Reflection for Creatives
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ”
Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash
Dear fellow creative, how was your year?
You may have started the year with strong intentions and plans that were uprooted by the pandemic not long into the year. For some ‘lockdown’ provided time and space for contemplation and creative practice, or they felt compelled to create as a way to cope. For others it meant overwhelming news, and challenging work and home responsibilities, that made them park their creative practice in the sidelines.
As you reflect on your year, approach your review with self-compassion. Go easy on yourself if you didn’t accomplish what you hoped or planned for - it was an unprecedented year! I encourage you to celebrate all your successes, even if you think they are ‘small’.
Here are some questions to help you reflect on your year.
What was your best creative project?
It is really lovely to take time to flip through your journals or sketchbooks, review your photographs of your paintings or scan your year on Instagram. It’s nice to see if there are recurring motifs, colour schemes or themes. You can celebrate having tried a wide variety of things or celebrate working in depth on one subject. Do you have a favourite journal page, painting, or longer project?
What was your favourite media to create with?
Do you have a favourite drawing or painting material? What do you enjoy about this media? Is it the colour? It’s vibrancy? It’s usefulness across a variety of projects? The way it flows? The results it creates? How do you feel when you use this material?
What did you discover this year about your art or creative process?
When you look back over your year, you may find that you grew or your practice changed. Things may have shifted slightly or in a big way. If you could choose one take-away about yourself and your creatively, what would that one thing be?
When during your week / day did you feel most creative?
Are you an early bird or a night owl when it comes to your creativity? I would love to get up before everyone in my house and quietly paint and journal. But in reality, carving out time for artwork when the kids are at school or in bed usually works best for me. Have you found the best time for yourself to attend to your creativity?
Did you face a creative block?
Did you experience a creative block this year? Do you know when and why the creative block started? (Full disclosure: mine usually start when I spend time on social media and I move from “getting inspiration” to getting lost in “compare and despair”). How did you overcome your creative block? If you still need a nudge out of a creative block or rut, I recommend Philippa Stanton’s beautiful book, Conscious Creativity: look, connect, create.
Where did you find support or community for your creative soul and your creative practice?
The creative practice needs nurturing and support. My husband supports me in helping me carve out time and space to create. (He also greatly assists me by helping me edit videos!). I find support in creative friends, in FaceBook groups where I share my work, my struggles and my questions, and I have conversations with other artists via direct messages on Instagram. Find your people - you need them and they need you! (You can join us HERE if you want a creative community.
What elements of 2020 do you want to bring forward into 2021?
Are there subjects and themes you’d like to explore more? Is there a series you’d like to build upon? Is there a favourite media/techniques you want to keep using? Are there habits and practices that help you create and you want to continue? Is there a predominant feeling you’d like to work with in the coming year? You can set your intentions for the year without having to be rigid with your outcomes.
Wishing you all the best for 2021!
xo Nicole
Photo by Morgan Sessions on Unsplash