Recent months have continued to be a drain for everyone, including creative types like designers. And let’s face it, creativity takes energy, lots of it.
So how do you nourish your creative energy? Here are the top 3 things that keep my creative juices flowing.
Travel - New places inspire me, whether it’s a quick research trip to rural France or a three-week RV journey out West with my family. Travel always brings me fresh ideas and inspiration. I’m trying to squeeze in every travel experience I can with my teenage boys before they’re out of the house, which has the upside of bringing me to lots of new places. (See also #3, as travel doesn’t have to mean leaving Charlotte!)
Reading - I’m often up late on my Kindle finishing a novel I can’t put down. But there’s also something special about reading things in print. I still take the Sunday paper and Southern Living magazine. Leafing through the pages is a form of escapism I can’t get from scrolling Instagram or Pinterest. Look for me and my husband on the back deck with a cup of coffee on Sunday mornings, reading the paper like a couple of octogenarians!
New Experiences - Experiencing new things with friends and family is another creativity-boosting activity for me. I recently took my two boys to an indoor skydiving spot as a birthday gift. The afternoon was a great combination of laughter and adrenaline that left me recharged for the work week. Learning to surf a few years ago during a LeaderSurf retreat falls into the same category. It got me out of my regular headspace, out of my comfort zone and into some different ways of thinking. Maybe take a moment each day to think about something new you learned or tried. It doesn’t have to be anything monumental. For instance, I recently learned I don’t hate brussel sprouts as much as I thought! Take this moment to stop and smell the roses, to realize all you accomplished in 24 hours, even if it’s small. The little things do matter.