You may not know this, but every Tuesday and Thursday mornings I go live on Instagram for a live chat I call, Coffee and Conversations. This is where my followers can ask me questions, talk about life, and enjoy a cup of joe.
**These caffeinated conversations are one of my favorite parts of every week!**
A few days ago, solo-preneur and jewelry-designer Rachel admitted that she has been stuck in a creative rut. She asked: What do you suggest when you’re in a rut and you don’t have someone else to push you in business?
First, I commended Rachel for being open, honest, and vulnerable. And I commend you, if you are reading this and feel the same way. Thank you for having the courage to admit that not every day as a business owner is a great day.
As creative business owners, creativity is our identity. When we lack creativity, we don’t feel like ourselves. I’ve been there, I go through these laps time and time again and I know that being in a rut is a lonely place to be.
While hundreds of business owners related and encouraged her in the comments section, I told Rachel that the only way you can get through is to move through…
>>But sometimes moving can also mean sitting still.<<
Often, we are scared to step into solitude because we think we run a higher risk of losing the momentum we’ve built up in our business. But we fail to realize that running into the wind can sometimes mean that progress is slowed.
When you take a step back, ask yourself:
- How do I need to heal?
- Where do I derive satisfaction?
- What brings out my creativity?
It’s important to keep in mind that everybody is different.
>>This could mean that for the next 15 days, you will get up early and have a hot bath every morning, or take a long walk every afternoon after lunch.
>>It might be that you’re going to drive 2 hours to get to the nearest museum, have tomato soup and a glass of wine in the middle of a weekday, and wander aimlessly around the galleries.
>>For you, it may look like attending poetry readings, going to independent movie theaters, or taking a painting class.
The best piece of advice that I received when I was in a creative rut myself, is that in order to find out your purpose, you must look away from things you do not have and help other people.
When we take the attention off ourselves and give unexpectedly of our time in a place we would assume we wouldn’t find creativity—at a soup kitchen, a vacation bible school, or a PTA meeting—magic just might happen.
Whatever the activity, it allows you to turn off your mind and see the world in your unique way. It allows you to do something counterintuitive as business owners: waste time. And it’s okay.
But friend, promise me this: Do not go with the expectation that you will find creativity. Go in with the openness that you may perhaps have creativity sparked. When we do not expect amazing things but simply hope for them, that is when we find our way back to ourselves.
And don’t forget that I see you, I’m cheering you on, and I know you can do this.
