8 Mini Steps for Creative Growth

​It’s inevitable. There are times when your creative life hits a slow down. 

The good news is it’s easier than you think to kickstart it again!

In the first part of this series, we looked at 8 Vital Creative Habits and the frequency with which we engage with each one. In this second part, we’re going to use the 8 Habits to take some baby steps towards creative growth. ​

8 Habits Baby Steps Exercise

Grab your journal or sketchbook or a few blank sheets of paper and jot down answers to the following prompts:
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1. Develop your skills: How can you strengthen your skill base?

• What's been the strongest area in your creative practice over the last 12 months? 
• How might this serve you even more during the coming year? 
• What tiny step can you take towards this now?
• What was your 'weakest' area? 
• What new skill could you learn to improve this? 
• Or how might you turn this 'weakness' into a strength? 

For example, if you find it difficult to work large, how could you make working small into a virtue?

​=> What baby step you could take to initiate this?
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2. Follow Your Fascinations: How can you be more persistent?

We all know when we're copping out and not giving something our best. 

• What piece of work or aspect of your practice could benefit from some tenacity on your part? 
• What part of this most excites you? And what least?
• How can you maximise the exciting part to get your creative juices flowing?
• How can you minimise the least exciting parts?

=> What small steps will you take now?
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3. Visualise: What will DONE look like?

• Can you visualise what a successful outcome might look like for your project from 2? 
• Do you have reasonable and measurable objectives that will help you recognise when you're done?
• Is your Inner Critic undermining you with hidden subtexts that aren’t really objectives? 

=> Where can you write down your reasonable and measurable objectives so that you’ll see them when you work on your project?
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4. Express Yourself: Naturally!

​We're artists, we express ourselves right? The answer isn't always a resounding yes. 

All sorts of factors can get in the way of self-expression - from fear to market forces and the need to make a living. 

It's crucial to set aside a regular time for creating just for yourself. This needn't be in your usual medium - the goal here is to let your feelings out not 'make art'. 

You don’t need masses of time to make this happen.

​=> Can you find a five minute daily slot to create something just for you?
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5. Observe: Look Around You

​Observing means something different to every artist:

• observational drawings
  
• watching another artist work
  
• watching people's behaviour so you can include it in your writing...

What do you need to look at?

=> What small action will begin to make that possible?
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6. Reflect and Evaluate: Look Within

If we don't reflect we can't grow. 

• journalling
  
• meditating
  
• walking
  
• astrology
  
• receiving coaching...

What’s your reflective practice? 

How regularly do you practise it? If you don't, why not?

It’s not that hard! You’ve already done it for today by answering these questions ;)

=> How will you reflect tomorrow?
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7. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: Take a risk

​Sometimes our groove gets a little too comfy. 

Those things that scare us, they make us bigger people don't they? That doesn't mean we wouldn't rather hide under the duvet than do them. 

What is the thing that you know you need to engage with in order to grow towards your personal source of sunlight? 

=> What teeny-weeny action would start that process. Go on!
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8. Interact with your Creative Sphere: See Real Art (Read Good Books)

​Pinterest, YouTube, Flickr, Tumblr - we love 'em. 

But you can't experience the visceral difference between a piece of digital art and a wall-sized oil painting by looking at them both on a tiny screen. 

There's no substitute for getting out and seeing art up close.
 
It needn't be the latest must-see exhibition in a major capital; visiting your 
friend's studio will do nicely. ​ 

When you look at art in the 'flesh', you can't help but learn.

The same goes for reading (and I'm not talking paperback v. Kindle here); reading someone's blog (even mine!) is no substitute for a well-written book. 

=> Commit to experiencing some real art in whatever medium. Go book it!
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Want more 8 Habits?

​I’ve expanded these crucial 8 aspects of creative practice into an eBook to help you develop a full 8 Habit Plan for Creative Growth.

GET THE EBOOK!

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