It’s been a tough couple of weeks for a lot of us. I hope you’re hanging in there.
It can be pretty hard to manage life’s ups and downs and still feel creative at work. I don’t know about you, but often I’ll be on a roll, and I’ll take a quick look at the news and end up in a totally different and downward spiral of a mental space.
Just today I was on a roll with a blog post all about creative problem solving. I was really feeling in the flow. Then after a quick conversation about the state of the world, I found myself depressed, despondent, and incapable of writing anything.
It’s almost impossible for me to create something good while I’m in a state of mental/emotional chaos. And chaos is hard to avoid. Not just right now in this political climate, but in general. Life is chaotic by nature. Things are always moving and changing.
We don’t live in a monastery on a mountain, so we have to deal with the world and worldly things. And we have to do stuff. We have to work, produce, and share our vision with the world. We can’t hide out from what’s happening. We’re a part of it.
So I just wanted to reach out and say you’re not alone. We’re all feeling the chaos, riding it, and trying to master or process our emotions to create something great.
Maybe you can use this weekend to decompress and center yourself. That’s what I’m going to do. Maybe take a walk outside, check out the leaves, feel the breeze. Plant some fall flowers.
Maybe host a dinner party, and get your friends together to connect. And if the talk turns political, maybe suggest a gratitude exercise, where everyone goes around the table and expresses gratitude for one thing in their lives.
Maybe try out a creative practice. If you already have one, spend some time with that. Writing, playing music, drawing. If you don’t, I highly suggest doing something with your hands. It could be cooking or baking (I’ve got pumpkin bread in the oven right now).
These are all great ways to get out of our heads. Sometimes our brains can’t figure it all out, can’t logic out why things are the way they are. So get your hands dirty, spend time with friends, and try out a cathartic creative practice.
I’m sending you love.
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Originally published at medium.com