3 Simple Ways to Get Unstuck and Reconnect With Your Creative Muse
How to Get Unstuck and Reconnect to Your Creative Muse
Boost Your Creativity in 3 Simple Steps
I shouldn’t be telling you this but when I sat down to write about this topic—a topic that I’m passionate about and that I think is really important, I got stuck.
I sat at the computer and watched the cursor blink.
Here’s the problem. Unless you’re burning through your to do list on autopilot, you’re going to have moments every day when you ask yourself, “What am I doing?” And my answer is usually, “Nothing.” It’s not because I’m bored or because I’m independently wealthy and can do whatever I want all day.
It’s because I don’t really DO anything. I sit at my desk all day and I answer emails, but never clear out my inbox. I work on my laptop and fail to even notice the time of day. Most of my work is cyclical—I can get a job done, but I’ll just have to do it again tomorrow or next week.
When I’m home I clean the house—which just gets dirty again tomorrow, and I re-organize stuff and make the same 4-5 dinners, but there’s no real satisfaction in getting a job done because they’re all on repeat.
You and I are living in a world where so many of our material needs are met, and where we do jobs that are stationary or repetitive and rarely collaborative. At one office I was told that it was against company culture to speak to one another because chit-chat makes you unproductive (I didn’t last long.)
As spiritual beings we’re constantly seeking for connection, so when faced with a day of repeated task we just feel stuck.
We need to feed that spiritual hunger. It’s the only way to unstick ourselves. And, thankfully, it’s much easier than joining a monestary and cheaper than taking a trip around the world.
You get unstuck by doing things. “Wow! How profound! Thanks, Trish—that really cleared it up for me.”
Bear with me here because it’s a tiny bit more complicated but it’s also that easy.
Step 1: When you’re feeling stuck, make something.
The fastest way to feed the spiritual hunger given to each of us by our creator is to become the creator. Bringing something physically to life that didn’t exist moments before is extremely satisfying to our souls.
Martha Beck said something like, “If you want to fix your mood make something, make something, make something. The moment you take on the role of creator you’re not a victim you’re energy.”
We have tons of fast craft projects like Gnome Made Cupcake Topper Kits, Make an Easy Floral Arrangement, Sweet Little Chill Pills, or anything from our incredible Freebie Library that will put you in contact with that creative energy you need.
Step 2: Do something that lets you see it getting done.
Yep, I is a wordsmith! What I’m saying is that we need to eliminate some of the tasks on our to-do list that are never going to be done and replace them with tasks that show progress and change.
Hannah Hunt in an interview said, “We do need to be doing things. Maybe you don’t think you’re a gardener, but if you want to see yourself getting things done, then maybe that’s what you need to be doing.”
I’m not a gardener, but I am a home decorator. The only home I decorate is mine, but it’s so satisfying to pick a room, craft a plan, and work to transform it. There’s tremendous creative fuel in a room transformation.
The trick is to do tasks where you can visually see a change. I don’t get the kind of jolt out of creating a spreadsheet that I do out of creating a wreath because I can’t see the physical manifestation of the numbers from the sheet. Make sure that whatever you choose, you can see the newness of it in the physical world.
Step 3: Collaborate
If you’re already in the habit of spending time creating new things, and you already have a hobby or business where you can see yourself getting things done but you’re still stuck it’s because you need new energy.
It isn’t good to be alone! Whether you work from home, you’re a stay at home mom, or you’re unfortunate enough to work in an office with a no-talking policy, you need interaction to get unstuck.
We are social beings that share energy back and forth whenever we collaborate, building more energy. It’s like feeding the spiritual hunger with pure vitamins!
The quick fix, of course, is to get out and give service to someone. It will immediately unstick you.
As a gift of service, make a You Are Enough Compliment Frame for an incredible woman in your life.
The lasting fix is to create collaboration networks. I do it every year with the 12 Days of Christmas Deck the Home Blog Hop. Seeing other bloggers great ideas and swapping ideas through the Facebook Group improve the quality of my projects and give me lots of creative juice.
I also have a group of women that meet monthly to discuss the progress we’re making on our goals. We support each other, give ideas and generally have a great time. It gives me new energy to spend on my goals and keeps me accountable and moving forward.
I have lots of other collaboration networks, but you get the idea.
It’s almost impossible to talk yourself out of being stuck. It’s totally impossible to get unstuck by staring at a blank screen and willing yourself to write something brilliant. When you feel stuck, it’s time to make something. Once you’ve done that, you can add energy to your soul by firing on all cylinders through hobbies and collaboration networks.
Either way, it feels amazing to get un-stuck. If you have a sure-fire way to bring your Muse back, let us know in the comments!
