So, #the100dayProject is about 19 days in now, and how many people have given up? Some people have decided that it’s not easy to create every day. Do I hear you? Literally, some days you have no spare time. You hardly have time to feed yourself, or God help you if you have other creatures depending on you to feed them, too. I have a pet shrimp who somehow lives off of tank algae when I don’t have time for him, and because of this I think he is perhaps the best pet I’ve ever had. The other members of my household are luckily a little more vocal about their needs. Point is, there are days when it seems like there’s just no room for a single creative moment.
Well, at least that’s what you tell yourself. That’s the excuse. The truth is, there is always time for your creative life. Opportunities are presented to you every moment of every day to be creative. It’s all about how you perceive any given moment, especially the chaotic ones. So, even if you haven’t posted your “art du jour” on Instagram, it doesn’t mean you didn’t have an artful moment all day. For example…
Telling a joke, especially one that gets a laugh (even if it’s just from you), can be a welcome and necessary creative event.
Allowing that woman with only one item ahead of you in line… that’s a creative event. It gives you a few extra minutes to practice patience, observe, or enjoy just being.
Noticing how the light reflects on the hair of a loved one. Bam! You just witnessed the miracle of a creative angel. Relish every nano-moment of it.
Whether you are making, observing, being present, or feeling inspired, each part has a place in the creative experience. We have become so focused on the end product that we tend to forget that those most favorite end products came from a long line of small, unappreciated, or seemingly insignificant experiences — every little part of which created the final result. Even those so-called final results are often not the final of anything, but instead just another beginning. So before you beat yourself up for missing a few days of #the100dayProject, just reflect on why you started in the first place. What were you feeling when you started? Were you excited? Were you curious about where this all might lead? Where you wondering if the project you chose would hold your interest?
Whatever initial feelings you had that got you started, now is the perfect time to get back in touch with them. If you can find new enthusiasm to keep going then simply pick up where you left off, you don’t need anyone’s permission to do that. Just do it! If things have changed, then, congrats! You are evolving. Change is growth. Go with that. Whatever you decide to do, please, don’t • stop • creating.
Try to understand that creating always involves so much more than what you think it does.
This is a good thing because it’s in the unexpected moments where curiosity, mystery, and magic begin to percolate. All you have to do is have the patience to notice what is unfolding right before you eyes.
I didn’t technically post a new creation every day, but in no way have I dropped out of the project. I’m still all in, baby! I am also seriously enjoying my project. Having always had a strained relationship with food, I am enjoying my theme of playing with my food. It has liberated me in ways I can’t even fully comprehend yet. I mean, who knew carving cheese was this much fun?
So my advice is, keep up the good work, all of you. I can’t stop hearing Ellen DeGeneres’s voice as Dory, “Just keep creating…”
Sending you all my love and support.
Your Creativity Coach,
Bonnie Kelso is a Creativity Coach who uses Creating as a healing modality. She is the author of Vitalize Your Creative Life, a workbook for engaging with your inner creative child. She also facilitates creativity workshops and classes locally in Las Vegas, NV. She is the creator of the ABCs of Conscious Creating, a guided self-study program that delves deeper into the spiritual realm of your unique creative potential. Are you ready to start right now? Do you have 5 Minutes?
Bonnie Kelso 