"If you are not creating, you are not being creative." This is a misconception many of us carry about creativity. There was a time in my life when this belief weighed heavy on me. If I wasn't constantly producing new self-portraits, guilt would set in. I feared my creative juices would run dry and worried I had fallen into a creative rut.
But during this period, something profound struck me. While I wasn't creating self-portraits as often, creativity was still manifesting itself in my life in various other forms.
Sony a7riii | Velvet 56 + Omni | 2.8 | 1/250 | 400
In my kitchen, my creativity was being channeled into preparing healthy meals with vibrant colors and varied textures. My writing and journaling practice took on a new life as I was churning out thoughts and ideas that I hadn't dared to explore before. A new interest in watercolors allowed me to create in a medium that didn't confine me to the strict boundaries of self-portraiture.
I also found my creativity blossoming in less traditional ways. My walks in nature weren't just walks; they were meditations where I used mindfulness to find inspiration from the world around me. I developed a creative tarot practice that acted as a mirror to my subconscious, revealing the hidden depths of my imagination.
Now, when I find myself in between self-portrait sessions, I no longer panic about my creativity drying up. Instead, I seek out new ways to engage with my imagination. These experiences, in turn, enrich my self-portraiture. They offer fresh perspectives and insights that I can bring back to my art.
Sony a7riii | Velvet 56 + Omni | 2.8 | 1/250 | 400
If you find yourself wrestling with guilt over not 'doing' enough creatively, I invite you to shift your focus. Look at how creativity is present in other aspects of your life. Acknowledge it, celebrate it, and see how it changes your perspective on creativity. You might just find, as I did, that it deepens your relationship with your art and with yourself.
How about you? What other ways does creativity show up in your life when you're not actively creating your art? And how does it inform your art when you return to it?