“I’ve found that there is always some beauty left — in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself; these can all help you.” — Anne Frank

 

 

I realised tonight during my walk, that I had developed an almost visceral need to use my creativity this past year. I started this blog last year in March. In the past year I also made a few short videos, took hundreds of photos, and wrote, wrote, wrote. 

Yes, I’ve always considered myself to be somewhat creative, but this was different. The desire I had to create all the time felt driven by something else – and it was. 

I used my writing as a coping mechanism, and the photos and videos I took felt necessary to my survival. Yes, it really was that extreme. 

Here I break down what drives creativity and how to use it to your advantage in hard times. 

 

Inspiration can be found anywhere – you just have to be open to finding it

In the midst of Covid, I would go for walks at night, with my ears plugged into my favourite upbeat soundtrack. And more often than not, I’d find myself noticing my surroundings – really noticing. The trees, flowers, leaves – they all became fascinating. And I wanted to capture it. All of it.

Covid felt like a documentary I wanted to shoot. Like if I didn’t pull out my phone to snap those shots I would forget the feeling of those walks, and the feeling of living through such stressful, but unique times. 

Sometimes, I’d spend my entire walk stopping at whatever struck my fancy and just capturing it. 

Somehow, as things have become easier, I’ve stopped feeling the need to get it all down, to freeze the moments in time. 

It didn’t matter if it was a fallen leaf, or a huge sunflower in someone’s garden – it was like I had an antenna for creativity, and I needed to use it. 

 

 

Hard times can force you to be the most creative – the tortured artist really is a thing 

This may sound dramatic, but some of the best art, music, and ideas are born out of pain and frustration. All you have to do to prove this theory is turn on the radio and count how many pop songs are about heartbreak, longing or unrequited love. 

Of course, nobody wants to be struggling just so they can produce the next best hit or a hauntingly beautiful piece of art.

But nevertheless, the creative magic happens when people are pushed to their limits. 

Why? Because feeling emotion – any emotion – strongly is one of the purest, rawest forms of inspirations we can get our hands on. And most of us have experienced enough to access it. So we create. It’s often not a choice, but a need. 

 

Creativity breeds creativity – but you have to strike that first match 

Creativity is one of those things that won’t really surface unless you go out and do something, anything really. You have to break the cycle somewhere, and push through your feelings of blah to get to it.

Once you start doing creative things – and it doesn’t matter what you choose to do, it brings on more creativity and becomes a positive loop you’ve made for yourself. 

But you have to start somewhere. Anywhere. It won’t fall into your lap. Nothing ever does. But once you get onto it, and you will, I promise, you’ll definitely reap the benefits. 

Trust me. 

 

(All images used in this post were shot tonight during my walk. They were too pretty to just walk past!)