Inviting Yourself to Your Creative Practice. (And your kids too.)

by Jill Elliot

I wanted to chat with you about the common roadblocks (and some hacks!) that most creatives face as we live out our creative practice daily, in the real world. The two most common roadblocks to showing up to create are lack of time and self-doubt. As a life-long creative, I’m here to tell you that these two hurdles are real, they will continue to show up often, and that you will likely be dancing and negotiating with them for the rest of your creative days. 

BUT. The good news is, they are easy to manage roadblocks. 

You see, creativity is not magic. 

It is not some mythical state of being, or special woo-woo DNA that you either posses or not. 

It does not exist only in some perfectly orchestrated schedule, or day, or space. 

It can happen on a morning walk, simply by noticing the sights and colors around you. 

It can happen during your afternoon tea, as you allow time to mindlessly doodle and relax. Your creative journey is not about you becoming a world-famous (or even Insta-famous) artist, but more about allowing yourself time to express your own unique marks, thoughts and ideas. Freely. Without critique. Without pressure. 

Creativity is instead a habit. A practice.  A journey.

One made of equal parts invitation and inspiration. A pinch of curiosity, a dose of can-do drive and a sense of passion. With the right mix of desire and determination, you can invite the gifts of creativity into your life, most days - and even inspire your kids to do the same along the way. 

When I’m stuck, I return to these hacks, time and time again to get me back to making. 

1. JUST DO IT. NOW.

Not just a Nike slogan, but also a great mantra for creating. The enemy of creativity is overthinking, and I often find JUST STARTING and making something is often the way to get me out of a creative slump. Scribbling, painting random marks, cutting collage from the latest Domino magazine - work with what you have on hand NOW and just make something. The joy, the ease, the play you get from a few minutes of making will keep inviting you to show up again and again. 

2. BE CONSISTENT.

Especially when you’re starting out, commit to making every single day. 10 - 15 minutes, daily to build your creative muscle. I promise, your social media scrolling won’t suffer by trading some of that time for writing, painting, dancing. 

3. BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY.

In this age of accessibility, inspiration and information are EVERYWHERE you turn. Find other creatives you admire and follow them on social media, listen to their podcasts, read their books, study their works, seek them out IRL. Get curious, ask questions and build connections to like-minded creatives. It will inspire you to keep learning, growing and showing up to do the creative work yourself. 

4. GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION.

Be gentle with yourself as you’re starting your new practice. Talk to yourself like you would your child, giving yourself permission to try, to fail, to be bad, to learn and have fun. Settle in and enjoy the process, the emotion, the flow that can come from being a student. Allow yourself to be a beginner, to write bad poetry, take wonky photos, paint outrageous art. Eventually, with time and commitment, you’ll learn. You’ll improve. You’ll grow. 

5. SHARE YOUR JOY.

Talk about your creative habit. Share your work with your closest friends, family, loved ones. Text a story to your mom, mail a painting to your long-distance bestie, hang your drawing on the fridge next to your child’s latest masterpiece. Sharing your work, while intimidating, is such a great way to invite others into your journey. Others who’ll cheer you along, keep you accountable and maybe even start their own creative practice. 

Pursuing a creative passion isn’t easy, but it’s sooo worthwhile! Inviting yourself to show up, and making space in your home, your schedule, your life to nurture your creativity is good for your soul and well-being. 

In my home, our days are the best when momma takes some time to MAKE and my daughter knows and values this in me. And on the best of days, she even joins in just because what I’m doing looks fun, and inviting, and messy in all the right ways. 

I’m looking forward to seeing you make, to hearing your stories, to supporting you on your own creative journey! 

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Jill Elliott is a creative strategist, designer and thinker constantly seeking inspiration and balance in equal measures. As a writer, artist and founder of The Color Kind, she offers workshops, interviews and how-to’s for anyone looking to pursue a creative life. She can be found making art and messes alongside her 9-year-old daughter and puppy most days.