Well being – what does it all mean? Lots of people talk about it as a buzzy topic saved for the wellness world, but it’s only recently that I’ve personally embarked on a journey of understanding what it truly means to me. I’ve felt a pull to uncover my own well being out of a desire to reconnect with my creative self. Out of a desire to soothe my creative well being.
It’s a really interesting time in my life as I’ve now been creating professionally for almost 10 years. In a few different capacities, however, one thing that has always remained consistent is a drive to create more. To me, creativity is the ultimate form of self expression, so it’s at times effortless to feel inspired or want to create. My husband is the same. But because of this endless inspiration and the desire to create create create, we’re constantly “on”.
It’s difficult not to feel on when there are so many things around me that spark creativity. From my written words of story telling to my visual ones, they all come from inspiration deep within or that I’ve witnessed externally. Even this article was something I felt I “had to share” because if I was feeling this way, someone else must, too.
But where does that leave my creative well being or how I’m feeling when I create non stop? It’s close to a feeling of being burnt out. It’s a desire to disconnect opposed to connect. To revert to a place to recharge my soul in hopes of emerging stronger and full of creative synergy. It’s me realizing that I need to feed my creative well being by giving it a break. By noticing and appreciating inspiration, but not feeling a need to create based on that instantly.
And it’s a message I want to bring more awareness to, especially in the creative field. Because as always, sharing insight and my story can only help to make others feel like their burnout is normal, and that you do in fact need to place your well being – whether creative or not – above the desire to turn out more content.
The first and most important thing that you can do for yourself is to realize that you need to take a break. We often times don’t acknowledge this because for many reasons, but the biggest reason this day is Social Media. With such immediacy in our lives, we feel this constant sense of urgency that is cyclical. It begins the minute you wake up and the minute you go to bed. A small tingle to post, to shoot, or to share what you’re doing in your life. Even on vacation or during a time meant to “disconnect,” there’s a natural urge to document and share. And while sharing is a beautiful thing, and what I love most on top of creating, it’s not always best for our state of creative well being.
I’ve been working hard to let my creative well being be taken care of, and let me tell you, it’s freeing. I hope you can do the same when your body, soul, and mind are calling for it. Because our creative well being is what keeps us creating out of inspiration, not force.
Tell me, what does creative well being mean to you? Have you ever thought of your creative well being? How do you treat it?
Photography by Freddie Cipoletti.
