The Importance of the Seed in Your Creative Journey
I’m starting a new series dedicated to fueling your creative life! Will cover everything from sustaining momentum on long-term creative projects; tips on enhancing the flow; to what it even means to be a “creative” in the first place from nature’s point of view. And so much more.
As a writer, journalist, author-in-the-making, ardent nature lover, and a consciousness explorer, I’m looking forward to sharing what took me many years and a ton of “mistakes” and circuitous routes to learn.
Starting the series with the importance of spending time with the creative “seed” of your project, very intentionally deciding its energy, before planting it. Even if you can’t predict how your project, whether small or big, online or offline, will change (because it most certainly will), what kind of feeling, or purpose or energy do you want to bring to it overall, before you even begin? Spend time with that. That’s your seed, your lodestone, and it’s super important.
Hope you’ll join me as I share more ideas, insights & tips for your creative journey. Whatever kind of artist-creative you might be, some core principles around the act of creating & sustaining creativity, have unifying threads. And honestly, even creating or designing your personal life and relationships needs a touch of art & genuine expression. You literally create your life too after all.
Have you ever considered the significance of a seed when embarking on any creative journey? It's not just about planting it; it's about spending time with it, nurturing it, thinking about its energy, its purpose, and the intention you want to bring to your project. Even though your project will evolve, adapt, and sometimes go in completely unexpected directions, spending time with the seed can be a game-changer.
The Seed as the Foundation
Whether it's a long-term or short-term project, online or offline, the seed you start with lays the foundation. It provides clarity and direction, even as the project grows and changes. Let me share some personal examples to illustrate this.
My First Novel: A Journey of Magic and Reality
I recently wrapped up two significant stages of projects that are very dear to my heart. The first is my debut novel, which I’m just beginning to send out to literary agents. Coming from a journalism background, writing a novel was uncharted territory for me. However, I was clear from the beginning that my novel would be rooted in reality but blend magical, fantastical elements. This vision was my seed. After that, the writing process was long and often felt like a marathon, but my initial clarity about the seed helped guide the journey.
Gardening: A Lesson in Patience and Purpose
The second project is my garden. When I started, I knew nothing about gardening. I’d lived in apartments mostly and never had a chunky piece of land to take care of on my own. Yet, I was certain that I wanted to plant flowers, shrubs and herbs that would be friendly to the environment, be local to this region and thereby supportive of native bees and pollinators. This intention was my seed. Although I had to learn and adapt along the way, this foundational idea informed every decision I made and shaped the garden into what it is today — blooming about a month after planting!
Embrace the Seed of Your Creative Projects
Whatever you're working on creatively, spend some time enjoying your seed. Think deeply about it. Consider its purpose, its potential, and the intention behind it. This reflection will significantly inform your journey and help you stay aligned with your vision, even as the project itself grows and evolves.
Embrace the process, nurture your seed, and watch your creative projects flourish in ways you might never have imagined.
You can find this Creative Life Series on my Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn too.