Cleanse your creative palette
A gentle approach to creative rest and rejuvenation
I’ve been doing creative work—from writing music to writing brand strategies—for nearly twenty years. It’s enough time that I’ve observed dozens of creative fluctuations in myself. I’ve experienced years where writing a song I like seemed an impossible task. I’ve also experienced true creative burnout—the kind where you can’t take in information properly anymore because you’ve been working too intensely for too long.
In between these extreme moments, I’ve noticed gentler undulations, more akin to feeling a little too full or a little too empty—early signals something needs to shift, perhaps. When this happens, I’ve learned to allow myself space from songwriting (or whatever creative endeavor) and seek fresh input. It’s a form of creative self-care, and its essential if you want to be in it for the long haul, whatever that means to you.
This week, I’m sharing one approach to creative self-care in the form of a creative palette cleanse.
Big love and keep going!Â
LucyÂ
How to undertake a creative palette cleanse
MEMO - Disconnect and unspool
To begin your creative palette cleanse, take a deliberate break from making and creating. This could be as brief as a few hours or as long as a full day or week. Allow for fallow time: time spent staring at a wall, or a pond, or some trees. Let yourself unhook from the productivity train. You might find insights and ideas bubble up as you do this. You may notice or note them, but there are no rules here.
MEMO - Soak yourself in the unfamiliar
Next, immerse yourself in an experience and/or environment that is extremely novel. Listen to a record you’ve never listened to before, in an unfamiliar genre. Visit a part of town you’ve never visited before, and eat something you’ve never eaten. Read fiction if you normally read non-fiction. Buy a magazine about a topic you’ve never thought compelling and see what happens if you read it all. Whatever you do, it should be unusual or new for you.
MEMO - Allow newness to push you toward action
This might happen with minimal soaking, or it might take a slow, hot second. The aim here is to keep exploring new things until desire to make takes root. You might notice this as fresh ideas for an old project, or a sprout of something else entirely new you want to work on. Whatever emerges, let it arrive and carry you with it back to your creative work.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments: How do you care for your creative self?