Tag: tips and tricks

4 Observations of the Creative Process

The creative process is one that can be piloted with ease by some, but prove to elude others. There are times when the end of a project cannot come fast enough, and the creative process drags on and on.

Here are four observations about the creative process that will allow you to see things in a different light, and hopefully to improve in the way that you start and finish your passion projects.

 

5 Observations of the Creative Process

  1. When you watch something that makes you cry, use it!

    Don’t push the things that elicit strong emotions out of your mind. When confronted with stimuli that causes you to feel a strong emotion, harness that feeling to dive deeper into what is making you react that way. Delving to the core may be the inspiration you have been waiting for to create new work that is unlike anything you have ever done. The raw emotion exists for a reason, and by dealing with it, you may discover unimaginable benefits in your pursuit of your passions.

  2. When you are confused about something, find out more.

    Use that spark of curiosity to find out more information on a subject. You are curious about it for a reason, so why not give your mind the information that it craves? Once you have taken a few moments to gain a  more fulsome understanding of a topic, you will be able to incorporate what you learned into having a positive impact on your work.

    anonymous person with binoculars looking through stacked books
    Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

  3. Revisit your old projects.

    Sometimes new ideas can emerge when you look at old work. You might have a hidden idea somewhere in the fabric of an old project that opens an undiscovered realm of possibilities to you.

  4. Creativity almost never happens in a vacuum.

    Make a positive move by trying new things. New experiences give birth to creativity and new work. Expose your brain to new concepts daily to avoid the dreaded “shrinking of ideas” that can occur around the age of 30. Try something new, and you will have more to share with the world.

 

If you would like to find more inspiration for your passion projects, browse my earlier posts, and don’t forget to subscribe! Thanks for stopping by.

 

Stephanie

by @Lillybochic

5 Ways to Balance Your New Life

Making the decision to pursue your passions is not an easy one. Many people go back and forth for years, or even decades before nailing down the elusive “Start Date” for their dreams to begin. Some people never take the jump, and continue on with the monotony of life until it is too late.

When you make the big decision, it will seem overwhelming at first. You may feel consumed by the desire to “do everything at once”. You may even enter a manic state just trying to organize your thoughts. Until you are properly prepared, you will have to balance your priorities with family life, and your boring day job (until you can escape it!)

5 Ways to Balance Your New Life

photo of woman wearing red boxing gloves
Photo by Jermaine Ulinwa on Pexels.com

Exercise regularly

Exercising regularly allows your brain and body to work at high efficiency. Physical exercise increases your ability to remember things, and plan upcoming events with your family. Regular exercise will also add stamina so that your mind can be stronger for longer.

 

Eat Properly

Eating healthy and nutrient-rich food will allow your brain to stay in top condition. Trying new healthy foods will also expose your brain to new flavors and textures that will encourage balance in your body. Avoid feeling sluggish by drinking Kombucha to to boost your gut health.

 

photo of woman in gray tank top while sitting on bed
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Wake up earlier

Wake up 1-2 hours early to have solitary time to work on your passion projects. If your project cannot be accommodated by waking up earlier, then you can try to reconfigure your schedule to allow 1 or 2 hours during the mid day or on weekends. One hour devoted to your passion each day adds up to over 30 hours per month. That is time that can be spent unproductively if you allow it. Consistency is key, so carve out the time required to develop yourself, and you will see improvements quickly.

 

Keep visual tabs on your ongoing projects

Allow your progress on projects to stare you in the face. Take photos and share them with friends and family. Allow the visual representation of your ongoing project to inspire you to keep going! Look at it every day. Use the time spent looking at it to explore ways you can improve.

 

Involve your family

The best way to balance your new passion pursuit with your family life is by incorporating the two together. Ask you daughter or son to watch you as you set up stages of your project Take your spouse with you to learn things about your passion. The important thing is the time spent together with loved ones. Show them how much you care by involving them in your life as it evolves.

 

The transition into a life where you pursue your passions can be difficult. These 5 ways to balance your family life will assist you in overcoming the growing pains with these changes.

Thanks for stopping by,

Stephanie

by @Lillybochic

Three types of people you will lose when you start to pursue your passion

Three types of people you will lose when you start to pursue your passion

As a person growing into your chosen life, it is important to understand that some of the existing structures in your life are based on what was prescribed FOR you by others. To achieve the life you want you will need to consider the changes necessary to get to where you want to be. This includes thinking about the type of person you want to be.

Some relationships in your life will be like branches on a tree. The strong and important ones will grow with the tree; while the less important or unbalancing branches will need to be pruned, or worse yet- will get destroyed by a lightning storm.

3 People You Will Lose When You Start to Pursue Your Passions

Illustration by Stephanie Konu of Three types of people you will lose when you begin to pursue your passion
Illustration by Stephanie Konu

  1. The Becky’s and Tatiana’s

    These are the flaky friends who would often share in your misery when life was not as good. They usually spend more money than they make, and live their lives in bank overdraft. The world exists to give them things (in their minds only of course) and they frequently fail to follow through on anything.

    How to know if you have a Becky or a Tatiana?

    Set up a mental test for your friendship. When you see them next, suggest a S.M.A.R.T goal (Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant and Time Based goals). This could be something like asking them to meet you on Saturday to take photos at the park. These photos would improve your friend’s photography portfolio, and ultimately help them book more work as a photographer. If your friend initially agrees to the plan, but cancels or flat out flakes on the date without a very good excuse, then you know you have a Becky, Tatiana, or Tom or Billy on your hands!

  2. The people who boo you from the cheap seats. Alternate alias: the Haters.

    These people have a very negative outlook on life, so they are easier to spot from farther away than the earlier category. They are fueled by a negative and self-defeating mindset. For them the question is: “Why bother? It won’t be any good” for pretty much anything in life that doesn’t serve an immediate survival need. Fun and enjoyment only exist within their narrow purview of life; so if you look to them for validation in your pursuit of your life passions, you will be very disappointed.

    These people do not want you to succeed for a simple reason: misery loves company, and why should you accomplish what they never could? Do not pay attention to them because they will soon become your supporters when they see how well you will emerge from your transition into the life you want.

  3. Time Wasters

    These people can have similar traits to the previous categories. Becky and Tatiana waste your time by never following through. Haters also waste your time when you focus on their negative energy. This specific type of time waster is a person who will want to associate with you because of reasons that add to their own self-esteem. These people will ask for your time, and favours in exchange for some far-off reward (large gifts, promising to promote you, etc). When you give them what they want, all you end up with is a bill for your expenses and time lost from pursuing your passion.

    These people are dangerous because of one main reason: time is the only resource that you can’t ever get back. You really don’t have much of it to spare on meaningless associations that lead you nowhere. Spending too much time with these people will never lead to new opportunities, or to new ideas. Just to dead end nights where the only thing you have time to do before bed is to look longingly at your projects and sigh. Wasted time. Take back those minutes.

Living the life you want is not impossible, but it takes work and conscious observation of who you are. Keep going. You will get there. – Stephanie

Thanks for stopping by,

Stephanie

by @Lillybochic