutes or more is ideal in order to really get into the flow of it.
Don’t have 5 minutes? Well, now, that’s a larger issue - I might suggest some reflection on how you can FIND the time. Prioritize yourself. You are worth it.
IMAGINE what you would create if you had twenty minutes.
why you need a journal:
1. It gives you something to look back on and see how you've grown.
If you journal with any kind of regularity, you can choose to go back and see how far you've come. How last year you were in a different place with your parenting, relationships, family, etc. How what you focus on over the years can change and shift.
2. It helps preserve the little moments.
I love Facebook memories, because I am reminded of all my annual memories. Journaling is like that, but with everything. You may not "Facebook" about how you're missing a friend, but you could journal about it. You can't entirely capture the essence of feeling your child fall asleep on your chest on Facebook, but you can journal about it. Journaling can help you remember and savor the little moments that may not be deemed social media worthy, but are important to you.
3. It helps you to process your emotions.
Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you want to talk about what's happening in your life, but you really don't want advice or solutions from anyone. Enter journaling. You can express why you're upset, who you're mad at, what you're enjoying, how you screwed up, and no one is going to give you unsolicited advice or try to "fix it".
4. Most importantly: There are no rules.
Want to create time to journal once a day? Once a month? Whenever you feel like it? Awesome. Want to draw or scribble or write in terrible cursive? Great. Want to scratch swear words into your pages? Go for it. This journal is ALL YOURS, so you can do whatever you WANT.
This is not another stressful thing to add to your to-do list. It's just a creative outlet to track your emotions, daily events, and for general self-expression.
how to express yourself in your journal:
You can use a variety of art materials in your art journal.
Pictured below: mixed media (paper, paint, stickers, magazines), pencil crayon, pastels, watercolour, acrylic, and ripped up magazines and glue.
need some help getting started?
use these journal prompts
What colour is your day today?
What colour is your happiness?
What colour is your stress?
Where do you feel most at peace?
List three little wins from the last week. What shape and colour would these be?
Want to share your art journal pages with me? Use hashtag #yqrtherapy
Have a creative day,
