Seeking creativity? Stop looking for it.

Ah September. How I love thee. Everything feels fresh and new. New pencils, new notebooks, new age (I turn 42 next week - gasp how did that happen?).

As the season of beginnings arrived again, I took the first few days of my kid’s return to school (3rd grade - double gasp) to reflect on the past few months.

Here’s what I noticed.

I’ve been more creative and fulfilled, more present, and more inspired recently than I have for a long time. I’ve come up with a new project* that I’ll be launching soon. And I’ve “worked” less than I maybe ever have. 

More mental space = more creativity.  More “doing” = less creativity.

Here’s what this looked like for me:

• I created a branded set of posts, cleaned up my Instagram, and stopped posting on social media altogether.

• I sent an email and post a blog every other week instead of weekly.

• I got an app blocker on my phone that allows me to schedule consistent “off time.” 

• I slept more, cooked more, went on more short trips, put my hands in more dirt, and said “yes” to my kid more.

And here’s what I got in return:

• Clarity on the kind of work I want to be doing next.

• Markedly decreased anxiousness.

• A reasonable “to do” list.

• More creative inspiration and ideas than I’ve had in years.

I have always believed that creativity doesn’t come in times of stress or scarcity. But it’s taken me 41+ years to actually take the time to test out my theory.  

And I’m here to confirm, my friends: if you want to find creativity, stop looking for it. 

* New project: this one’s a big one, folks, and you’ll be hearing about it soon. All I can say for now is that it’s free to you, accessible from everywhere, and brings together all my passions in one place.