"I Got Nothin"

My dear friend, Karen, has an active counseling practice.  As a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker she does individual, marital, and group therapy.  She also puts out a great weekly tip column which arrives in my email box.  When I read this particular post my first thought was that any artist could benefit from these strategies.  With permission, Karen is allowing me to "re-post".  Please drop by and sign up for her email tips.
Her practice is located Overland Park, which is in the greater Kansas City-area.

And, on a completely unrelated note, Karen and I will be taking a road trip together this summer.  Twenty five years ago, when we were both young mothers and sorely in need of a little escape, we took our first road trip up Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  We are looking forward to repeating this trip as a celebration of our friendship.  Stay tuned for future blog posts about it!

I Got Nothin' We all have to be creative in our lives. You may equate creativity to expression in the arts, music, or writing. But, in your personal or professional life, you often use your creativity to problem-solve, strategize, and negotiate, too. So what do you do when you are stumped, when the creative juices aren't flowing, when you need "it" but you just got nothin'? Rather than beat up on your self esteem or question whether you have a creative bone in your body, try the following to get yourself into the flow: Set the Mood - Before getting into the creative mode, set the creative mood. Get the lighting in the room just right. Put on music that brings you pleasure. Light a candle. Turn on a fountain. Perfume the air with a fragrance that you enjoy. Visualize Success - Just as athletes visualize winning, spend a few minutes prior to beginning a creative session with images of past creative successes. Feel how your body felt when you were in your groove, experience the excitement and the quickening of your pulse as you realized  that what you were doing was good, and re-live the pleasure and pride you took in whatever you accomplished. Talk it Out - Meet with one person or gather a few kindred spirits and start talking about what you are trying to create. Brainstorming with others gets the adrenalin pumping and the creative juices flowing. A collaborative approach often jump starts everyone's inspiration. Take a Break - When you feel stuck, stop what you're intent on doing for about 15 minutes, and do something completely different. This isn't procrastination. Consider it to be clearing the air. If you've been sedentary,  get up and move around. If you have been isolated, make contact or conversation with someone. If you are trying to figure out a technical problem, turn your attention to something "softer." Self care is about honoring and encouraging your creativity whatever it may be.