Taking Your Personal Projects Off the Shelf

I had lunch this week with a fellow creative. She’s a writer with a significant executive role but already thinking of the future. We talked about dreaming and why it’s important. Your dreams may be fantasies about gardening all day or having time to change careers or start your own business. And maybe, a small way to dream is to carve out a little bit of time for a personal project.

It’s overwhelming when you think about setting up that easel again or dusting off that novel you started a few years ago. Somehow, we are skilled at managing large client projects, breaking them down into pieces, and leading teams, but when it come to our own dreams…well, we can be less successful.

While we talked, I was thinking about first steps for restarting daunting personal projects. Maybe it’s poetry you’ve wanted to take up again, ceramics, or even journaling. For any creative, it’s important to rediscover that little inside voice that comes from your inner self. Too often, it’s that same voice that’s drowned out by busy jobs, daily life, kids, meal prep, travel, clients, and more.

We both decided that a spark was important, as well as breaking any overwhelming project into pieces. So here’s a list of starting points that might help you get that old project going again.

1. Pull that project off the shelf. Maybe it’s pages in a box from your graduate school days. Maybe it’s hidden in a long-unused folder on your hard drive. Start by just gathering it up. Open folders. Update and resave (and back up) files. And if it’s a hard copy, send it out for a digital scan. You don’t have to read any of it or assess its quality. Focus on putting it in a tangible form you can begin to explore. It may be overwhelming when you think tackling that writing project you started 10 years ago. Just remember, this is a first step.
2. Do something scary. Apply for that writer’s symposium or workshop. Sign up for a writing class. Plan two weeks of personal vacation to go on a painting retreat. Carry a notebook and become that person who jots notes or scenes and begins to see the world like an artist.
3. Get inspired. None of us know everything and all of us know what it feels like to lack inspiration. You may feel like you haven’t had a good idea in ages. Or that you’re so tired, you can’t create. If you need a spark of inspiration, it’s time to talk to someone. Consult with a coach who can help you get unstuck. Read books on creativity and retrain your brain. Have lunch with your favorite creative friend. Or carve out your own private list of artists, writers, content creators who blog, post on social media, and send newsletters to help get your idea workshop moving.
4. Do it every day. I’ve heard the advice and ignored it for years, but it’s so very true. Whatever your creative outlet is, you should do it every day. It’s important, so don’t reserve it for when you “deserve it” or when you have the energy. Try a daily writing prompt or sketch exercise. Embroider a daily “sampler” or list 5 new ideas in your journal.

There’s no secret formula to escaping the grind and finding your own space in life, but you can start by dreaming about it. And when you’re ready, pull that project off the shelf! You won’t regret it. In the meantime, tell me what you’re dreaming!