Welcome to Creative Summer 2020 week 2 here at Creativity and Company. So glad you are joining in!
Summer is the perfect time to slow down and get creative. Our goal is not to make masterpieces (although that would be nice!) but to learn how to establish and/or keep our creative practice going all summer. And to use the summer season to focus on certain types of summer-inspired projects.
For example, outdoor projects are perfect summer projects. Whether it’s natural materials, photos of nature, or using the warmth as inspiration for new ideas, summer is a great creative space.
The whole idea behind Creative Summer is to be purposeful and focused about your creativity. It’s easy to let the weeks slip by and be left with little to show for them. With a little effort we can make sure we give some attention to our creative projects on a regular basis.
It’s the perfect time to start something new. Or you can take the chance to get back to an ongoing project. Or maybe you just want to build a regular practice. Whichever you are aiming for, the shift in seasons is ideal for shifting your thinking.
If you haven’t had a lot of time to think out your projects, that’s fine! There is plenty of time to consider what you want to do. Hurry and stress is the last thing we want to crowd into our creative practices.
Find a project
So what do you want to do with your Creative Summer?
What can you imagine doing that would be fun and interesting?
Now is the time to ask yourself these questions. Make sure you find something that feels interesting, that you’ve always wanted to do.
Here are a couple of project ideas that I’m thinking about:
Daily photos. I have different types of photos I would like to experiment with including textures, close-ups, and landscapes.
Marker and watercolor art. I will keep focused on this for awhile longer. For me, using the Creative Summer will help me focus on continuing it through the summer.
Writing. I love writing and warm, summer days are the perfect time to write. I’ll be focusing on stories. I have a new one in the works, and it’s exciting to develop.
Videos. This is a new discovery for me, so I am going to be doing a lot of experimentation with different forms of making videos. I don’t really have a specific goal other than to learn a lot and produce them regularly.
Learn and enjoy
Creativity means learning and enjoying through self-expression.
Every day that you make time to work on your projects this summer is time when you can learn something. Even if it’s 5-minute periods. It’s still enough time to progress and grow.
Structure and focus your creativity
If you leave your creativity to spontaneous feelings, you probably won’t get so far. Or most of us won’t. You’ll be forever waiting for the perfect moment.
Instead focus on creating, focus on giving it the structure so it’s easy to return to day after day. This builds the habit. And habits make it easy on our brains.
Find your inspiration and energy
Inspiration and creativity are in a positive feedback loop.
The more you have of one, the more you have of another, but you have to stay on the cycle. It’s easy to get distracted and fall off. And it can be really hard to get back on.
What gives you inspiration and energy?
It’s better in the long run if you can create it on your own, but there is nothing bad about looking to others too, whether it’s picture or connecting with other artists. It helps idea spread and evolve.
Hop on the creativity/inspiration cycle this summer. Get creative, feel inspiration flowing to you. Join in the fun this summer.
I hope you are ready to make summer 2020 your most creative ever!
Get excited, get organized, and get started!
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