
I hit a low point in May. The burn out I had experienced 1.5 years ago from music was returning. My first burnout was profound: I left grad school and didn’t know if I ever want to do music again.
After practicing the piano for hours everyday for nearly two decades, I was tired exhausted. Not in a creative or passionate place. After a nine month break, I returned to grad school in August 2008. I was in a much better mental place, healed from an eating disorder and practicing yoga and meditation, but by May I was feeling confused and hopeless as more of my degree requirements were being checked off.
“What the hell am I doing with my life?” I thought.
I started a creativity regimen. I went to one of Christine Kane’s creativity retreats, educated myself by reading about fulfillment, and experimented with my life. I found the courage to be a blank slate. I didn’t have to be anything, especially not what other people wanted me to be. I didn’t have to be perfect or a see myself as a victim. I could observe my past and release it, leaving me with the energy to create a new life.
My life transformed. I let myself entertain dreams I had previously dismissed as unrealistic. It took work. And the journey is surprising and exhilarating me.
Here are 10 powerful ways to jumpstart your creative life that make a difference:
1. Meditate: The trick to meditation? Just sit. Going to a quieter place will help access your creative side and get the most out of the following activities.
2. Make a vision board: My cynical side initially scoffed at the idea of a vision board. Then I did one…and the pictures I put up on my board started coming true. I’ve now resolved to make one every January.
Want to do one? Consult Christine Kane’s guide to vision boards for advice.
3. Visit creativity blogs. Speaking of Christine Kane, she has my favorite creativity blog. You can also check out The Art of Non Conformity, Gwen Bell, and The Happiness Project.
4. Read Martha Beck. Read and complete the exercises in Martha Beck’s books Finding Your North Star and Steering by Starlight. Before reading her books I thought self-help books seemed frou-frou. Martha Beck changed my mind. She holds a Ph.D in sociology from Harvard, taught business management at Harvard, and is now the world’s premier life coach. Her writing is approachable, intelligent, and inspirational.
5. Have an Experiment Day. Do things out of the norm. Paint, eat at new restaurants, hike in a new spot. What would it be like to live your life as an experiment?
6. Interview yourself: Imagine being interviewed by a magazine in the near future. You’re living the life you are meant to live and are excited. Write down the questions and answers. Ask questions like, “What did it take for you to get here?” “What advice would you give people hoping to do what you do?”. This exercise is illuminating.
7. Gratitude. This is a timely exercise for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Write down what you’re thankful for. Gratitude is a practice. My husband and I like to take turns saying what we’re thankful for on road trips. Try starting off you morning writing 5 items on a gratitude list.
8. Go on a retreat/Attend a conference. Connect with others living creatively and passionately. Have real conversations about fulfillment and enlightenment. At Christine Kane’s June retreat, I met fascinating women. We still e-mail and offer encouragement to each other. My husband and I also went on an amazing meditation/yoga retreat in October.
9. Pick a time in the future and imagine it in great detail. Pick a random date and time in the future. Say, June 24, 2014 @ 9:10am. Sit in a quiet spot and imagine in fine detail your life. What are you wearing? Where are you? If you’re sitting, what does the chair look like? What do you see around you? What does it smell like? What are you doing? (You get the picture…)
10. Make a life list. After I read this article from Brave New Traveler and saw that DirtBagWriter & MilesofAbbie made their life lists, I decided to try it out. It’s a great way to set intentions and get clarity.
Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
Study yoga/meditation in an Indian ashram-Take the Trans-Siberian through Russia, Mongolia, and China-Get published in 10 media sources-Compose more music-Write/Contribute to a book-Have photography published in a magazine-Develop a new musical medium (tba)-Perform at a yoga/music festival-Visit Bali-Record a CD-Release a CD-Keep family time the #1 priority-Be an editor for an online travel magazine-Volunteer at the Farm Sanctuary-Adopt a pupmate for our rescue dog, Zoey-Volunteer my photography at animal shelters-Keep up with my age in countries I travel to-Spread Kungaroo to the masses-Meet a Beatle-Ride an elephant-Develop nancyharder.com-Buy a house-Visit Thailand-Relive Avonlea and see Prince Edward Island-Be a yoga ninja-Be a social media maven-Photograph a national ad-Start an organic garden-Learn 10 vegan recipes by heart-Find new ways to cook with kale, chard, and collards-Hang with Barbara Kingsolver-Get coached by Martha Beck-Learn Spanish-Learn French, German, and Italian better-Collect art work-Visit Africa-Learn interior design-Inspire people to live passionate, travel-filled lives-Meet fellow travelwriters-Attend a travel blogger conference-Have Guiness in Ireland-Meet the Dalai Lama-Have a luscious vacation on the Greek Islands with my husband-Meditate everyday-Take stunning portraits of all my friends-Inspire social change-See the Norwegian fjords-Go back to Montreux, Switzerland-Hang out with the bedouins-Meet Rick Steves-Road trip across the US-Volunteer on an organic farm-Learn how to bake vegan-Try acupuncture-Balance my chakras-Go on a press trip-Start a non-profit-Develop transparency-Be kind.
text/photo: Nancy Harder