How to Return to Your Creative Practice After a Long Break
Some may think that to be a real artist, you need to make art every day, or at least be creative in some way every day. But I’m sorry to say that’s not realistic. You might even know that, and still feel like you’ve somehow done something wrong by not spending time on your projects. You might take a break from your creative work voluntarily, or it might be a forced absence. Maybe you felt pressured to be all in or all out, and you haven’t known how to work slowly, in pockets of time. You might have known a pause was coming, or maybe you looked up one day, surprised how long it had been since you worked on your project. Whatever your break looks like, it can be unsettling, especially if you’re not sure how to return to your creative practice. An extended break can leave us feeling numb or restless. You might feel sad or adrift. You might feel angry that you can’t work. Or you might feel a little relieved to be free of the pressure to create something. Your thoughts may be jumbled and scattered. All those feelings will likely come and go, shift and evolve. You might find yourself building stories around the feelings, telling yourself you used to be an artist, and now you’re not.
Every time I’ve taken an extended break from writing and painting, I’ve found myself in the same place, longing to make something. I’m taking notes even when I don’t know where they will lead, writing short poems or doodling more. I can’t help but be an artist. I realize again and again, this is who I am. The break helps me recommit to my creativity and confirm this work really matters to me. It reminds me that I want to make art, regardless of whether people like it or not. I want to make art, even if there’s no money in it. I want to make art, even if no one sees it. I want to make art because I have good ideas, and I want to share them. I want to make art, because it softens my hard edges and helps me absorb the hard parts of being a mother, daughter, and wife. I want to make art, because I’m an artist. (We all are, but that’s another story.)
If you’re feeling called to create something after a long pause, but you’re not sure how to get started, I’m sharing my process below. Of course, there’s more than one way to do something, but here’s what’s worked for me.