Nourishing creativity in everyday life by Douglas Beasley

Go back

Old Picture of a road full of snow and trees

Read a book about creativity, technique or the creative process
Look at photo and art books, as long as they are inspiring or make you think or feel
Meditate or simply daydream
Seek solitude and experience silence
Engage in direct contact with nature
Go for a walk in a new place or walk a familiar route in a new way
Take a drive to somewhere new, slow down, take the scenic route

Journal about your artistic process and struggles.
Don’t forget to write about your success too!
Set specific intentions about your creative life
Actively listen to passionate music without multitasking
Play a musical instrument or sing, join a band or choir
Prepare and cook healthy, nutritious sensual meals to share or just for yourself
Pay attention to your heart’s longings
Acknowledge emptiness; don’t mindlessly fill it
Look at the work of other artists and photographers, without comparing yourself to them
Go to galleries and museums and experience art in person
Attend a live music event or see a play
Nourish your spiritual needs
Enjoy simple or repetitive tasks: sweeping the floor, washing the car, mowing the lawn…
Practice being non-judgmental towards both others and yourself
Be less self-deprecating (unless you are the POTUS)
Start a dialog with friends about art, creativity or the need for self-expression
Practice saying no to something that takes away from your creative time
Say yes to something new, scary or different
Leave space in your daily and weekly schedule or routine for serendipity
Put yourself first occasionally; value yourself and your time as much as you do others
Support the creativity of others and help others develop their artistic process
Don’t over schedule yourself, make time for play
Do not neglect your own needs
Cultivate friends who value or actively and regularly participate in making art
Revisit and/or re-edit past photos or photo projects
Take a class or a workshop, maybe in another discipline like drawing or pottery
Join or start a photo, art or creativity support group
Look at and comment on photos on the Vision Quest Facebook page
Post photos in the Vision Quest Facebook page, ask for specific feedback if desired
Sign up for a Vision Quest Photo Workshop to have something to look forward to!
Go make new photos!

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Douglas Beasley will be returning to teach at Wild Rice Retreat this spring. His Emotional Landscape Retreat, June 20-24, 2021 will focus on how to make a deeper, more authentic connection to your chosen subject, and then expressing that through your photography.

You can read more and register here: https://www.wildriceretreat.com/retreatsearch/douglas-beasley-emotional-landscape-2021 or follow along with Douglas on Instagram at @dbeasleyphoto.