What would life look like if you were in love with your creative process? How would it look if the work didn’t make you anxious or scared? But rather it excited you.
I feel like one of the inevitable parts in the artist’s journey is when the creative work starts becoming something that slowly feels like homework. Or worse, it makes us anxious.
But it doesn’t have to be and stay that way. There are ways to tap back into that childlike wonder and childlike play where our passion for this craft all started. Where it was as easy as playing video games. There was no confrontation of high resistance. It was “all fun and games”. That’s not to say that struggle and resistance shouldn’t be a part of this process. They have their necessary part in the journey since struggle makes us stronger. However, we should love the process with all the ups and downs. We should love the process of creating and the process of struggle. And I feel like the way we can love the process is by romanticizing the process. If we romanticize the process, we no longer shy away from the work, but embrace it with enthusiasm. Then, new levels of commitment and work are possible. Levels that will take our creative spirit to the places it’s meant to be.
So how do we romanticize the process?
Let’s start with this framework: Romanticizing the process is necessary. It is necessary because finding the fun is the key to finding our creative genius. Our creative spirit thrives in the zone of having fun. This is the zone of creativity. It is similar to flow state. This is when you are working on your craft and distractions don’t play a threat because there is nothing else in the world you’d rather be doing at the moment than creating art. It’s that feeling when you’re working on that song or script or story or drawing and you’re in the flow. This is the zone we are trying to reach by romanticizing the process. And this is the zone that is necessary for the artist’s journey. True art comes from this zone. The feeling of having fun means so much more for your art than just the enjoyment. The feeling of having fun is an indicator that you are creating art that you resonate with. And the best art is the art that resonates at the deepest level with your soul. So how do we have fun?
Love what you make. Make what you love.
A huge key to having fun in your artistic process is by creating art that you love. You need to create from the heart. Don’t create things that you don’t like. I’m not saying that you’ll never make things along the way that you aren’t pleased with, but I promise that if you lead with the heart, then you can’t help but make things that you love.
Don’t make art for other people. Make art that you love and the people who are meant to resonate with it surely will. If you create things you love, you will enjoy what you are doing and you will have fun, which again, is the key.
Lean into your inspirations. What is your favorite art? Who are your favorite artists? When your creative spirit likes other art, take note because this is your creative spirit showing you what it wants to create. So, lean into your inspirations. In fact, you should watch the process of your favorite artists to take inspiration for your own process. If you watch videos of your favorite artists creating, you’ll probably see them in the zone. They’re having fun. They love their process.
Environment
Be conscious of your environment. Where are you working? How can you make it more fun? How can you make your environment a space that promotes your creativity?
To be very simple here, make it chill. Make it a space you simply enjoy being in. Make it a space that is safe for your creative spirit to create in. To go back to the point that was just made, if you look at your favorite artists creating in their zone, you’ll likely see that their space looks like a fun place to be in. Craft your dream space for your creative process.
Your environment has huge affects on your mental state and so your creative state as well. This is why a clutter free room will help breed a clutter free mind. Put up things that inspire your creative spirit. Put up visuals and images that resonate with your heart.
Work outside! I could not emphasize this more. Not only is nature the perfect environment for the free creative spirit, but the exterior open free space will align with the interior limitless space of creativity. I try to do as much work as I can outside. If I have to brainstorm for a script, then I’ll bring my journal and pen outside. If you have to write a song, bring your guitar outside. Find every opportunity you can and work outside. It’ll change your process.
Create a Routine
Some level of consistency is likely going to help you in romanticizing your process. If you prove to yourself that this is more than just a hobby, but a way of life, then you will slowly fall in love with it.
Make it a commitment to work in the studio a certain amount of times a week. If you like to work in short time sessions, then make it daily. If you like doing deep work sessions for 6, 7, 8 hours on end, then work a handful of times a week. Whatever works best for you, have some level of consistency.
You’ll find that over time you lose yourself in your process after doing it consistently for a while. It’s a beautiful thing. Similar to losing yourself in flow state in the short term, you lose yourself in the overall journey of doing this consistently across weeks and months.
Timing is everything. Avoid working after high dopamine activities like being on the phone, watching something, binge eating, and other bad temptations, since it’ll be harder for you to enjoy the simple process of creating art.
Also, what is the best time of the day for your work? I personally like working in the morning, because I feel like I have more time and I feel more relaxed during the work. However, if I have an inspired moment of an idea late during the day, I will create if it feels right. And this leads me into my next point.
Grow the Inner Artist
Act on inspiration.
It is so important that you feed your inner artist. The more this inner artist comes out in your life, the more it will take over and bring you towards the process. It will bring you to the studio. You have to harness your creativity and feed that part of you when it comes out. If an idea comes up, write it down and record it. Anything your inner artist gives you, take it and run with it.
The magic found in the process is not from the guitar or the microphone or the paintbrush. It’s from the creative spirit, the inner artist. And the tools help bring this part out of you. You’re experiencing the magic of your own soul. So, the more you harness this energy, the better your process will become. And the more you’ll love it.
Practice stillness. Your creative spirit will give you vivid ideas in the silence. Silence is found in the stillness. The ideas are already within, it’s about tapping into that stillness so you can allow them to effortlessly rise to the surface.
Don’t fill in the noise. Don’t play music or a youtube video every time you shower, wash the dishes, fold laundry, eat, or do literally any human task. Give yourself some silence to soak in, you never know when a great idea will come. They will for sure, but will you be able to hear them amidst the noise?
Maybe you don’t feel drawn to the process at the moment because you don’t have fun ideas to act on. Then create a space for yourself to receive more ideas so you can act on them.
Power of Perspective
Finally, be grateful. You get to do this. You get to go on a journey where you experience the magic of your soul. You get to work on your dreams. You get to have a creative process.
Beauty is all around all the time and sometimes you just have to shift your perspective to see it.
And tapping into this beauty is what it’s all about. This is how you really romanticize your process.
If you don’t find a way to enjoy the process now, you won’t enjoy it once you’re in that more “successful” circumstance.
This is all a gift. If the work is pushing you away, then find the part of yourself that’s gonna push you back towards it. Romanticize your process. Find the fun. Remember the magic that’s there.
I hope these strategies help you. Every process is different and will look different. But whatever it is for you, find the way that works. Best of luck and DREAM ON
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