Blog Rachael Taylor Studio

Thoughts on having to be “productive”

I recently shared some thoughts on Instagram on having to be brave & survive days that feel impossible & the guilt that comes with not feeling productive enough during the hard stuff. It got me thinking about times during my career that I’ve been told similar stories from other creatives in this community so I thought it would be helpful (during what can be an especially overwhelming month), to share some of my solutions to some of the more prominent issues creatives can face.

The issue: Feeling frustrated with yourself & lack of productivity.
The solution: One thing I have learned from my teaching & creative experiences is that you do need to let yourself feel all the feels to be able to find inspiration, whether it’s happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, boredom, or excitement. This is human nature, & our feelings need to be expressed to be our true creative selves. Ride it out, take a slow day, let the emotions surface, & trust in knowing that the balance will be restored again. Not every day needs to be a feat of achievement.

The issue: Finding creative inspiration & motivation during stressful times.
The solution: I have created some great art while in a less than stellar mood. Even when feeling frustrated in the process, you can still create art when you feel upset or angry. Why not own the feeling & inject it into your art? In return you may soothe the uneasy feelings away. Creativity can become your medicine.

 

 

The issue: Finding that you’re constantly comparing yourself to others.
The solution: Switch your perspective & let them inspire & motivate you instead. If they can do it, then so can you.

The issue: Losing focus on your goals.
The solution: Keep reminding yourself why you are doing these things; if you find you don’t like the answers, then it may be time to find some new inspiration, new methods, change something up, or look at what you are working on from another perspective.

The issue: When it’s just too hard & scary.
The solution: We must have the ability to do things that scare us & act with bravery to make things happen. Life is for living, days are for dreaming, the world is for exploring, & your creativity is there to be celebrated! For some, it may seem that everything has come together for me seamlessly, but that’s not the case. I could have given up when I was told by bullies I couldn’t do it, or when I saw my design in a shop window on the high street used without my permission & felt like one helpless designer against a big corporation, but it only made me stronger as a person & more determined to prove them wrong. Trust me when I say even in those dark moments we can shine, & that magic can be created even from the hard stuff.

 

 

(Extracts taken from my book Power Up Your Creativity – a lovely gift for a fellow creative or for your own wish list!)

Of course I know that not every issue is so straight forward & everyone is going through different struggles with will require more specific tailored solutions. But in those cases I do hope that some of these ideas spark something that will help.

I also want you to know that not doing anything at all is also a valid & healthy option. Sometimes you just need to “eat crisps & survive” as Matt Haig wrote. I feel like he regularly describes the inside of my brain 🙂

Don’t forget that you if you are looking for more tailored or specific to you advice then I can help you with my:

All of which are 30% off for a little while longer!