Curating Creativity

You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. -Maya Angelou

Searching for creative inspiration when you feel like doing nothing can be a long journey to discover what you're trying to find. The feeling can become almost wormhole-like. Reality is, if you keep striving to find inspiration, you won't. The inspiration must discover you. This blog will give you some tips on how to create a Mood Board for when you're feeling that lack of creative energy.

Having a lull in creative motivation can be distressing, especially when you know you've been over-flooded by creativity before. We can always learn from inspirational blocks. Here's the truth, we don't HAVE to do anything, we are ABLE to do things; the more you embrace that mindset, the easier it is for motivation to land upon you. If you sit down and think "I need to be creative right now" it's hard to start actually creating. If you sit down and admire an object or media that inspires you, you're more likely to find that spark.

Curating an inspiring environment around you can be beneficial for finding creativity. I like to keep crystals and oracle cards in my art space because I find both comfort and inspiration from these objects. Try adding some objects you really admire to your art space, it might help with creative blocks. In addition to objects, you can make a Creativity Mood Board to help inspire your creative process.

Making A Mood Board

Creating a mood board is a perfect way to jumpstart some creativity. If you want to be creative but don't know where to start, having a mood board that you can draw inspiration from is super helpful. You can draw it on paper, or create it digitally, whatever method works best for you. It's all about having fun!

Note: if you want to create a mood board like the one above, do steps 1 & 2 on a different page or in a different file if you're making a digital board.

Here's a step-by-step way to create your mood board:

Step 1- Layout: How do you want your mood board to look? The layout can be as detailed or as minimal as you like. Start sectioning off spots for different categories. You can go simple and draw a few square boxes or you can also use a specific design like I did here:

Step 2- Labels: Now it's time to label your sections. These labels can be anything to help inspire your creative process. The labels can be vague or specific, whatever helps you and your creative journey. Think of categories that get ideas circulating in your head. Here are a few label examples:

• colors

• patterns

• affirmations

• symbols

• objects

• activities

• inspirational material (ex. galaxy print, a song you like, your favorite candle scent, etc., use whatever inspires YOU!)

Step 3- Fill In & Decorate: The most fun step! Now it's time to fill in your mood board. Following the labels, start drawing or writing whatever comes to mind. You can fill in as much or as little as you want, make your mood board unique!

*If you want to create a less-organized Mood Board like the one at the top of the section, reference your labels/ideas from the other page and start drawing them out on your board. Arrange these however you like.

Here are a few creativity prompts to help get you started:

• If you were shopping in a store, what is an item that would interest you immediately?

• If you were on a nature walk, what types of plants would make you stop to take a picture?

• When you close your eyes, what's the first thing you see?

• What is your favorite art style?

• What inspires your inner child?

• If you could create without limitation, what would you make?

• If you know your Astrological Signs/ birth chart, look up symbolism for those. See if you resonate with what you find and add it to your mood board.

• What type of color & pattern combinations make you feel warm and happy?

You can write down these answers, or draw them out. Do what will make you feel inspired when you look at your board. Once your mood board is done, place it in your creative space. Now when you're feeling that lull in creativity, you can reference back to what makes you feel creative!

Creativity Zone

Similar to a Mood Board, The Creativity Zone is an art and journaling print-out I created based on my own journal layout. I found that drawing out or writing down ideas all in one space made it easier to spark some creativity. You can download your own here. Send me yours once you fill it out if you want! I love to see what sparks creativity in others!

Final Thoughts

One of the most important traits you can acquire is patience. If you have patience for inspiration and creativity, they will come when you're least expecting it. It helps to keep a journal of your ideas that you can go and reflect back on when you're feeling inspired. Just start simple and add more details as you go. Creativity is an ongoing process, trust it.

I hope this blog has sparked some new found creative inspiration for you and if not, be patient, it will come when you least expect it. Pause and breathe, you got this!

Follow my Instagram account for more creative inspiration: @magicmusemanifesto