Have you ever thought about joining a creative community? There are all sorts and sizes for you to consider.

First, you must get over the hurdle of calling yourself “creative.” So many of us hesitate to claim the designation “artist,” “musician,” or “author,” etc. I get it! I’m a novelist and I struggled to use the terms writer, or author until after my third book was published. I think our tender creative spirits don’t want to be prideful or we’re worried that we not “real” artists, musicians, authors, or any other form of creative designation.

I want to make it easy. If you make stuff – anything – you are creative. Period. Whew!

And so, dear creative, let’s go back to my original question. Have you ever considered joining a creative community? I love the idea of being a part of a group of people who encourage and support each other, walking together in a journey toward an energized and inspired life. I long for a safe place where we as creatives are free to share our unique artistic expressions in a joy filled and playful manner. A place without competition or comparisonitis.

Building a Creative Community

One of the reasons I’m building a creative community is I’ve heard from so many creatives, especially professional creatives (people who use their creativity in their career) that they are feeling dull, dry, and blocked. As creatives, we all go through this in some way, but when we also use our creativity in our work, we can end up depleting our inspiration and wring our muses dry! I love the saying “You cannot pour from an empty cup.” We must replenish and nurture our creative souls, and I think we can best do that together within a supportive community.

Attending to Creative Self-Care

Whenever I forget to attend to my creative self-care, I wind up in a desert. I know other creatives feel the same way, and I believe we can support and encourage each other through the tough times and celebrate with each other in the joyful times!

This happened to me recently. My husband and I are building a house, I launched a new book, my daughter was getting married, and I decided to start a new business. I had a ton of stuff on my plate. It was all great stuff, but the plate was heavy!!! When it came time to start my next book, I sat down at my computer and … I had nothing. The book is part of a series, so I knew my characters and the setting, but no plot line emerged.

Creative Blocks

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you already know I don’t really believe in creative blocks. So, then, why was I … blocked? It was a bit of a shock, and I was more than a little nervous because I needed to get going on that book to meet my deadline.

Fear and the pressure to produce are two feelings that smother creativity. Sometimes we fear that we aren’t good enough, or fear judgment from others, and the presence of pressure can lead to resentment and resistance. I certainly found myself in the middle of these emotions.

Gradually, the small voice in my heart called to me and I began to yearn to create something. Something different from my primary expression of writing. I wanted to draw and paint—to reflect the world around me without the expectation of an income. I needed to play. When I went to my art room and began to put paint on paper, I found renewed energy. Even the simple act of organizing my art supplies brought excitement and motivation. I was filled with hope and anticipation of the freedom I knew exists in the process of creating—the sense of soaring like a regal bird of prey, with no particular destination. I longed for the experience of creating… not producing.

My solution

The answer for me, was to create something in a medium that was not my usual form, and to make something that had no pre-conceived purpose. This is not to say that creating something to sell is a negative thing. It’s not. Making an income from our creative gifting is a blessing. I’m simply saying that I had depleted my creative reserves without replenishing them, and I had neglected my muse. She was alone in the cold, starving to death.

Refill your creative cup

I was relieved that I hadn’t killed my desire to create, and that I could re-fill my creative cup with care and intention. It was then I wondered how many other creatives go through this barren place. I image all of us do from time to time. That’s when the idea of creating a community came to mind. I imagined how wonderful it would be to have a group with whom I could share my struggles, my victories, and my crafts. People who understood from their own experience exactly the feelings I was going through and who, together could support each other and experience new ideas and mediums. A playgroup, of sorts, for creatives!

Élan Vital Create

Joining a Creative Community

And so, Élan Vital Create was born. Élan Vital means vital force or impulse of life, and that is what creating is for me. I now host a growing community on Facebook called, Élan Vital Creatives where multi-genre creatives come together to share and encourage one another. It isn’t about what you create or the skill level you have. This community exists to encourage each other’s creative spark. Élan Vital Create is also on Instagram.

Eventually, I hope to set up a program where we gather once a month to learn, create, and share together, participate in challenges and other experiences. I’m planning a workshop and ultimately, I dream of facilitating a retreat where creatives can come to rest, nurture their creative souls, and re-ignite their creative spark—stretching and growing their expressive spirits.

When I returned to the playfulness of creating, I found myself refreshed and able to write again with enthusiasm. Ideas flowed once again. If this struggle resonates with you, come join us in Élan Vital Creatives.

For fun, take the Creative Archetype Quiz and discover what type of creative you are. And I would love for you to fill out my survey for creatives. Your answers will help me build the community we all need.

Now go… and create!