A routine can be a double-edged sword at times. While it helps you focus creative energy and sustain momentum, it can also stall your creative flow when the routine never changes. If you’ve hit a wall and aren’t exactly sure when it started, why not mix things up and change part of how you approach the work day, personal time or relationships with others?
Small, Mindful Changes Stretch into Big Awareness
Huge sweeping changes may sound appealing when you want to shake loose annoying creative blocks, however, beginning with something simple that gets you out of the usual routine gives you the opportunity to really be present. This also leaves space to tune in to how a change feels because it’s a small and concentrated.
I had a little fun with this idea on my birthday camping trip into the mountains.
There is a favorite spot I love to visit – it’s quiet, set far from the road and always available. The river runs through part of it, and there’s a small, worn bridge I can sit or lay on, listening to the rush and gurgle of the wily water underneath me. “My secret spot” is always first on my list for a quick get-out-of-town escape, and I have gotten very comfortable with the surrounding area on day hikes.
I usually set up the trusty tent and go about enjoying my time in the outdoors, but this time, I wanted to try out my new re-purposed parachute hammock. My man Chuck bought it for me as a gift last year and I hadn’t tried it out yet.
So as he got things set up for us, including a tarp over the hammocks in case it rained, I started thinking – could I sleep overnight in this thing? I’m totally prepared – I have enough clothes to keep warm, a Thermarest to put under my mummy sleeping bag and it’s definitely comfortable to sit in, but can I commit to an overnight sleep?
Used to my routine, I went ahead and set up the tent just to be safe. As the day carried on and I enjoyed relaxing and chatting with friends, I felt myself wondering what I would decide. The call of the familiar kept getting tangled up with the lure of a new adventure, but this new experience would take place when I’m at my most vulnerable – while sleeping!
By the time the fire was coming to a slow flicker and my eyes grew heavy, I decided to go for it. I snagged my sleeping bag, extra layers and Thermarest out of the reliable tent, and got myself situated in my new overnight diggs.
Once I burrowed in and was enveloped in the snuggly hug of the hammock, I felt an interesting sense of freedom. I was off the ground, yet secure. I was warm, safe and relaxed, but also excited by the night view. Instead of the stale smell of a tent, I could smell fresh pine needles and night air, accompanied by the rush of the river just beyond the tall trees.
My senses were stimulated and I was paying attention to new flutters of feelings and ideas. This one small change wasn’t a big risk, but it made me aware that even in the sense of the familiar, how a simple shift can inspire me to change my outlook in a way that was empowering and still felt safe.
The Routine is Part of your Creative Gift, So Play with How you Shape It
How you get into your creative groove is part of your creative gift, along with your talents. It creates the foundation you need to feel safe as you express yourself, and enables you build the skills you need to expand your talents.
While the routine feels like solid ground that supports what you are striving to express, it can also be too comfortable to inspire you – so shake it up! One small tweak in your routine can stretch your perspective and open up the flow of creative energy so that it’s more consistent and fluid in everything you do.
If things feel stale and you aren’t sure where to start, do something that feels simple and freeing. If you want a little perspective, I’d love to listen and see how I can help shake things up. Photo credit cat: TammyStobel