1195: Arguing with your art supplies
Today’s pep talk is inspired by the argument I’m having my art supplies, and what I’m doing about it.
Episode transcript:
Good morning, Daily Peppers, and a very happy Monday to you. Last week was a reprise week as I haven't been well and I am just so glad to be back and I'm very happy to say that I am feeling much better and much brighter. So today I thought I'd share one of my own stories about getting myself unstuck. So me and my art supplies have been taking it in turns to glare at each other from opposite sides of different rooms. For a long time now, on our travels, we've been lugging around my art toolbox and it's barely been touched, although it has been up many flights of stairs and in and out of the car more times than I can count. And I've been having this real tug of war between wanting to do creative things and doing everything I can to avoid them. And because I think so much, write so much, and coach so much about creativity, this funny relationship with my art stuff has become a real shame spiral. Well, last week, for the first time in over a year, I got my paints and collage stuff out and I'm not sure what made it happen.
Maybe it's because I've been reading a whole bunch of books about getting inspired. Maybe it's because I finally got sick of being scared of it and sick of my own shit. Maybe it's because I bought this sketchbook when we were in France and I wanted to fill it while we're in Leeds. Or maybe it was just a build up of many different things and the time just came. Now part of me wonders if the why is even important to know, but the curious part of me wins and I can't help but dive in. And this is what I've come to. And I think maybe we all need to hear it today. Sometimes change builds up incrementally behind the scenes rather than from some explosion of courage or a big huge ass effort.
And it can be so hard to see things are changing internally and that we are making progress when we're not yet doing what we want to do. Instead we decide we're failing when we're actually well into the journey. We've almost been taught to expect the cinematic moments of clarity with the soundtrack building up in the background, and to expect this kind of singular inciting instant. But I don't think it often works that way. I think part of the magic in making changes or starting something comes in holding what we want both simultaneously, sacredly and also kind of not giving a shit. Like a balance between it being the most important thing in the world and also a fuck it attitude. And that's what I think has happened with my creativity. I've been trying to figure out how I can make these big deal things into non big deal things in my brain, and I'm starting to think that maybe it's not about trying so damn hard, but rather making things as easy as possible and lowering the stakes.
Because we've all got things we want to do, things we don't want to do but maybe need to do, and a bunch of shit in between. And here's where I get excited. Maybe we've actually started. Maybe we've already taken the incremental steps and we've done it stealthily in a way that our dream shooter hasn't even noticed. And actually, maybe we're a whole lot further ahead than we actually thought we were. So. So that is my food for thought for you as you start this week. Today's episode was taken from one of my letters of rebellion, which I send to my email community every week where I share the real behind the scenes stuff and the experiments I'm trying.
And if you'd like to be part of that community, head over to thereebelrousers.com/letters and it would be a joy to have you there. Have a fabulous Monday. I hope you find some unexpected joy and I'll see you tomorrow.
Episode transcript produced automatically by Castmagic.io
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A short, snappy and sassy daily podcast to keep your internal - and external - dreamshitters at bay!
The Daily Pep! is the rebel-rousing, daily podcast for couragemakers, creative, multi-passionate and unconventional women. If you’re surrounded by people who don’t get who you are or what you do, if you want reminders you’re on the right path (no matter how scary it feels), or you’re sick of being your very own worst enemy, this is the podcast for you.
Every weekday, your host - writer, coach and professional rebel-rouser - Meg Kissack helps you build a creative and wholehearted life, one day at a time. Through short and snappy insights, reminders and stories, The Daily Pep! is here to remind you you’re not alone, and that everything changes when you believe you matter. Each episode is short and snappy, designed to fit in with (or help you start) your habits and routines.
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