Many cities have been experiencing extreme heat as of late. Even here in Chicago, we are expected to have unusually high temperatures for the next couple of days. Last week, my sister informed me of the scary drought conditions in Houston and the surrounding areas. The city has been in the triple digits for months. Extreme heat combined with the lack of rain make the perfect concoction for scorching and unproductive conditions. This is no different when we find ourselves stuck creatively. Whether we have been creating for a long time or not, droughts can happen unexpectedly and last indefinitely. We find ourselves dry with seemingly no good ideas and frustrated beyond all comparison. It can be tempting to ignore what’s really going on when we get to this point. Perhaps, this step is necessary in order to create in a new way. What if we have to exhaust all other ideas to think in a way we could have never anticipated? The problem, at times, may be that we are unwilling to think differently about our projects because we have worked so long and hard on them. OR…MAYBE IT’S TIME TO TAKE A BREAK. Give yourself permission to let go, knowing that your hard work hasn’t gone to waste. You might come back to it or you may not. But for right now, free yourself from the heavy burden of having to figure everything out. Admit and accept where you are.
A drought is essentially the end of one chapter making way for a new one to begin. Perhaps you are tired and overwhelmed and your brain is trying to do you a favor by slowing down. But this can be very challenging when people are demanding you to give them more as soon as possible. BUT WHAT IF YOU CAN’T?!? It makes perfect sense if you are experiencing a drought when it feels like harvest season is never ending. The sowing time takes much longer than the reaping season. So what do you do?
Use this drought season to determine what you need RIGHT NOW. If the heat is making you sweat, maybe you need an umbrella and sunscreen to protect you from the sun’s rays. Define what protection is for you.
What might you need to refresh your soul? You are weary and feel forced to keep going. Listen and observe what’s happening in the here and now. What do you think and feel about your drought? Admitting this can feel like a gentle shower of rain on a cool day. Could it be that your soul has been fighting something for a long time, and you haven’t stopped to listen? How can you replenish your soul?
Remind yourself who you are. Think of the soil as your person. How often is it that we see ourselves like dirt, thinking only about what can come from it? Or how easy is it to believe awful things about it because it isn’t creating the way we desire. But I’m here to say that you are more than what you produce. Your value is more than just what you do. What beautiful things are consistent about you regardless of your work? Remember and reflect on these truths.
Take it one day at a time. Rushing creativity doesn’t work well. What can you appreciate about today? You don’t have to be better to be loved and valued in this moment. If planning for the future makes today more difficult, then reduce the planning and increase the living.
Find joy somewhere. Maybe you don’t find joy in your creativity right now, but where can you find it? Look around you and find reasons to be grateful. What things go unnoticed because it’s been a continual blessing? Your heart. Beating in your chest. Coffee. Providing the right amount of caffeine for your busy day. A hot shower. Feeling relaxed and refreshed before going to bed. Relish in the beauty around you.
There is value in every season we are given, it’s just a matter of leaning in to see it.