| Picture the scene. You've just returned from a | | | | energy in your daily life: |
| weekend break away, a creative retreat. Maybe | | | | 1. Write every day. One thing in common to |
| it was a group writing retreat out in the mountain | | | | virtually all great creators is that they have a daily |
| wilderness. Maybe it was a weekend singing | | | | discipline of writing. Even if you're not a writer, by |
| workshop at a renowned theatre with some of | | | | spending 15 minutes every day jotting down |
| the leading voice tutors in your country. Or it | | | | thoughts, ideas and plans, you keep those |
| could have been a series of positive thinking | | | | creative channels open and the ideas are able to |
| seminars by some of the pioneers in the field. | | | | keep flowing forth, ready to be seized upon and |
| You've enjoyed the weekend immensely and | | | | evolved. |
| come back feel more energised and in love with | | | | 2. Count your blessings. By taking the time |
| life and your creativity than you have done in | | | | regularly, daily if possible, to take stock of all you |
| years. | | | | have in your life to be thankful for, you adjust |
| You didn't want to leave, you were wishing it | | | | your outlook from one of feeling hard done by or |
| didn't have to end, and you could've spent days, | | | | put upon, to one of gratitude. Keep a "Daily |
| weeks, months in the company of other like | | | | Gratitude" journal and at the end of each day |
| minded people and keep your energy and | | | | write 3 things that happened or you noticed that |
| creativity levels permanently fizzing to the brim. | | | | day you can be thankful for. Soon you'll begin to |
| After a few days (or even hours!) back in your | | | | look for and notice all the positives in your life far |
| normal world though, the events and impositions | | | | more easily. |
| of daily life start to take grip on your creative | | | | 3. Keep in touch with your vision. Regularly write, |
| work again. That weekend already seems like | | | | sketch, collage or otherwise construct a vision for |
| weeks ago, and the red hot spurt of motivation | | | | your life, how you want it to be in all areas, in as |
| you experienced has become more of a | | | | much vibrant detail as possible. By doing this once |
| lukewarm trickle. | | | | a month, after just a few months, by looking |
| So what happened? Why didn't the creativity and | | | | back at previous visions, you'll be amazed at how |
| the energy last? | | | | much comes in to being simply because you took |
| Well, one of the reasons these kind of retreats | | | | the vital step of taking that vision from a |
| are so powerful is that they literally do allow us to | | | | collection of thoughts swimming around in your |
| retreat from our daily lives. They allow us to, | | | | head to a tangible, achievable whole. |
| temporarily at least, put aside our concerns, | | | | Each of these 3 practices will go a long way to |
| commitments, jobs, relationships and troubles and | | | | helping you keep your creative energy topped up |
| spend time just on ourselves and feeding and | | | | and bubbling away. By doing all three together, |
| recharging our creative well being. | | | | you'll have an even more powerful framework in |
| It's inevitable that when we come back, simply | | | | place to help you achieve all you want in your |
| because of the difference in surroundings, | | | | creative life. |
| commitments and people, every day can not be | | | | Remember though that a steady consistent |
| the same as in that valuable weekend. | | | | commitment is the key. Doing any of these |
| But there is hope. Creativity, after all, is for life, | | | | exercises just once won't get you very far. But |
| not just for workshops. | | | | do them regularly and you'll soon start to feel |
| So here are 3 top tips for maintaining creative | | | | your creativity flowing more easily. |