5 ways you can commit to your creativity

So many of us have overextended, incredibly busy lives. Finding balance with work, home, and our creativity is an ongoing challenge.

Let’s face it. No matter how crazy busy your life is…it is always going to stay crazy busy. The key to creative success is how to plan,  create time, and hold yourself accountable to this commitment.

This ain’t an easy thing.

Whether you are ultra organized or love to be utterly spontaneous, you have to figure out how to commit time for your creative work and honor it.

5 steps to commit and honor your creativity

1. Become aware of your time choices.

As many over-scheduled people know, time management and organization is the cornerstone to feeling balanced, living joyfully, and creative freedom. Do you want that? Then…you need to honestly analyze how you spend your time and become aware of what choices you are making.

Do you spend your time the way you want to? What is getting in the way? How can you make different choices. Before you say “I can’t” make time, remember why your creativity is important to you. Then push yourself a little. You know yourself better than anyone.

Ask yourself how can you make a commitment and honor it? What do you need to make sure you can keep your commitment? How can you look at your creative time as an investment in yourself?

2. Choose a time you CAN commit to.

When are you most in a creative mind frame? Are you more likely to feel successful early or late in the morning? Do you work during the day and only have free time in the mornings or after work?

Forget everything that anyone has told you about “morning pages” or “do it first thing” if that doesn’t work for you. I’m not at all a morning person and try as I may to get up and journal, I just am not motivated (or committed to do it). Then I feel guilty that I left myself down. In the past, I would wallow and then beat myself up about not writing. Now, I choose not to subscribe to that mentality.

I find time in my day by that works for ME. And sometimes this changes on a daily basis with my schedule. It may not be ideal, but FOR NOW it is working. Don’t let time be the reason you can’t create.  Choose the time you CAN create.

3. Build in support.

Create an accountability buddy or team who you can check in with.This can be a 15 minute call at the end of each week, an email to just touch base, or a regular meeting time. Mutual support works the best so try and find someone else who needs accountability too.

You can also work with a creativity coach who will help you design an accountability program that will support you in taking action.

Determine your best form of  support and then create it to ensure your success.

4. Make a commitment you won’t ignore.

Sometimes it takes a financial investment to make a commitment rock solid.  It wasn’t until I signed up for my first art class and paid the fee did I realize I really was going to show up. I had been talking about it for years but until I paid for it… I had an out.

Hire a mentor to work with you. Pay for a class that you know you won’t blow off.  Enter in a competition or event with a deadline that will keep you focused. Brag to friends that you will have your work in a coffee house by the end of the year. (And ask them to keep reminding you of this!). If you write it in your planner, will you do it no matter what?

Commit to do one thing that you WILL NOT allow yourself to ignore. For each person this can be something different so determine what will work for you. Then make do this one thing as soon as possible.

5. Feel the fear, take a leap, believe in your creativity.

There is something getting in your way  and at some point you are going to have to face it.  Commitment doesn’t have to be a big “C”….but for many of us, it is.

Your version of the truth is real for you:  that you may not have enough money, or talent, or you truly “know” that your dancing or cooking stinks. Whatever that barrier is  that keeps you from following through on your goals or dreams IS real, big, and often scary.

Let’s face it. Those internal blocks are powerful enough to keep you from showing up.

Whether you let them continue hold you back is ultimately up to you.

Commit to yourself  first and then make choices to support your creativity, your dreams, and your ultimate success.

• Choose to feel the fear and do it anyway.
• Choose to leap and know the net will appear.
• Choose to believe your creativity is essential to who you are and if you don’t express it, you will never feel authentic or whole.
• Choose to do ONE THING each and every day that honors your creative spirit.
• Choose to forgive yourself if you make mistakes, aren’t perfect, or break a commitment.
• Choose to talk to yourself positively about your creativity.
• Choose to surround yourself with positive, supportive people.
• Choose to ignore the naysayers and that critical voice in your head.
• Choose to act in ways that will strengthen your resolve and keep you on the right path.

We all have methods and strategies that help us honor commitments and find success in our lives. Draw upon what works for you and do it.

Now pay it forward. Share what works for you and motivate someone else to honor their creative commitments.

How do you commit to something and hold yourself accountable?

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