You might ask how self-love is vital for creativity. It’s simple; creativity is all about being in one’s uniqueness, recognizing the flaws and beauty in yourself. A lack of self-love seeps into every aspect of your life, including jamming up those creative juices and placing your passions just a little further away.
You spend the most time with yourself, hearing every thought and feeling every consequence. So it’s all the more important to learn to like yourself and fall in love with who you are.
Of course, loving yourself is easier said than done, but it’s essential to hold yourself accountable and do what is best for you. If you’re unsure about how to start showing yourself some love, here are some ways that you can practice self-love to cultivate your creativity today:
Create a self-love ritual
We all have days when we feel stuck in a rut and go through the motions. And it’s these crucial times where you have to pick yourself back up after a reasonable amount of wallowing.
A self-love ritual can look very different for each person. Figure out what helps set your mind straight. Unplug from social media and focus on your breath for 5 minutes. Start journaling. Build up your muscles in a gym. Indulge in cooking. Meditate. Start with a face massage and continue with a 10-step skincare routine. Or Dance.
Take a moment of gratitude for the body and life that you have, and perform your self-love ritual today and every day.
Staying active
If you exercise regularly, there’s a good chance you tend to be more creative. After a great workout, the changes in our brain tend to sharpen our minds and help with innovative thinking. The best ideas come flowing when your mind is relaxed and isn’t breaking itself thinking hard about something.
Sometimes all it takes to revitalize your creative mind is a hit of endorphins. So take a break from your work desk and go sweat it out. Go for a run, yoga, a game of golf, whatever you fancy, and turn it into a weekly routine. That boost of energy and a clear mind will help you stay in the game for a longer time.
Eating healthy
Eating healthy is an underrated life hack. The vitamins and nutrients from a good diet can change our cognitive processes and eventually improve our mental alertness and brainpower. This study even shows that eating more fruits and vegetables helps with better well-being and an increased sense of curiosity and creativity.
So honor your body with food and fuel up. But eating healthy isn’t truly healthy without the occasional cookie and pizza brunches with your friends.
Switching mediums and trying other projects
Oftentimes when we get stuck in a creative block, the least helpful thing to do is to sit on our desk and stare at a blank canvas, thinking somehow an amazing idea is going to come flying by. When that time comes, it might be helpful to switch mediums to take the edge off. If you’re a watercolor artist, walk around your neighborhood with a camera instead.
Creative blocks sometimes come from being in tunnel vision. Seek out sources of inspiration whenever you are low on creativity. Try taking a breather and switching mediums to clear the mind and come back stronger as tempting as it may be to sit down and push through.
Sleeping
One of the best remedies to everything – is a night of good sleep. Our bodies, including our brains, function the best with adequate amounts of sleep. It’s vital for your physical and mental wellbeing. Without good sleep, our anxiety levels are heightened, and that’s not good for any creative being.
Resist the urge to jam-pack your schedule or participate in hustle culture without factoring in good-quality sleep. Your body will thank you in the future.
Take care of yourself
We don’t know who needs to hear this, but you have to prioritize yourself and show yourself some love. It is more than just buying material possessions for ourselves. It involves physical, physiological, spiritual growth and treating yourself with kindness and respect. You owe yourself that.
Remind yourself of why this should be YOUR year of self-love with these new year’s resolutions in photos. Want to get back into the productive swing of self-care? Create a vision board with stock photos!