Artistry Unleashed: Empowering Guidance for Creatives

by Jenny Jakl

I’m Jenny, a local creative, coach, community leader, & instructor. I’ve been
a creative for some time now and have encountered several trials throughout
my creative career. Through it all I’ve found a couple of things to be steady
throughout. I can always find advice and comfort from my creative community. The reason for that is because they themselves have either experienced it firsthand or know of another creative who had a similar experience.

In an attempt to embrace community this is how this article has come into
existence. I’ve had this vision to develop a space to address common issues
related to creatives of all mediums. Depending on the size and depth of the
topic I’ll address it in one month or over several months.

I hope you hang with me, because we’re going to cover it all. Everything from
talking about the work you create, to finding your audience, and everything in
between. I myself am a visual artist, but I will do my best to speak in the most
general terms so creatives of all mediums can take this advice and apply it to
their creative practices.

With that said, let’s dive right in.

Something has shifted
This month’s article is a little more personal than those in the past. Things feel different and the world feels very heavy at the moment. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels a sense of exhaustion and a lack of creative energy.

I have to be honest I haven’t felt particularly inspired or called to write. It felt
strange to be an uplifting voice when the world feels so dark. So I listened to my inner creative, took some time and here we are. I felt it important to share my experience with you about my own creative slump. It’s normal and happens to the best of us. So in the article to follow I’m sharing what I learned and how to help if you also find yourself in a creative block.

Taking the Break
I believe it’s important to rest when your body is telling you to do so. Take the
time you need for nurturing, growing, learning. Get intentional about what it is that you’re looking for and what you need in this create stop in your journey. Get inspired and take notes along the way. See what lights you up and feels good to you. This might be the time for a personal project where you try a new medium, go on art dates, or take an art class in a new medium. To help you determine what you’re searching for, here’s some questions to get you started:

At the end of this break what are you hoping to achieve? What has
brought you to this point and how are you feeling? Is there something
within your own control that you can manage or change? Is there
something you’ve been curious about but never tried before? Take note
of where you are now and how you’re feeling. I want to you to think
about what you look and feel like after this break is complete. What’s
the difference and how did you get there?

Returning to the Work
Now it’s time for a little tough love and the total honest truth about returning to work. The longer you wait to dive back into the work, the harder it becomes. The work becomes more difficult to produce and it seems the quality just isn’t what it used to be. And to be totally frank, it’s not and it won’t be. I think it’s so important to understand that when returning to your creative practice after a break, the quality won’t be the same. And frankly it may just be very bad. But Creative that’s why I’m here to tell you it doesn’t matter. You showing back up for your work and returning to your creative practice is the main event. This is the main stop on your journey. You’re dedicating time for you and saying that you and your work matters enough to continue to nurture it. That’s the real goal here. You took a break, and you came back to your creative practice.

Remember why you started
Knowing why you’re passionate about the work that you create helps you to
easily identify why it’s so important to you. It could be good for your mental
health, advocacy for others, or just sharing experiences. Whatever it is for you, identify it and post it somewhere so you always have it. It’s your compass to help direct you when you’re feeling lost and unsure of where you’re headed.

Leaning into Community
As Creatives we tend to create our work on our own, but if I’ve learned anything it’s that the power of community is so important. Be sure to reach out to you community, lean on each other and confide in each. You never know, your Creative friends might be in a creative valley or just come out of one. Sometimes just talking it through makes all the difference.

Keep going creative. The world needs your work and it’s your job to find your
people. They’re out there waiting for you so go get them!

Jenny is an artist, creative coach, community leader, and instructor. She works with creatives of all skill levels to help them achieve their creative goals. Clients can work with Jenny through classes, coaching or by utilizing her online resources. To learn more go to jennyjakl.com