When the Creative Juices Just Don't Flow

© Kaspars Grinvalds

I've started this post three times in the last hour trying to figure out what I wanted to write about for Sunday Morning Reflections. A minute ago, just like a cartoon character with a light bulb going off above his head, I realized I've been sitting on the topic all along.

The challenge is, what do you do when the creative juices just don't flow? Which is followed by the pressure we put on ourselves to ALWAYS be on our game. And, there it is, this morning's "ah-ha" moment. It's hardly earthshaking, but we all have days when we just hit the wall. Nothing seems to connect. We don't like what we create. We spin our wheels like a car stuck on ice in a snow drift, (sorry, just trying to be relatable to all my friends dealing with winter! LOL)

On those days when things just don't flow you need to step away and find something else to do that requires minimum stress on your thought process. For me, it was going for a walk with Sheila.  

Every day we put so much pressure on ourselves to get things done; to discover something new; to continue the momentum from the previous day or week. While I write about this all the time, it's not always easy to walk the talk. I get frustrated when my brain doesn't kick into high gear. In the process, I make matters worse because the harder I try to find the start button for my creative genes, the more they disappear.

So, the next time you hear in your head "start your engines," and you turn the key and the battery is dead, take a break and walk away. Do something you enjoy or take a slug stretch and do nothing except ponder the meaning of life. Take the time to kick back and chill.

Most of us live on overload. We wear too many hats, and there is no autofocus helping us decide what direction to take next. That's the time you go for one of those eleven-second therapeutic hugs with somebody special!

Wishing everybody a terrific Sunday and a day filled with peace and a smile here and there. If you're headed to WPPI, safe travels - see you there.

Happy Sunday!

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