Keeping Your Creative Focus during the Holidays

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood

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?