Courage to stoke the fire
3 min read
Hard work with an anti-hustle mindset
Getting back into painting has been interesting this year. One day in December, I just didn’t feel like painting. So I didn’t. I listened to the voice that said ‘pause’.
Learning how to set up a small business, creating over 80 paintings, releasing prints and communicating with clients was great, but I needed a little break to refuel. Just this week, I felt the pull to stoke the fires of creativity back again. But did that mean I felt super inspired and did I jump right back into a magical flow? Not at all.
My experience of getting back into painting this week has been of several ‘straight to the art graveyard’ paintings, which caused me to wonder if I had lost ‘it’. It’s so easy to second guess yourself in those initial stages.
But I want to encourage you with a few thoughts that I have worked through when approaching a creative practice:
1. Getting started isn’t always easy. In fact, if you haven’t been creative for a little while, it might be difficult to be inspired or have motivation at all. There’s that pesky inner resistance- the moment you want to start creating is also the moment you also have to iron shirts, or {insert any other job you really don’t want to do but will do anyway if it helps you procrastinate}. Just start! Even if it’s 20 mins. You did something creative. You stoked the fires. Go you! I have seen time and time again that the more I create, and the more consistently I create, the easier it is come up with ideas. It’s getting a momentum happening. So don’t over think it, just do it!
2. I needed to make those ‘straight to the art graveyard’ paintings, because they were the stepping stones. So actually, I am thankful for them, because they are what actually help me get back into the flow. What’s even more encouraging is that some of those paintings have the possibility of being redeemed! I’ve had paintings stored away for more than 6 months and then suddenly, a moment of inspiration, a colour palate, an idea- revives it back to life and now tells a new story.
3. You can work hard and have peace at the same time. I think that’s an aspect of creating where you have to surrender and allow the blockages in your mind to melt away in order for the creative ideas to flow freely. But working hard is also good. Being at peace and listening to your intuition is good. Having them in each other’s presence is a beautiful thing.
A friend of mine shared a great thought recently-
‘Easy’ & ‘Comfortable’ are not synonymous with ‘Good’. Difficult & challenging doesn’t meant it’s ‘Bad’. Hard things refine us and being uncomfortable forces us to persevere and sometimes perseverance looks like humility. ~Katie Emslie
I have never made a fire from sticks in the forest, but I’ve seen the process. It requires an enormous amount of friction on the sticks to create the embers. It doesn’t happen by just throwing them together. It requires persistence, patience and a bit of pressure. But the reward is fire.
I’m not really for the ‘hustle’ culture mindset, but I think healthy hard work is so good for you and me. It’s going to take some courage to start or return to your creative practice. You can do it.
I hope you’ve been encouraged by these words- comment or send me a DM on my instagram @graceworthcourage if this resonates with you. I’ll be stoking the fire as well and painting until something emerges from the canvas.
Peace & Love,
Elissa x
