7 Ways To Nourish Your Creative Soul

I’ve got a thing for French fries. It happens once in a blue moon, but there’s something transcendent about sinking your teeth into perfectly flavored and fried potato perfection. The thing is, they don’t have a thing for me. After the initial euphoria wears off, my stomach cramps in protest. While the taste was delicious, the fall-out is not. If I compare this to a recent meal with friends I can’t help but notice the difference. We enjoyed a slow cooked, healthy meal full of crispy veggies, hearty protein, seasoned and cooked delightfully…..it was dinner bliss. I not only enjoyed the meal and the fellowship….I walked away feeling nourished. (Far cry from the aftermath of the french fry.) Here’s the thing about eating- we have to do it everyday, multiple times per day, but if French fries are our staple, they aren’t going to give us the nourishment we need. It’s the intention, preparation and delivery of a good meal that doesn’t just leave us fed- it leaves us satisfied.

As I’ve been working in the studio the past couple of weeks, I can’t help but see the parallel with our creative selves. It is thoughtful, deliberate and intentional “meal planning” that keeps our input nourished, so that the output we offer is quality. So, here’s a few healthy ideas I hope can serve you well in your faith and in your creative process:

1.Put on a worship album and explore an unperfected medium. I’ve been pouring candles for 5+ years. I know when the wax is ready to pour without checking the temperature, I’m great with wax/scent ratio and I can string up a wick like it is nobody’s business. But painting? Not so much. I like putting on instrumental music, or a worship album that I am not familiar with and I paint. It’s not pretty, its not clean, and it doesn’t even look that great when I am done, but I choose to take the process to push myself and get out of my normal wheel house. By doing something out of our comfort zone, it stretches us creatively while connecting with God. After the change-up its easier to come back to what you need to do with fresh eyes and perspective.  

2. Stop, pray, and come back to it. When I am in the middle of writing, editing or creating it can be easy to feel like I’m stuck in “go” mode. So when there’s a problem that comes up, it makes it difficult to see past the “go”. When we can force ourselves to stop….to slow down, to rest and realign something shifts. We come back to the problem with fresh eyes and perspective. When we pause and pray it renews the invitation to welcome God into our situation and reminds us again of our place. Stepping back to allow him to breathe fresh life into us helps us create with God, not for him. 

3. Get your community involved. Whenever you are struggling to get fresh perspective on anything get your people involved. I’ve seen this work with paint choice colors through polls on Instagram, Facebook votes where writers let their readers choose their book cover, or asking your besties/small group of friends for their insight when you’re stuck. When you get people who care about you, and your craft sharing wisdom, feedback or encouragement outside of your normal wheelhouse it can give you the extra bolster you need when you are struggle to keep going. 

4. Ask yourself if you need to detox. When something you’ve been holding onto, has also got its hold on you, it might be time for a fast or detox. This isn’t just about saying no to social media or things that hinder your walk with God. It’s about filling up, or replacing your “no” with a deeper “yes” to Jesus. Instead of just cutting something that his holding you back out, look for a way to use that time or head space to cultivate a deeper yes to Jesus.

5. Process to get past it. I haven’t always loved journaling, but I’ve learned it’s imperative for situations that need unpacking. My advice is to figure out a way to process that works for you. Whether you type it out, send a friend a voice memo, (or record one for yourself, and listen to it) it helps to talk through a hangup. Let yourself unload, and then give the burden to Jesus. Once you you clear the mental weeds from a situation, it helps liberate more mental space to work with.

6. Get into nature and listen. I have fallen in love with going for walks in the past year. Through fall, winter, and now spring I find that I haven’t wanted to stop walking because God shows up and shows off in the world around us. The plot twist for me has been listening- sometimes I take my phone and listen to a book or podcast (hello multitasker!) and sometimes I just let nature speak. Birds sing, water trickles, and leaves brush and rustle. I miss all of that when I have headphones in, so sometimes I just choose to go without them. The audio sensory change-up can be refreshing and revitalizing.

7. Let gratitude lead you back to God’s heart. It can be incredibly easy in the creative process to get hung up on where we want to be, where we think we should be, or where we wish we could be…..it often distracts us from where God is working right here and now in our lives. I was challenged by a friend to start and end the day with here-and-now gratitude. What is something that happened today that you are grateful for? How did you see God working? Did you experience an answer to prayer today? What is something God did to show you his love, care and provision for you? Then, let that lead you back to his heart. “God, thank you that the flowers in bloom today, for showing me again how extravagantly you love me……” and go from there. 

I hope these points resonated with you, and I hope they refresh your creative soul. You deserve to flourish and that comes by being nourished!

Much love,

Joy