Ah yes, the Holidays……!    The holidays are a wonderful time of year for reconnecting and celebrating productivity and blessings from the last eleven and twelve months.  As creatives this season comes with mixed blessings….the ability to sell some of our wares depending on our creative practice for holiday gift giving is ideal.  For others, time to work on our creative projects….can be compromised.  If you are among the latter, it can get tricky to balance all of the demands that the season brings.  But with a little advance planning and discipline, this season does not have to be unproductive. 

Here’s a few tips on how to navigate the holiday season to your advantage:
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• Set your intentions and goals for creative productivity:  What creative projects do you need to complete between now and the first of January? What is the “why” behind these projects? Take note of commissions, writing deadlines, artwork, etc. and the deadlines that have been set to complete them.  Do some of these projects need to be completed right after the holidays?  If so, set some interim goals that you can meet during this period.  If no real deadline has been established, look at your calendar and set them.  Prioritize what you need to do during this period and what might can wait until after January 1st.  Update your calendar to ensure that the deadlines are visible and create reminders via your phone or computer accordingly.
• Review your Holiday Social Calendar including your travel plans:  Make sure that those dates are clear on your calendar.  What is the relationship between your holiday social plans and your deadlines for completing your creative work?  This is the area that can cause the most stress for you depending on the dates and what needs to be done.  Are there any overlaps?  This is the time to be open and creative with your schedule to see how reasonable it is to tackle your creative projects. 
• Look at all the dates and plan for flexibility:  This is the hard part especially when you are looking at the holiday social calendar.  What events are “must attends” and what are “might attends”?  What are some options for some of these events?  For example, can you have lunch, dinner or brunch with one the hosts in lieu of attending a party or gathering?  Can you rank the events based on criteria such as family, close friends, networking or whatever works for you and plan to attend just one for each criteria?  If you are traveling can you take your supplies and work from another location?  Is there adequate space to work at that location?  Think through how this would work best for you.
• Look at your calendar on a weekly basis and plan creative activities (or micro movements) to complete your project(s) where you have free time.  Check once a week to see your progress…reward yourself for meeting your goals.
• Create boundaries.  When we have to face the requests and demands of family and friends to participate in activities that are not a priority for us or will interfere with our creative goals, things can get tricky.  However, if we are hold firm on our priorities, we have to say no when things are not in alignment with our goals.  Think of compromises, limit the time spent or other alternatives to some of the requests that are thrown your way.  Be honest with close friends and family about your goals and what you need to complete.  Let them know when you are actually free and open the conversation for alternative activities.
• Make sure to plan for self-care activities.  The pace of the holidays can get to all of us.  Between social, work and our creative time we can find ourselves burned out before the holidays.  Make sure to slip in time for self-care activities such as yoga, hiking, gym, artist’s dates, etc. to maintain balance.  Look to find inspiration to recharge your batteries and keep you focused. Read a novel, listen to your favorite music from an artist you enjoy, watch a movie that you have on your list to see.  Spend time away from the holiday scene……the lights, displays, music, etc. can help as well.
• Incorporate your creativity as part of holiday  events  or volunteer efforts:  If your creative goals can be incorporated as part of volunteer efforts for the community or if you can offer DIY holiday classes or activities with the family that can help you connect to your creative projects, consider that as a an option.

 
The holidays are indeed stressful but don’t have to be.   With a little planning on the front end you can establish the priorities, the activities and your desired goals and actually meet them without feeling resentful or stressful.

What tips or tricks do you use to maintain your creative practice or reach your goals during the holiday season?

Image: ID 148017510 © Ivona17 | Dreamstime.com

Ah, the infamous "Naysayer".....!  As you move through your creative journey, most often than not, you will meet up with him or her.  These are not people who provide healthy criticism of your work to improve it.  These are the people who are not fans of what you are doing altogether, no matter how good it is.  They are somehow threatened by your interest to do something creative and will do everything in their power to discourage you from doing it. 

Not long ago, I shared a creative dream with a rather recent acquaintance, expecting her to be as enthusiastic as my long-time friends and colleagues.  We were talking on the phone catching up and when I announced the creative project there was dead silence for a minute or two.  She finally said, "what made you want to do that?"  It was an odd question...somewhat accusing like "why do you want to jump off a cliff?"  I explained more about the project...expecting an "ah hah" or "okay, I see"...but that wasn't the case.  Later she said that she didn't know why I wanted to do something I didn't have a level of understanding of it (in accordance to her).  She then proceeded to compare how she perceived I handled a personal situation and use that as a barometer of how unqualified I was to pursue the creative project...two totally different things. Unfortunately, I did temporarily allow her words to concern me.  Was I really unfit to do this?  Is she right?  But why was she the only person I shared this with being negative about it?  What's really going on here?

After meditating, reflecting and talking to people who really knew me and were either objective or strong proponents of my creative life, I was reminded that her role was to really keep me on my toes, trust my intuition, and measure my commitment to the project.  And that's what naysayers do....they remind you of your purpose in life as a creative and to move forward regardless of what "they' say or think. (Note: the only exception is if the person is providing sound advice about what you propose to do which might physically or mentally harm you or others or is against the law).

So how do you deal with a naysayer that throws water on your creative dreams or goals? Here's some thoughts to help:

1. Consider the source:  How well does this person know you?  What role do they play in your life and if any to your creative dreams?  If they are a person that is a casual acquaintance versus your mother, spouse, etc. The role they play will have a lot to do with the weight that their words carry. Are they an expert in the field that you are pursuing?  If so, is their opinion recognized professionally? Do they know your creative side or just another side of your life (i.e. in the office, on the tennis court, etc.)?  Depending on the source, you will need to decide how active or involved they will be in your creative life and adjust accordingly. In my case, the person was not very familiar with the extent of my professional endeavors, only based on what I would share about in a passing conversation or via social media. She did not have a professional background or experience in my field or the area that she believed I was deficient in to make any assessment about my ability to do the creative project. 

2. Ask yourself what they are not saying.  Does the person feel threatened because your free time is no longer spent with them but in your creative endeavors?  Or does the person secretly want to pursue a creative dream and is jealous of what you are doing?   Is there a lot of changes going on in their lives (caretaking of a sick relative, taking over the raising of young children, separation or divorce, loss of job, a major move, health issues, children in trouble, etc.)?  Life circumstances such as these can make some people stressed, anxious, regretful or even resentful of others and cause them to say critical things to others intentionally or unintentionally.   Also, consider the personality of the person...if they have always exhibited some narcissistic traits, their response to you may be part of their regular behavior.  My naysayer had recently made some major life changes that may have contributed some to her response to my announcement.  

3. Decide how much the naysayer continue to be privy to your creative life.  Depending on how you answered #1, decide what role they will continue to play in your creative life.  You might want to let them know that what they said was hurtful and talk about your feelings, if it is safe to do so, and depending on how well it is received, make the choice that feels right for you. You may decide that you will no longer share anything about your creative life with the individual and stick to neutral activities or topics of discussion. You may learn that the person feel shut out of your creative life or miss the time you both spent together.  If that is the case, consider how to make more time in your schedule to spend with them....or even how to get them involved with helping your creative practice (i.e. if you are writing book, think about using them as a beta reader or getting them involved with organizing your first book signing).  If they are in a position to support you financially, you may want to consider your options by talking to someone you trust, whether it is a therapist or another professional, especially if it a part of ongoing or escalating mental or physical abuse.  Or you may decide that you no longer want them in your life period.  Again, depending on the situation, weigh your options carefully and make the choice that supports not only you but your creativity as well. After sharing my feelings with my naysayer, we decided that a continued friendship would not be beneficial and have since parted company.  I haven't looked back but view it as wakeup call and an educational moment for me as I move forward with my creative endeavors.
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4. Know who your fans and cheerleaders are.  Those who truly know and support your dreams are the ones you need to have close.  These people are not afraid to give you constructive criticism when you need it and are always visibly excited about what you are doing.  They may or may not be "influential" but their energy and belief in you is what you need.  If you don't have these people around, seek them out in creative groups or other organizations that bring together people with like minds. Believe me, your "people" are out there...you need to find and connect with them to move you forward.

5. Think about who can and cannot share your creative dreams with.   In the age of social media where so much is being shared with everyone with a few clicks, it is easy to feel that sharing your creative dreams shouldn't be an issue.  Unfortunately, it is in many cases....the "haters" and those who are naysayers thrive on your vulnerable moments just to kill or overly criticize what you are doing.  Think about who needs to know about what you are pursuing.  Ask yourself the questions in #1 especially how well they know your creative life and are they people who have consistently appreciated your creative gifts.   You may also want to consider "rolling out" a major creative project slowly regarding who you share it with.  Perhaps only a handful of people you trust can know it the beginning and when it's close to being unveiled, everyone else.  

How do you deal with the naysayers in your life?  What advice can you give to others who are dealing with this situation?  Please share in the comments below. 

When many of us think of  "self-care" we tend to think of activities such as massage, yoga, physical activity, hanging out in nature, sleep, meditation, etc.  We don't think much about doing art or some other creative activity as a form of "self-care".   But I invite you to think of it in this way. 

For me, my creative practice is one of my favorite self-care activities.  Of course there is "work" involved, looking at composition, the images, thinking of what I want to convey, etc.  But it is my favorite form of work....I get lost in it...I forget about the craziness in the world...my only focus is that art piece.  I put on music that soothes my soul, scents that inspires and relaxes me whether it is essential oils or incense and I become one with my art.  

A creative practice connects us to another place and a product of this connection is what ever we produce as a result. It is also a stress reliever and can be a way to deal with anxiety.  An asociate of mine, who found himself caring for his elderly parents full time, would spend his time either in nature or creating art...using alcohol inks on small tiles, creating the most beautiful abstract pieces.  At my last count, he was approaching somewhere between an impressive 80 and over 100 pieces of small abstract art as a result.  

In a recent blog article from PsychCentral by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. on this topic included some ways that art and creativity can be utilized as a source of self-care from artist Stephanie Medford and  Natalie Foster, LAMFT, ATR, an intuitive mentor and registered art therapist.  I share a few from this article below: 

"Collage your emotions. Self-care includes acknowledging, honoring and holding space for our emotions. When Medford is stuck on a difficult emotion, she creates a collage about it using old magazines and found papers. She looks for images, colors and shapes that express how she’s feeling. It’s a quick and messy process. Which is the point: These collages “are more about processing the feeling than making ‘art.’” "
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"Play with clay. “Clay is a very kinesthetic and grounding media that helps us feel in control when things are not so orderly in the ongoings of our lives,” Foster said. Crayola makes an air-dry clay, or you can get non-drying modeling clay and store it in an air-tight container, she said."

"Draw your mood daily. Medford has a journal that contains pages with 2 x 2 inch squares. Every day she fills in one square expressing her mood that morning. “A big part of working through my anxiety is noticing how it feels in my body, and what images and colors it brings to mind,” Medford said. “Paying close attention to my experience, and drawing what I find, helps me to take some of the power away from the feelings and gives it back to me and my creativity.”

"Tell your story. Foster suggested creating an altered book. For instance, every day or once a week, you decorate the pages in any way you like. You might include important mementos or personal photos. “Over time the right story will come out—whether it’s your whole life story, or the story of your growth in the past year.”

"Write About Your Art. Writing about your art can spark important insights. Foster recommended journaling after you’ve completed a piece or project and then returning to it weeks or months later: “How have you changed since making the piece? How do you still think you need to adapt in order to reflect what you are creating in your life?”

Again, I invite you to explore how art and creativity can connect you to your emotions.  What other ways has your creativity has helped to address your own self-care needs?  Feel free in the comments below!