How do you want to show up for your business or community?
I love to show up with creative energy and enthusiasm. I want to serve my audience and my clients with new insights and ideas. But this level of creative energy doesn’t just happen every day. If I feel tired or overwhelmed, my ideas run dry and it’s difficult to give out in the way I want to.
If you’re an entrepreneur or a leader in your community, perhaps you resonate with this feeling. It could be a sign that your creative well is depleted and needs replenishing.
As the saying goes: You can’t pour from an empty cup.
So, what can we do about it? First, we need to understand what we’re talking about.
What is a creative well, anyway?
As a starting point, I’d like to offer my view on the word ‘creative’. Did you know ‘creative’ is a noun as well as a verb? We are all creatives. I am a creative. This doesn’t mean I spend my days in an art studio with my easel (although it could mean that for some). For me, a creative is an individual who sees the beauty in something and draws it out.
What does this look like for you?
The thing is, I think we’re all creatives in some way or another. With that in mind, we must pay attention to our creative wells because that’s where our creativity comes from. Our creative wells contain the essence of us; our gifts, passions, skills we’ve learned, experiences, beliefs, dreams, and more. It’s a rich resource, so it’s essential we ensure it’s healthy.
Why is maintaining a healthy creative well important for entrepreneurs?
I love the image of a well because it speaks of life, vitality, and energy. Like fresh, clear water, you can draw on good energy and resources from your well. But if this well is dry or full of murky water, you won’t be able to pass on the best of your energy to others, whether that’s your clients, your audience or your family and friends.
The effect of not having a healthy well is this: you can’t show up for your business or community in the way you want to.
For me, that means I can’t commit to and enjoy my writing projects, and I find it more difficult to give my clients my best and create content that serves my audience well.
The stakes are high! Maintaining a healthy creative well is vital to sustain the level of creative output and energy we want to have in our businesses and communities.
So, how can we do this?
How to fill and maintain your creative well
Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Things that replenish my husband, for example, may not replenish me. Our personalities and work are different, so our creative wells need filling in different ways.
But there are general principles and practices I think are helpful here. I’ll share what they look like for me but remember they may look very different for you.
Principle 1: Garbage in, garbage out
This phrase comes from computing and means poor quality input results in faulty output. So, what are you consuming? Is it nourishing and inspiring and does it stretch your thinking? Is there variety?
What this looks like for me: reading books in and outside my writing genre, podcasts and magazines for learning and inspiration, art that prompts reflection, quiet music, nature.
Principle 2: Give your creativity space to breathe.
We need time when we are not taking things in or seeking out stimulus. It’s often easier to consume words, images, and sounds. But we also need to give our minds and souls space to breathe and process it all. How can you unplug and go off-line for a time? When we hit pause on consumption, this gives space for other things to breathe and grow.
What this looks like for me: making space for silence and solitude every day, either sitting in a special chair that used to belong to my grandparents or running on my own along the canal path or river.
Principle 3: Play and curiosity
There are great benefits to having fun without needing to be productive. Being intentional about creative play is good for our well-being, moving us out of a stress state and into a creative space. In this relaxed frame of mind and with no agenda, we are more likely to explore new experiences, which in turn, inspire new ideas.
What this looks like for me: doing creative things with my hands, like painting furniture. Creating cosy, calm spaces in our house. Exploring new paths when I run. Listening to talks by authors to hear about their ideas and processes. Journaling to see what comes out at the end of my pen.
Principle 4: Do what gives you energy
This very much depends on your personality type and what you’re passionate about. I’m an introvert, so I gain energy from being on my own or with a very small group of people. It’s worth spending time to understand what this looks like for you. When and how do you feel your most energised?
What this looks like for me: writing is a big one for me – it really does feed my energy for everything else. Learning something new. Spending time with close family and friends one to one or in small groups.
Principle 5: Rest
I once heard this helpful idea: Work from rest instead of resting from work. In other words, when we prioritise rest, this feeds our work and, I also believe it feeds our creativity. By rest, I don’t just mean sleep, this is about how you recharge best.
What this looks like for me: sitting in front of the fire, watching a good series on the TV with the hubby, reading an absorbing adventure story, browsing in a bookshop, going out for a walk with a friend.
With all these principles I also find it helpful to remember there may be long and short versions of each one. For example, I might spend just a few minutes in silence and solitude each day or listen to a short podcast. Occasionally, I find it helpful to get away for a whole day or weekend to write or attend a conference. I’ve found I need both – simple daily practices as well as longer periods of time.
Maintaining a healthy creative well is essential so you can show up for your business or community in the way you want to. I hope you find these principles helpful as you consider how best to fill your own creative well. I’d love to hear which one resonated with you.