Unleashing Creativity

Why is it important to stay creative? Because we were made in His image and He is the ultimate Creator of all things. While we cannot create something from nothing like He can, we were designed to be creative and by creative I mean in every aspect of our lives. Solving problems, inventing new tools or systems, "MacGyvering" things, budgeting, curating a home, raising kids...everything that we do requires creativity. Each one of us brings a different spin to every thing.

Creativity is significant to our soul, our growth and development; our very existence. It is not just about art! It is about who we are and all of the things that we can do! It is also about sharing our gifts with others and even teaching and inspiring our children, family and friends.

The more that we practice creativity, the more creative we become. Creativity isn't just about artistic expression, but here at Leesa Boone Designs, we need to remain motivated about being creative;  practicing it daily - even when we might not want to. It is like working out a muscle....the more we exercise it, the stronger it becomes.

Chaos and life's distractions can dampen our creativity. Negativity and our mindset can most definitely play a huge roll in keeping us from being creative.

Stages of Creativity:

1. IDEAS: I recommend that you use a journal to write down your ideas.
2. EXPLORATION: Explore those ideas and try to figure out how you can implement them or bring them about.
3. CREATION: Do the thing and do it over and over until you like what you see. Try it in different ways... different colors.....different sizes...different tools.
4. REFLECTION: Make notes in your journal about each phase of the process and what the outcome was. Document everything so that you can come back to it later to readdress it or recreate it.

Each phase of the process causes us to learn more and discover what we like, what we don't like. We also can discover new ways of doing things, short cuts, hacks, etc...

Overcoming Creative Blocks

We learn through all of our senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.  Explore various sources of inspiration.

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

• Seek out creative people - iron sharpens iron.

1. Visit a museum, browse through Pinterest. Watch FB Lives of people creating. And follow creatives who do different things than you do. Subscribe to YouTube Channels.
2. Reach out and ask them questions

• Take notes of what you see and what you like about their projects/art.
• Schedule time off - schedule a little getaway where you can be free to explore and engage around creatives. Even if you just a book a hotel in your own town...there is something so calming about separating yourself from your day to day.
• Join a creative community on FB and don't be silent - communicate within the group and get to know people within the community.
• Take local classes/workshops and interact with the other students.  Try taking classes that you have never taken before. Expose yourself to new and exciting things.
• Take a long slow walk at a park or somewhere in nature. Look at the sunrises and sunsets, the clouds, the wildlife, the trees and take it all in.
• Walk through a street filled with old houses that have beautiful architecture. Admire the textures and the artistry of the buildings and landscaping.
• Go to a high end boutique and walk around. Touch the textiles and home decor items. Smell the candles. Look at the colors and materials. Look at the art and take mental notes of everything you see and touch.
• Eat at a beautifully designed restaurant and take it all in.
• Go to a unique coffee shop and breathe in the smells.

Setting Goals and Milestones:

Challenge yourself to meet small goals.

• For an artist that might mean setting a timer and instinctively putting paint on a canvas or art journal. This is part of the exploration process... go with the flow and see what happens. Do not have a specific plan... PLAY!

• I recommend starting with something small like an art journal or even better an artist trading card (ATC).
• If you want to battle a larger piece, break it down in stages (smaller projects)...working layers, colors, or categories.
• Paint with different mediums and even use your fingers, different objects to make shapes and designs.

Create a Supportive Environment:

Supportive environments can come in a variety of ways. Is your workplace/studio/office/home organized? Do you have to rearrange your space to make it more conducive to being free to be creative? Clutter and disorganization can be a huge stumbling block especially if you can't find your tools. Can you find your go to items? Do you have an inventory of your things?

• Organization: If you are like me, you might get overwhelmed with the clutter and disorganization so seek someone out who is a pro at organization and ask them to help you get everything together. Make it look pretty so that you are more apt to keep it neat and organized so that you can get in there to do your thing.
• Support: Do you have a support system around you? Do you have a buddy that you can bounce ideas off of? If not, seek one in a creative group, from someone you follow on social media or seek a friend from a workshop or class that you will take.
• Seek Counsel: Pick the brains of the people in your groups and from the classes that you take. Again, iron sharpens iron.
• Collaborate: Ask someone do a collaborative work with you. There are advantages of collaborating with other artists or joining creative communities for fresh perspectives and ideas. Collaborations are key to not only exposure for yourself and what you do, but also for pulling out creativity from within you.

Techniques to Spark Creativity

1. Experimentation and Play:  Experiment with new techniques, mediums, or styles. Playfulness in the creative process unlocks your creativity and allows you to enjoy learning and the discovery process
2. Keep a Creativity Journal: There are so many benefits of maintaining a creativity journal for jotting down ideas, sketches, or inspirations. There is something special about writing things down. Writing it down causes you to remember your ideas and thoughts. You will want to come back to them often so make sure that the journal is a size that you can pack with you everywhere that you go.

Staying Consistently Motivated

1. Managing Motivation: Maintaining motivation during both high and low periods are essential. Self-care, time management, and staying disciplined are pivotal in keeping you on course. Do something for yourself once a week, once a month, or once a quarter. It does not have to be extravagant but taking time to have "you" time makes you feel better.

• Self care

• Book a massage or a spa day
• Get your hair done or set up a mani/pedi
• Get a facial
• Buy an outfit or shoes

• Spiritual Growth

• Pursue the Father - seek Him first, pray daily, read your Bible as soon as you get up - fill yourself up with Him and it will overflow in your life.

• Time Management

• Get a planner and write everything down
• Set timers for tasks and block out time to get focused
• Ask someone to hold you accountable for the larger projects or high priority tasks

• Discipline

• Stick to your schedule
• Let go of the bad habits and be intentional about creating new habits that fuel your creative passions. Wake up daily looking at your journal and planning your day out.

1. Celebrating Progress: The Israelites were instructed by the Father to celebrate - hence all of the feasts. Celebrate you achievements, no matter how small, to boost your morale and motivation. When you celebrate it causes you to remember what you accomplished!

I encourage you to implement the strategies, safeguards, and techniques outlined to nurture and protect your creativity and help you stay motivated. Others will also be impacted by your attitude of gratitude and believe me, people are watching you. so lead others by example.

Ask The Father to help and guide you because He wants to. He created you for a reason and to do things that only you can do. You represent Him. So don't half step - do it with everything you have. You can do it!

Please share your own tips for staying motivated and creative. I would love to hear your perspective.