Finding the Salt in Your Creative Diet

"Artists, writers, and even potters, gardeners, and carpenters have their salty days, too. Those are the days when we wonder, "Where did the time go? Why didn't I get to that novel today?" That canvas, that garden plot, or that plank of maple waits to be made into something new. If creatives follow a fitness plan similar to a physical fitness plan, they can achieve more while also benefiting from the elevated mood that doing art affords its makers (Malchiodi, 2011). Fitness basics: Consume less. Move more. Be accountable."

"Artists of all levels fall prey to distractions. If you're consuming-just like munching on a bag of chips-you're probably not creating. Routines help to minimize these interruptions, but they are inevitable in today's modern world. However, tracking creative yield-like tracking caloric intake and counting steps-is a simple and easy way to optimize output. Think of this tracking like counting calories. Every increment-every word, every brush stroke, every note, every minute spent tilling soil-contributes to daily production."

Daily weight can fluctuate due to water retention and not solely calorie intake. Creative output benefits from routines, short focused sessions, and accountability similar to physical fitness regimens. Tracking creative yield—counting words, brush strokes, notes, or minutes—clarifies daily production and reduces distraction. Short bursts of work spread throughout the day can accumulate into substantial progress. Examples include twenty-minute sessions morning, midday, and evening totaling nearly ninety minutes. Avoiding passive consumption and minimizing interruptions increases the likelihood of creating. Small, measurable increments of effort compound into meaningful creative output and improved mood.

Read at Psychology Today