Time for Daily Creativity

Intro by Skip Cohen

There’s so much great content in the archives of the photographers who share their thoughts here on the Marathon Blog. Usually, the material I find is older, but this post by my good pal Suzette Allen from this past January hit home.

We all get so caught up in the day in day out challenges of business and life that we lose touch with our creative genes. We get so wrapped up in the priorities of running a business we miss the opportunity to re-energize and grow.

I love her point about the importance of taking the time for creativity every day. It’s no different than taking a daily vitamin, except this one is about your creative spirit. But, I want to go one step further.

Not only should you take the time to challenge your own skill set, but you need to make time to nourish your soul. I know that’s a pretty lofty statement, but take the time to read something outside of your business. Find a blog or two you love and look for articles to read that inspire and motivate.

Being in business today as an artist is no easy task. The only way you can grow is with “nourishment,” and that’s where Suzette’s thoughts hit home for me and why today, this post helped me think about my own projects.

By Suzette Allen

I recently wrote an article for Texas Magazine about a new class I’m teaching this spring at Texas School, and one of the big discoveries I’ve made in my journey is the topic of creativity intervals.

We so often want to knock out a project or a new idea or direction in a weekend… or paint up a storm for a week and then not go there for months in between. But the everyday interval is a powerful tool.

The things we do every day make the most difference in our lives and impact who we are and what we think. It is actually better for you to do a short [unfinished] project on a daily basis and take months to complete it than for you to let everything slide for a week and be obsessed until it is done!

Now, I realize there is a time for crazy projects and deadlines and there’s nothing like a deadline to put a fire under your hiney…. BUT as a general rule, we need to be making time for creativity every day. Even if it is a small expression or effort some days and it feels like it takes forever.

One of the big benefits is starting too. Many of us choose to NOT start projects because we don’t have enough time to finish. So think about the things you really want to do but never feel like you have the time…. and make time today to just begin!