What does it mean to nourish creativity?

Like food for the body provides nourishment, food for the writer’s life nurtures us so that our creative output not only increases, we also feel more satisfied and fulfilled in the process. I was under stress yesterday – much of it self imposed – and I ate a hunk of chocolate.

It wasn’t even good chocolate. It definitely left me feeling empty and the opposite of nurtured.

I didn’t feel nourished at all, I felt pretty dumpy. This morning, I prepared nourishing snacks in case I happen to get stressed out again I may have a much more satisfying afternoon sweet – with cranberries and oranges rather than processed fluff of temporary feel good and crash.

I use creative, spiritual practices to nourish my creativity. I have had a daily writing practice for more than two decades now and while I am not perfect at it, I show up at the page not to create the next chapter or be instantly brilliant, but because the page calls and this daily “writing to stretch like a runner stretches or a singer warms up her vocal chords” makes everything in my life run more smoothly – NOT only my writing.

Most recently adding meditation allows me to be calmly focused and again, life flows better when I add these two together.

Since my near death experience in 2019, I have been almost chronically at the ready for the next crisis – and as many have come, this is to be expected. Meditation is incredibly helpful for writers in a variety of iterations. You may choose writing meditation, art meditation, walking meditation or the old-school meditation practice I have going now all nourish my creativity in different ways.

For example, nourishing creativity might look like this:

✨First and foremost, continuing my daily creative and spiritual practices, partnered together. Writing Practice and Meditation practice. Both will be done in the first hour of waking. This starts my day focused and keeps me open to ideas, insights and wisdom beyond my own.

🌟Secondly, I will focus on honoring my planning practices and implementation with a focus on follow through and follow up.

💝 Finally I will utilize healthy doses of personal kindness, forgiveness and grace as I seek to improve and am bound to fail. Failure is a welcome creative teacher.

🎭 Also on my mind is I will be beginning a local theatre project, my first in New Jersey since I was 11 years old. My intention is to build community and mindfully study how the script, the writing and the art of theater intersects with my anchor art of writing. My role is a fun, supporting character role – the character development has begun – looking forward to read-through tomorrow.

You may nourish your creativity with experimentation

🙋🏻‍♀️❓How are you nourishing your creativity? How is that working?

In this New Year, perhaps it is time to try some new activities to nourish and nurture your creativity.

Three ways to nourish your creativity in 2023

• Take time to explore new things – try something new each month or maybe more often depending on your schedule or what is most inspiring to you. , like taking an art class, visiting a new museum, exploring a local park, attending a live improv show.
• Connect with others – attend events, join a club, or collaborate with other creatives. Talking with others can help you find new perspectives, collaborate on ideas, and stay inspired. Open the door for possibilities and follow through with other creatives you resonate with the most.
• Set aside time for creative thinking – dedicate at least 30 minutes a day to brainstorming, daydreaming, and exploring new ideas. Allowing yourself to be open to whatever comes to mind can help you come up with new and innovative concepts.

💝 📚📒

💡 Your presence here makes me feel grateful. 

✍🏻 I am a writer first, writing & creativity coach, multi passionate creative next. Writing has always been my anchor art and to her I always return. Thankfully, with great love.

🎯My aim is to create content here that inspires and instructs – if there is ever a topic you would like for me to explore, please reach out and tell me. My ultimate goal is to create posts, videos and more that speak to your desires as well as mine because where these two intersect, our collaborative, joyful energy ignites into a fire of love, light and passionate creativity.

Julie JordanScott is a Creative Life Coach, an award-winning storyteller, actor and poet whose photos and mixed media art graces the walls of collectors across the United States. Her writing has appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List, the Amazon best sellers list and on American Greetings Holiday cards (and other greeting cards). She currently lives in a manse in Sussex, NJ, where she is working on finishing her most recent book project, hugging trees daily and enjoys having random inspirational conversations with strangers.

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