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I loaded up my car, playing Tetris with the boxes I packed for my 651 mile move to a different country.

On a whim, I made the decision to move from my small town in British Columbia to Bend, Oregon.

I rented a two bedroom apartment sight unseen (prayed it wasn't a scam), and hit the road with my pup.

I was on a quest...

As a kid I was always creative.

I would draw cartoons, and write short stories with elaborate characters.

My favorite was, "how pigs got curly tails". Hint: it was because they ate too many curly noodles.

Like many of us, this creativity diminished over time.

We go to school and grow up in a society where creativity and imagination is no longer encouraged.

"Grow up".

"Be reasonable".

"Oh, you have such an over active imagination".

So we grow up.

Be reasonable.

Stifle our imaginations.

I am reminded of this every time I hang out with my niece.

On a hot day in July I picked her up from her final day at clay camp.

This was the day they brought home their clay creations. She made close to 15 pieces, ranging from mugs to planters to rings to wind chimes.

She was very proud of every single one.

I asked her if she had a favorite and she shrugged.

"All of them."

Right.

It was clear that she enjoyed the process and liked having finished pieces. She didn't dwell on the finished product, in fact, she was now onto the next thing.

I marvelled at her sense of un-attachment.

She didn't ask, "do you like them?" Or, "are they any good?"

She didn't need any validation that what she made was "good". She liked them all. She had fun making them. That was enough.

It was her own creative practice and I was lucky she shared it with me.

I did get an awesome mug out of it too. Check out the heart handle!

(It says "aunty" and is in memory of my beloved pup, Toby).

I compared this experience to the handful of adult ceramics classes I attended.

There was perfection, stress, and it didn't seem like anyone was having much fun.

Barely anyone liked their final pieces, or if they did, they wouldn't admit it.

It was some sort of cardinal sin to be like, "yeah, I love my mug!" Instead they pointed out flaws and talked about ways to improve it.

It made me sad.

I found myself doing the same thing.

When we finally decide to do a creative activity we have a hard time letting go and embracing the practice.

We get frustrated when the end result doesn't look how we envisioned. (I don't know what we were expecting if we've never done the activity before!)

Nonetheless we are still annoyed, frustrated and not having a lot of fun.

But it's this simple: we are out of practice.

The creative spark needs careful handling, kindling and tending to.

I arrive in Bend on a cold, windy day in November.

I am relieved when I drive up to an apartment building that matched the one I saw on the website.

And I am even more relieved when the key the property manager gave me opened up to a modern, bright and clean apartment.

This was to be my home for the next year.

I quit all my digital marketing client work and was planning on living off my course income as I began my quest.

You know the one...the "Eat, Pray, Love" one.

The one where you try to figure out what's missing in your life.

I released all the obligations I had filled my time with so I could be with myself.

I spent a lot of time walking my pup, meditating, journalling, reading and watching Netflix.

After a couple of weeks I started to have this desire to make something.

Finger paint, construction paper, pipe cleaners, glue, and sparkles type of something.

Huh? I was confused.

I wasn't an artist. I hadn't painted in decades. But I still felt compelled to create something tangible.

It was my boyfriend that suggested I start making art.

"Maybe you could paint or something?" he gently suggested.

Maybe...

So in I dove.

This simple inquiry changed my life.

Enter: Michaels.

That's the place to go when you want to make something, right??

I bought a notebook, some brushes, felt tipped pens and watercolor paints.

I felt like a kid unwrapping birthday presents as I took each item out of the bag and set it on the kitchen table.

That evening I sat down, opened my notebook to the first page, took a deep breath, and made my very first mark.

I let my intuition and hand guide me.

I drew a square, doodled inside of it, then colored that doodle in with the watercolor paint. I'd even name them depending on what I felt in the moment of painting them. I created dozens of these micro-drawings in one sitting.

I don't know where the idea came from but I went with it.

They aren't anything to hang on a gallery wall, but I found myself deeply drawn into the process. I'd lose time, and feel calm and content.

It felt like my brain was rewiring itself. Dots would get connected, and I'd find perspective on something I was struggling with. All from a simple doodle!

I was blown away.

My creative curiosity grew and I gave myself permission to continue to explore.

My rules were simple:

• Dedicate at least 10 minutes every single day to this practice.
• Create without the pressure of showing anyone my work.
• Create without judgement of whether it's "good" or "bad".
• Explore whatever artistic medium seems cool to me at the time.
• Be honest with myself about what I was feeling while I was creating.
• Don't turn this into a business!

This daily creative practice is the single most powerful practice I've ever done.

It allowed me to be myself. To let go of parts of myself and rediscover new ones. To clearly see how I want to operate in this world. Who I want to be.

I found myself being creative in all aspects of my life.

I had a plethora of new business ideas, and personal projects I wanted to explore. I had unlimited amounts of creativity and this energy started fuelling my life. I felt inspired, excited and hopeful again.

It's not surprising that there are quite a few benefits to being creative. I didn't need the science-backed studies, my own results spoke for themselves (but here they are anyway, lol)...

• An aid for meditation.
• Decreases stress, anxiety and depression.
• Reduces cortisol and other stress hormones.
• Helps us integrate new, healthier thought processes around challenging emotions.
• Helps us slow down, regulate emotions and creates changes in the brain that helps new neuropathways form.
• Strengthens immune system, reduces blood pressure, boosts mood, improves sleep, calms the nervous system, helps speed up the body’s healing time.

A creative practice will look different for everyone.

It's yours and yours alone. That's what makes it so powerful.

Exploring your body's movement...

Thinking about a problem from a new angle...

Using different artistic mediums and materials...

Approaching the way you work in a completely different way...

If you're wanting to explore your own creative practice it can start out quite simple.

(You don't have to move to another country, quit your job or spend hundreds of dollars at Michaels. But you can also do that too!)

You likely already have all the materials you need to get started: post-it notes, pencil crayons, sharpies, notebook, highlighters, glue, sparkles, yarn, dried flowers, buttons. Use whatever you have on hand.

Try these steps to begin your own 10-minute creative practice...

(Don't forget to make it your own!)

• Find a quiet time and space.
• Set a timer for at least 10 minutes.
• Start putting marks on paper. Don't overthink it.
• Watch what thoughts, feeling and emotions come up.
• End your practice with gratitude for your amazing self.

Getting back into creativity doesn't need to feel or look perfect. The act of developing a creative practice can be messy and uncomfortable. It's like strengthening a muscle that has atrophied.

But it might just be the thing you're missing.

So grab those crayons and start doodling...I can't wait to see what you create.

~ Megan

P.S. The idea for my latest course (how to get your first paying freelance client) came from one of my doodling sessions. You can check it out here 🫶🏼

👋🏼 Hi, I'm Megan! I'm a business coach & digital marketer who spends time in the Bay Area and the mountains of British Columbia. Each week I share stories, ideas, and resources from the online world world to help you get more clients and make more money.

Let's stay connected!

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