How to fill your creative cup (when client work is crushing it)
Consider starting with a good bottle of wine...🍷
We’ve got a guest post by writer and creative systems whisperer, Claire Emerson. December is usually filled with family obligations, mixed with angst about planning for the next project, piece, or year. So I asked Claire to share some of her most valuable wisdom to help you think through any (or all) of those things to relieve your overwhelm.
You can check out her website People Love Projects, where she helps you execute your best ideas. She’ll take you from having too many ideas to focusing on one and making it a reality.
“The void we so often feel in life is almost always a creative one.”
Lately, I feel like my client work is taking over.
It feels so good to make that money (gasp!) that it’s gotten harder to prioritize the creative tasks that awaken a deeper sense of fulfillment — the ones that don’t necessarily have the instant gratification of an invoice paid.
You see, I want to write my book.
I have a decent draft. I’ve had the draft for over two years.
But I’m out of practice with writing.
Mostly because I stopped taking writing gigs and have shifted to more technical work.
And as a result, my writing chops feel unused and afraid.
Thankfully, I’ve been here before.
This creative void is not unfamiliar territory…
Forcing a creative refocus
If you're a creator, you’re likely familiar with your procrastination tendencies.
Habits like:
Putting off key tasks
Defaulting to less challenging work
Starting, but never finishing
Whatever your recipe for resistance is, there is no doubt you’ve wrestled with it before and won.
This is a good thing.
Because now, you can retrace steps, and repeat what you did.
Of course, it’s easy to forget how we’ve solved problems in the past. But all it takes is a quick reflection on what success has looked like before and then doubling down on what worked.
In the last month or two, reminding myself of all the ways I’ve battled procrastination previously has been a major catalyst for getting my creative juices flowing again. And more importantly, actually making space in my day to do the things I want to do (even if they’re hard or uncomfortable).
I just needed a refresher and maybe you do too.
So here’s what I’ve been working on and focusing on.
Refueling your creative tank: Three things you must do first
👉🏼 Before you refuel, check for blockages first.
We all have great ideas.
But they usually come with a task list that overwhelms and overloads us before we get started.
Time and time again, I’ve found my biggest creative hurdle has been a potential project feeling too big to conquer. I get easily future-focused. That can work against me in the early phases of the work.
So before you set out to fill that void with more creative things, check in to see if there’s something specific that’s blocking you from doing what you want.
Which brings us to my next point…
👉🏼 What would it look like if it were easy?
You need to ease your way in when kick-starting your creativity.
We creatives scare easily!
The slightest nudge of a toe into the water is all you need. And soon the ripple effect from that small move will be more than enough for you to dive in.
So our goal is to take only the tiniest first step.
To kickstart my book project — my tiny step was contacting a “book guy” for some (much-needed) advice. Chatting with him helped me make a decision that allowed me to move forward.
I also read Write Useful Books by Rob Fitzpatrick. Which became an excellent blueprint for shaping the next phase of my book project (helping me keep the first steps in mind, not the result!)
Ask yourself “What would it look like if it were easy?” That’ll help you hammer unnecessary scope, bring you back to what you can do in the present, and focus on some smaller wins that will add up quickly.
👉🏼 What will you sacrifice to make more space?
Making space to create and play is the unmistakable missing key for most of us (it’s the reason you’re reading and why I’m writing this).
I don’t feel right when I’m not fitting in some time that ignites my artist's mind and nourishes my creative soul.
But attempting to add your creative pursuits on top of what you’re already doing won’t end well.
Something has to give if you want to use your time differently.
This time around, I’ve done a very intentional kickstart. Having fought some big battles with anxiety over the past few years, I’ve become more consistent with exercise and waking up earlier for some me-time.
These two tweaks have had the most dramatic impact on feeling more fulfilled and satisfied each day.
But while those two habits are great on their own, the additional benefit of waking up earlier is I gave myself more time to create and focus on significant work.
After having my son, so many of my best habits fell by the wayside. Now it feels excellent to ramp them back up and remain consistent.
Priorities must shift or procrastination ensues.
Creative Output > Outcome
The more you create, the more you’ll want to create — MORE. It's science.
So the idea behind kicking your creativity into a higher gear, and building momentum, is to keep it small and fun to begin with.
Make it more about the output rather than any significant outcome.
Eventually, you’ll move on to doing the things that fill your creative cup and can also move you forward in your career.
But to get into the swing of things, shoot for easy, enjoyable, and manageable, first.
Small Stuff: Five ideas to kickstart your creative mojo
Small things can awaken an abundance of creativity.
Here are several options that work well:
Yep, I’m gonna say it. Get out into nature. If you feel a creative void, unplug and unwind in the wild. Take a book, a journal, a sketch pad, whatever. But sit and see what happens when you give yourself intentional space away from the demands of your high-tech life. A walk in your neighborhood could be all it takes.
Update your profile pic using Canva. This isn’t groundbreaking work. But it’s fun and creative, and might spark further designs! I redid mine as I haven’t had dark hair for a long time. And, well, I needed something small, creative, and finishable to fill time the other day. The final step is to load it on all your platforms. (Don’t forget your Substack author profile!)
Do something your inner child would love Plaster painting, holiday decorations, coloring books, and easy drawing tutorials on YouTube. (Bonus points for doing these with kids!) Any kind of playful activity is perfect to do when you need to fill up your creative cup. Remember, these are accomplishable activities that are centered around fun. We’re intentionally avoiding anything like adult paint-by-numbers because they just end up being too big to finish. If you don’t have a kid, it doesn’t matter. Just walk those Kmart aisles and find something fun that you can spend an hour on.
Add a new visual cue in your work environment. I’ve recently started a new inspo wall in my office (rental-friendly of course). I’m very aware of how well visual cues work for me. My whole professional (and most of my personal) life is organized this way. I have a lot of little notes I’ve written and visual rituals that I like displayed. But because we’ve moved house more than I’d like in the last couple of years, I’ve had nowhere to stick them other than on computer screens and a few walls. Most of the time, my little pile of notes sits on my desk, constantly moving around. So I consider this one a work in progress. My win was putting the first few on my new inspo wall.
(Then I ran out of pegs 🙄.)
Create or update your daily affirmation. I write in a physical journal every day when I’m in a creative funk or inhabiting a space where I don't feel like I’m honoring myself or my goals. And I’ll change my affirmation on different days. Currently, it’s “Meaningful results come from meaningful actions.” It’s working well for setting my mental state and strategy for the day.
Once you’re in a place where you feel you’re back to giving yourself regular doses of creative time in your schedule — you can move into doing things of more significance (if ya wanna).
Significant stuff: Three ideas
Significance is about evaluating your tasks and projects through the lens of “How long will this matter?”
Tasks of significance hold more weight.
They take more effort, more time, and more emotional bandwidth.
But they’re more meaningful too.
And that’s why we like them :)
Here are three foolproof creative projects you can try when you’re looking for a boost.
1. Guest post for a friend, peer, or mentor.
As you know, my next big project is editing my book.
So naturally, I’m doing everything but that.
Luckily, I know the remedy to this kind of procrastination; I need something small to tackle. A way to ease myself back into writing consistently.
It’s creative. It comes with accountability. Plus there’s the bonus of getting access to a new audience to grow my own.
It’s a bigger task than painting a toy. This is why I suggest bolstering your intention with built-in accountability and some bigger wins from a strategic POV.
2. Update an area of your home or office.
Small, voluntary home improvements can help you rejuvenate your creative character. And will benefit your home for years to come.
I like to pick a small space or area to tackle. One where I notice junk or clutter piling up (or that I just hate the look of) and do something to spruce it up.
This type of home improvement project can be as big or as little as you like. Just remember that it’s way more fun when they’re not out of need or necessity.
It should be a “want to do” project — so the creativity is free to flow with zero restriction.
3. Dip into a course or book you already own.
(Or buy a new one! There’s no judgment here.)
Skill development is laden with creativity.
If you’ve purchased a course, book, or workshop over the years that you haven't yet implemented (or even looked at) — use that as the springboard to get the creativity juices flowing again. There must be a Substack you’re subscribed to that has free challenges or prompts — that’s a great place to start.
Testing your limits, working through the frustration of learning something new, and getting excited about what you can do with the new knowledge are all excellent catapults for creative work.
If you struggle to implement all the wonderful things you learn — join my free 10-day email course and discover how to triumph over your inner critic. I’ll help you build helpful habits and systems that drive you to execute.
Accountability is all but mandatory
I know I mentioned it before, but accountability works. It just does.
I swear I have to relearn this. Every. Single. Time.
And it’s likely you know this too.
But one thing I find many people don’t realize is that the wrong kind of accountability can be just as useless as if you have none.
Everyone is different when it comes to what they need to keep them on track. So to discover what your particular penchant is — dig into some of your past successes, and think about what made it work.
Reflect on the support you had, who and where it came from, and why it worked so damn well.
Then, replicate it.
(There’s a whole lesson on accountability in my free email course if you wanna learn more about what people/methods might work better than others.)
When in doubt, journal it out
Writing everything down is a magnificent mental relief.
It also helps engage your rational mind, organize ideas, shape new work, spark “aha” moments, and generally makes you feel better about life.
Best of all, it can shift your mood and calm your emotions.
When I asked Jen about how to end the article, she said you’d most like to receive something that makes you think.
Without a doubt, if you do nothing else to move yourself from a state of creative funkiness to creative flourishing — start with the simple act of journaling and making a habit of it.
That can have a massive impact.
And even better – sign up for a Scribbling Circle with Jen. ( I heard a rumor she’ll start them in 2024…)
A prompt for you…
“Stop. Do something unfamiliar. Do anything besides rushing off in the same old direction, up to the same old tricks.” - Pema Chödrön
I’ve fallen off the journaling wagon a few times since starting the habit in 2015. And it’s always a big mistake when I do. I become unfocused, more anxious, and less optimistic.
And so, for most problems, it’s where I turn to first.
Over the years, I’ve come across some real mind-openers in terms of journal prompts.
Here’s a recent find from Tracee Ellis Ross. I love this question she posted on Instagram. It’s the perfect prompt for pulling your focus inwards, and asking yourself what would make you feel more alive:
What can I do to honor myself today?
Set a timer, freewrite, and see what comes up for you.
Claire Emerson helps creators execute their best ideas. She is the curator of Flourish and the creator of Implement My Course — a free 10-day email course on how to apply what you learn without procrastination poisoning your progress. Join (free) here.
P.S. Leave us a comment below and let us know one thing you can do next week to get your creative juices flowing.
Sharing this post helps new readers find me. If you enjoyed this, please share. It means so much.
No. 1 is my go to on the creative kickstart. Nature and outdoors are always the answer. While I prefer mountain biking, a walk is way easier to pull off when time and energy are short. Tired? Go for a walk. Writers block? Go for a walk. Need a reset between writing and editing? Go for a walk.