Finding Your Creative Sparks
“to be creative means to be in love with life" - Osho
This voiceover is an audio version of my Slow Sunday Letter below. It is unedited, so may have some stutters, imperfections, and background noise. I hope you enjoy listening to it anyway!
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Welcome back to another Slow Sunday Letter! I hope you have had a slow and gentle week.
In this month’s A Writer’s Life, I wanted to talk about creative sparks and how we can start all those creative projects we have planned or have dreamt about beginning. This year, I want to make more time for creativity, play and fun in my life. I started by writing my ‘25 for 25’ list - which is basically a list of 25 things - big and small, I would like to do, try, or achieve this year. This little list got me thinking, can we create a series of sparks that will then help us keep our creativity burning for longer? Intrigued?
So, grab a cuppa, get cosy and let’s find our creative sparks together…
How Do We Find Our Creative Sparks?
Slow and gentle living can offer so much, but did you know it also helps encourage and protect creativity? Faced with the general hustle and bustle of daily life, it's easy to let our creativity take a backseat. It doesn’t seem important, and can even feel self indulgent, particularly when there are a mass of other tasks to focus on. Slow living can provide a little doorway into a more creative life for you, as it sifts through some of that outside noise, and teaches you to slow down and refocus on what is important to you. When we cut out some of the external pressures, and listen to ourselves - we are able to tap into inspiration that is all around, reignite our creative sparks, lead with imagination and play and provide an encouraging environment for our creativity to start thriving.
Whether you're a professional artist, a hobbyist, or someone who enjoys the occasional creative project, there are times when inspiration seems elusive. Today, I want to show you how to find your passion and then find ways to allow your creative spark to lead the way.
Our creative sparks stem from passion, art, play, imagination and heart. Our sparks fill us with joy, enthusiasm, life and excitement. Our creative sparks will give us energy and get stronger over time, if we allow it space to grow.
If we get too caught up in the busyness of life, expectations of others, societal pressures we can start to doubt ourselves. This, coupled with a feeling that our creativity isn’t good enough, is something we have to grow out of, or isn’t ‘worth’ dedicating time to, can lead us to pack away our inner artists, our concept of play and our creativity into little boxes, and we drift away from our passions, our calling.
What are you passionate about?
It can be anything, big or small. What creates a little spark in you?
Where Does Your Creative Play Come From?
I did a class recently that encouraged you to tap into your inner child and our individual concept of joy, created and sustained by our childhood choices when it came to play and imagination.
Can you recall your favourite games as a child?
What did you do as a child to encourage play and imagination?
If we take this one step further, can you think of three imaginary lives you would live if there were no boundaries, lack of skills or knowledge holding you back, no money worries, childcare or other considerations or obligations. If you could be anything - what would you be?
A writer, an artist, a performer, a healer, a teacher, an athlete, a park ranger, a swimmer, an animator, an actor, a racing car driver, a chef, a musician, an astronaut, a professional dancer, a doctor, an adventurer, a marine biologist, a pilot, a photographer, a comedian, a botanist, a singer, a traveller, a yoga teacher, a counsellor.
Try not to over think - just follow your heart and write down your three dream lives.
Now ask yourself how you could bring some of the spirit, magic and potential of these imaginary lives into your real life?
Seven Ways To Find Your Creative Spark
Your Creative Space
Finding a space your creativity can thrive in, is so one of the first ways you rekindle your creative spark. This doesn’t mean a fancy, big studio it can be small and intimate, it can be at home, or outside in the world. It could be in a cafe, or a local park. The most important part of your space is that you are confortable, you can relax, allow your creativity flow and have minimal (or no) interruptions. When we are happy, relaxed, content, and engaged then our imagination will start to take over. These positive feelings will start to trigger our creativity and now you have allowed space for it to come to the forefront and play - magic may just follow.
Set Aside Time for Creativity
In a similar way - we do also need to allow time for our creativity. In our busy lives, finding time for creativity can be a challenge - especially if we have told ourselves repeatedly that we are either not creative or not good enough, or that our creativity is not worth prioritising. However, scheduling regular creative sessions can help. Whether it's an hour every morning, a few hours on the weekend, or even just 15 minutes a day, consistency is key. It will start to create pathways in your mind, body and soul - connections that pull your creativity out into a safe place.
Creative Community
Community matters. It has taken me a long time to realise this. Substack has helped me so much. Being part of a creative community can provide support, motivation, and new ideas. When you surround yourself with like-minded individuals, it is a wonderful source of inspiration and mutual love and support. And it works both ways and the reciprocity will feed your creativity and love for others.
Play - Let Your Creativity Shine
Sometimes, all it takes to spark creativity is to try something new, to play and not think about the outcome and just enjoy the process of trying something new and different. If you're a traditional painter, experiment with digital art. If you normal type - try writing by hand. Exploring different mediums and techniques can open up new possibilities for your art and creativity.
Artist Dates & Inspiration
Inspiration can be found quite literally every where - practice being open to what is happening around you. Inspiration and creative sparks can be found in expected places but also some pretty unexpected places. Nature, music, literature, history, stories, films, books, YouTube, Substack to name a few - but then you can also find little pockets of potential for creativity, in every day practices, random events, or moments of synchronicity or even chaos!
Artist dates are a concept created by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way. The idea is that once a week you take yourself somewhere that will inspire you. Perhaps you go for a walk in nature, to a museum, go people watching in a cafe.
An artist date is a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, you inner artist. In its most primary form, the artist date is an excursion, a play date that you preplan and defend against interlopers. You do not take anyone on this artist date but you and your inner artist, a.k.a. your creative child. - Julia Cameron
If going somewhere alone is a little daunting, start with somewhere familiar, somewhere you feel really comfortable. Once you have achieved that, you can start to stretch your comfort zone a little and have fun! An artist date is your time to play.
Embrace Imperfection
Perfectionism is without a doubt an obstacle when it comes to creativity - it can breed fear which can bring a total block. Give yourself a big, old permission slip to make mistakes, create imperfect work. It is okay. We can’t create out of nothing, so get something out there. Remember, the actual process of creating can have a greater role in your joy, satisfaction and overall creative life than the final product itself.
Rest, Reflect & Recharge
Taking time to reflect on your creative journey can provide valuable insights. Equally important is allowing yourself to rest and recharge. Creativity can be exhausting, because it pulls from the inside, out. It is intensely personal and while it can bring about peace and joy - it is still exhausting so it is essential to take breaks and avoid burnout.
Try doing nothing. Just sit still. Watch and listen. Do whatever comes naturally to you, but don’t force it. Allow yourself the freedom to daydream.
Slow & Steady - My NEW Paid Membership!
Would you like company through a slow and steady year? Then join my new membership!
A cosy and gentle space to gather together, learn from and inspire one another. Go deeper into Slow & Gentle Living and what it can mean for you.
Slow & Steady will offer 12 exclusive letters for members moving through each month of 2025. The membership is an extension of my free offerings, a deeper and more personal dive into slow and gentle living, creative work and my own life and experiences.
I do hope you will consider joining Slow & Steady - for £3.50 a month (or £35 a year), you will get an exclusive monthly letter, access to our members only journal chat space and a personal welcome letter from me to you!
I would be over the moon to welcome you. To read more about what my new membership includes read my launch post below!
I really hope this week’s Slow Sunday Letter helps you find your creative sparks …
Creativity lives in all of us. You may not feel like an artist, but your creativity is inside of you - it just needs an outlet. Creativity isn’t about leading with your knowledge, or practical skills - it relies on heart and being in tune with our inner child. It wants to find ways to let you express how you feel, by connecting your inner voice, with your heart and mind. We must allow time for our creativity to come out and shine.
Creative sparks can help you do just that. Become friends with your creativity and find new ways to let it take the lead. Keep learning new things and expanding your thinking. Have fun and explore what feels good to you.
I would really love to know your thoughts and if you have any favourite ways to spark your own creativity - if you feel able, please do share in the comments.
Thank you for being here,
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I wholeheartedly endorse this. My whole life has been filled with creativity and play. They help bring so much discovery, even to the boring and bothersome stuff.
Imperfection especially seems a power play. Not in a deliberate sense, but in an accepting one. Yes, we have responsibilities, but perfect isn't real and imperfect doesn't mean terrible either. When things are done with love for yourself and for others, it's often enough to let it get as freeingly close to perfect as possible, without the fuss. 💚
Loved reading this Emily. So many great ideas to work with.
I love the notion of an artists date. I enjoy going to cafe's and bookshops, and of course a nature walk. But I've never done these on my own ... yet. Watch this space 😊
You are so right about community. Without the lovely community here on Substack I doubt I would be writing in the way that I do. So much mutual support and inspiration, it's a beautiful space for a writer, and reader. Finding your tribe is so important isn't it.