The creative woman’s career is built one stroke, tap, swipe, stitch, note at a time. It’s an accumulation of all the day dreaming and strict to-do lists. The hope and crushing anxiety. The excitement and defeat.
A creative woman is me. Is you. Is us.
Uncovering you art is like sinking your nails into the dry sand until you get to the wet stuff under the surface. This is more pliable, damp and easier to construct a tower. However, life is the ocean getting ready to sweep up the shore and take it all out. Not matter how sturdy your sand castle is, it will fall. Then you get to do it all over again.
You are probably a creative procrastinator who loves planning your life but fall short when executing your daily, weekly and monthly habits. How are you going to build a creative life if you are stuck in planning mode?
Great questions.
Visualizing your creative career as if it is some fantasy feels good because it is outside of you. It’s the future. It’s like walking through a museum of your life and all the possibilities are the paintings on the wall. You can look, imagine and get excited but it’s never going to come to fruition unless you shift your perspective on a creative career.
The Creative Career Shift Every Procrastinator Needs:
- You are an artist
- You can earn a living from your art
- You can start over
- You can try something new.
- You can trust yourself to show up for your creative projects.
You are an artist.
Say it. Out loud. (okay Edward) You are an artist because you create. Viewing yourself as an artist, not an aspiring one or a beginner but as an artist now. This will help you take up space in your own life as you continue to create. Of course you might feel like you need more education or experience to “feel” like an artist. What does that even mean? Are you waiting to hit a checkpoint like in crash bandicoot so when you die you don’t have to restart. Spoiler alert you are not going to hit a check point that will be your fail safe from all of life’s ups and downs. Believe it until you achieve it.
Another way to look at this is to ask yourself what does future you complete that makes you feel like an artist? Is it a collaboration? A finished product? A book deal? A gallery filled with your paintings? Earning $1000 at a market? Because if you need something to happen to make you finally adopt the artist moniker then do it. Work as hard as you can to make that one thing a reality.
You can earn a living from your art.
You can make money as an artist. This digital age makes it possible for artist to monetize in a variety of different ways in order to earn a living. And more than just a living. Shoot for the moon. I want millionaire artists. Not starving artists. Learn to love your art and build your relationship with money at the same time. Ask one facet of your art to help you earn money. Now for me I am an author. I am writing a young adult fantasy novel. And a spicy romance series under a pen name. I am asking my spicy romance to fund my writing lifestyle. It is just getting started but I know that side of my craft is able to get monetized.
Find a part of your art or something adjacent to your creativity that can earn you a living while you build your portfolio.
You can start over.
Did you put the pen down, the brush, stop filming a short film or avoid your art for months or even years? Pick it back up. You can start over as many times as you need to bring it to life. Art isn’t on a time crunch. Art and creativity will ebb and flow over the years. You get to interact with you art as you see fit. For me, during university (5 years) I didn’t touch my current manuscript. It sat dead on my laptop because I was drained of all my creativity in order to get my degree. Once I finished university it took me another year or more to find that creative spark again. Learn to start over as many times as possible. Also, you will find the more you let yourself create in shorter, daily bursts, you will not stop creating as much.
You can try something new.
Let your creative self explore. I scheduled in a 45 minute creative session where I could do whatever I wanted every single day for 75 days. This allowed me to do anything. I crocheted, wrote poetry for the first time, draw, dance, and more. It gave me the freedom to explore those new ideas in my head. It helped me zone out so I could figure out that plot point that was missing. And I also didn’t get burnt out with my current projects. I use to write every single day for months and then ghost my manuscript for even longer because I forced my self to write non stop. I do write every day but I also give myself space to explore.
You can trust yourself to show up for your creative projects.
This last step is essential to building your creative career. Trust yourself to show up. If you want to write every day, you do it. If you want to finish a collection of paintings, pick up the brush. Building trust with yourself takes time and effort. Ask yourself what can you do today that will be help your creative career. Now do it.
Stop waiting for the energy to create something. Create something to feel the energy of your art. If you procrastinate your art that stops now. You can do one creative thing every single day to show yourself you can do it. Take it day by day, moment by monent.
Happy creating!