Recharge the Creative Life

The creative life is one of pouring yourself into your art. It's rewarding in so many ways. I'm privileged to write pretty much full-time at the moment. Living a creative life, and pouring your heart onto the page (or any other art form) means you need to refill what you're pouring out. How do you do that? Well, I'm sharing my top tips with you today.

Whenever I feel like I'm running on empty in any area of life, I go back to the basics. I ask myself how much of Jesus I'm pouring INTO my life. This is everything from my devotional time (am I making space for it daily?), to church (I'm I making connections as well as attendance a priority?), to what I have going on in the background (do I have worship music, scripture, or edifying materials on in the background?). I know this can sound like an obligatory item for a Christian creative post, but it isn't for me. You cannot pour out what you haven't poured in. If you aren't feeding your soul, you cannot expect to pour out art from your soul.

Of course, even if you are filling your soul, you cannot pour out all the time. I frequently have to remind myself of a very important truth: I have to rest in order to be at my creative best. This means sleeping, taking time to take walks outside, and even just enjoying a few minutes looking at Instagram between periods or writing. Rest is an important component of creativity. One of the best ways I've found taking a day of rest. On Sunday, I often shut my electronics off and do nothing all day after church.

What inspires you to create? For me, often it's by enjoying the stories around me both real and fictional. So, for me, an important part of recharging my creativity is enjoying other people's creative endeavors. I read books, watch films, read books, listen to others tell stories, and did I mention reading? Find out what creative endeavors inspire you and make sure to take time to recharge.

For an introvert like me, this last tip took me a long time to learn. Meaningfully connecting with others is a vital part of recharging my creative life. For me, this means making time for my husband, family, and my close friends. My people. As introverts, it's easy to underestimate the importance of meaningfully connecting with others as part of our process. However, we were designed, by God, to be fellowship with others.

Well, there you have it, some of my best tips to recharge the creative life. What are your best tips?