As I’m sure most people can relate to in a post-pandemic world, I’ve been in a pretty big creative slump lately. I was tired, stressed, struggling with mental health, and my brain simply would not produce whatever juices it needed to in order to get me up and moving and start doing things for myself again.
I’ve been productive when it came to work and that sort of thing, but I had let creative hobbies fall to the side for a while because I simply couldn’t muster up the motivation.
I’m not sure if it’s that my meds are finally working, or that I have a day job that genuinely brings me joy now, (probably a combination of the two), but I am excited to say that I think I’ve busted out of that slump and am back to being excited about engaging in hobbies and creative projects just for
me.
I’d say the official slump-buster was a gift I decided to make for a friend’s birthday recently. I realize that sounds like it’s for someone else but I promise, making stuff for people is just as much a gift for myself because it gives me something fun to do.
Not only was it a big ol’ project to take on, but I taught myself new skills and learned how to design the pattern myself, and could feel myself excited about working on an art project again and getting my hands busy.
From there, I finally completed some projects I had put on the back burner for months (which, of course, only fed the stress cycle by having something unfinished hanging over my head), and I’m already planning about 10 other ideas.
I can’t say if it’ll last, but I can say that I plan to enjoy the ride and the fullness I feel from getting back to something that has brought me peace and joy throughout so much of my life.