Hills District Sydney Lifestyle photographer - 5 ways to nourish your creativity

Be present and in the moment.

Our creativity, just like our body, needs to be nourished, nurtured and loved. We tend to forget this when we are busy with our business, family, and life in general. We look up from this chaos and know we are missing something in our work and our art. So let's pause for just a moment and nurture our creativity. I'm not talking about your next workshop or something new to learn. I am talking about honouring the hell out of your creativity on a daily basis.

1) Acknowledge it: If your creativity sends an idea, however crazy it may seem, write that craziness down. Don't throw mud in her face and poo-poo the idea, WRITE it down!  You might not have the time or the energy but receive the idea. You can come back later and go over your notes, but acknowledge that idea. If you let too many of these crazy ideas pass you by, creativity may stop throwing them at you. And then your friend "Rut" comes over to play.

Grab fruit instead of chocolates and feed your creativity with the nourishment you need.

2) Nourish it: Most of us creatives run on cold coffee during the day and warm wine at night. We go to bed too late and get up early. We run on empty, and I know that if our partner or children lived this way, we would be telling them to snap out of it. We need rest, good food, exercise. We cant run on the highs and lows of a sugar rush. It's not sustainable, and we start to feel like we are living in a fog of busyness. Grab water instead of a coffee, a piece of fruit instead of chocolate. Make small changes and start to nourish yourself.

3) Pamper it. Tomorrow morning, I want you to take ten minutes out of your day and stop at your favourite cafe. I want you to order your favourite beverage and sit down to enjoy it. Please don't request take away or take out. Nope, sit and enjoy that coffee or frappe. On the way home buy yourself a bunch of flowers for your desk. Light a candle as you work. Pampering your creativity works better than flogging it. Crazy, right? Of course, these ideas work for me but think about how you can indulge yourself that takes only 10 minutes and remember to be present during the pampering. Your to-do list can wait ten short minutes.

Pausing to stop and drink a coffee rather than grabbing take-away is one way to nourish your creativity.

4) Feed it. My secret creative passion is romantic historical novels and Netflix series. Downtown Abbey, The Crown, Outlander, and Victoria are my favourites. I watch or read these without distractions. I pause during my day to sit and be present. I don't binge-watch but enjoy a complete series at a leisurely pace. I don't have time every day to do this, but I make time when I start to feel flat. I know many of you watch these series while you edit, but I am encouraging you to watch some of it without distractions. I know kids get in the way and you feel you don't have time. Yep, me either but I see this as feeding my creativity.  I used to sit with my laptop on my knees as I watched movies with the family and edit at the same time. I stopped when I realised that I wasn't truly present for my family. Give it the full attention it deserves.

5) Date it: If you are sitting there thinking "I don't have time for this...." well make time. Make a date with yourself to explore those crazy creative ideas. Make an appointment to watch the finale of your favourite show with blankets and snacks or read the last pages of your current book. Make a date to pamper yourself at the hairdressers, or beautician, or buy the ingredients to make your favourite cake. Yes, date your creativity and don't put it off until the quiet session. Do it now, amongst the chaos of life. You will feel better as a creative, as a Mum, and as a person.

No one can do this for you. You need to nurture your creativity and see it as necessary as part of your life. We are a beautiful mess, and when we accept this and nourish it, somehow we grow.

A beuatiful spot to sit and read the last pages of yur favourite novel.