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.
Thank you Debbie - find your tribe is so important. And honestly - I've only just started to realise this, helped enormously by Substack and people like you! I am an introvert so often I do exist in my own little world, but I have realised the real value of community and joy of reciprocity and mutual inspiration and encouragement - it has made me braver too!
I hope you do go out on a solo Artist Date - I'd love to hear about it if you do.
Yes I so agree. I probably would still write in my nature journal, but I wouldn't put effort into refining my writing. And I would still take photos, but not do anything with them. 🙏
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.
That whole paragraph is just so true. Great ideas in here Emily thankyou 😊
Love this so much. I've been toying with the idea of painting again. The past few years my time has been taken up with running my business, which although creative in its own way, is not the same. Thanks for the nudge!
There are so many great things in this post, Emily. I rediscovered my great passion—making pottery—last autumn. There were many reasons why I had let it slip for a couple of years. I think the biggest obstacle was that I always felt I had to finish all my chores before I was allowed to go to my studio.
That led to various issues: I didn’t spend regular time in my studio, I often went there when I was already tired, or if I finally made it to the studio, I felt I had to spend the whole day there—which was exhausting.
Last autumn, I changed that. Now, I make sure to spend at least a couple of hours each weekend following my passion. It’s no longer my last priority but my first. I might spend a couple of hours in the morning, then do some chores, go for a walk with my dog, spend time with my partner, and then return to the studio to create some more. And this made such a huge difference. I feel pure joy when creating, when playing. I don't despair if something goes wrong. And I start to feel like a potter.
Actually, now that I write this, I’m thinking this might be a great topic for one of my next newsletters. 😊 So thank you for the inspiration! 🤗
Rebecca! I would love that as an idea for a future newsletter! I really hope you do that.
I adore your flip of making your creativity your first priority rather than the last - and you deserve that joy and that time to explore, and create. I also think giving yourself the permission to make something that is imperfect is a game changer. I have been so held back by my own fear of not being good enough. Once you wriggle out of the control of that mindset it is wonderful to feel free!
I hope I get to read more of your thoughts on this soon!
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. 💚
Thank you Martin. I definitely want to embrace more play and creativity so this was as much a call to action for me !!!
Yes, I totally agree about perfectionism. Beautifully put 🙏
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.
Thank you Debbie - find your tribe is so important. And honestly - I've only just started to realise this, helped enormously by Substack and people like you! I am an introvert so often I do exist in my own little world, but I have realised the real value of community and joy of reciprocity and mutual inspiration and encouragement - it has made me braver too!
I hope you do go out on a solo Artist Date - I'd love to hear about it if you do.
Yes I so agree. I probably would still write in my nature journal, but I wouldn't put effort into refining my writing. And I would still take photos, but not do anything with them. 🙏
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.
That whole paragraph is just so true. Great ideas in here Emily thankyou 😊
Thank you so much Hayley 😊
Love this so much. I've been toying with the idea of painting again. The past few years my time has been taken up with running my business, which although creative in its own way, is not the same. Thanks for the nudge!
You are so welcome Elly ... I love that this has got you thinking about painting again ! It's a big 'go for it's from me ! 🙌
There are so many great things in this post, Emily. I rediscovered my great passion—making pottery—last autumn. There were many reasons why I had let it slip for a couple of years. I think the biggest obstacle was that I always felt I had to finish all my chores before I was allowed to go to my studio.
That led to various issues: I didn’t spend regular time in my studio, I often went there when I was already tired, or if I finally made it to the studio, I felt I had to spend the whole day there—which was exhausting.
Last autumn, I changed that. Now, I make sure to spend at least a couple of hours each weekend following my passion. It’s no longer my last priority but my first. I might spend a couple of hours in the morning, then do some chores, go for a walk with my dog, spend time with my partner, and then return to the studio to create some more. And this made such a huge difference. I feel pure joy when creating, when playing. I don't despair if something goes wrong. And I start to feel like a potter.
Actually, now that I write this, I’m thinking this might be a great topic for one of my next newsletters. 😊 So thank you for the inspiration! 🤗
Rebecca! I would love that as an idea for a future newsletter! I really hope you do that.
I adore your flip of making your creativity your first priority rather than the last - and you deserve that joy and that time to explore, and create. I also think giving yourself the permission to make something that is imperfect is a game changer. I have been so held back by my own fear of not being good enough. Once you wriggle out of the control of that mindset it is wonderful to feel free!
I hope I get to read more of your thoughts on this soon!