There have been many times over the last 3 years (out of almost 5 years in business - so over half the time) where I’ve actually thought to myself “Should I throw in the towel and light this whole thing (Everme) on fire?”
What felt like a perfectly normal solution at the time, was just a mask for something else that was going on: my inner spark had gone out. I can’t tell you exactly what blew it out. Maybe not even anything in particular but rather a series of unfortunate circumstances that blew their way right into my creative spark.
Imagine my creativity as a bonfire. For so long, I was stoking the fire and keeping the creative fire burning… until I unknowingly started adding damp logs to the fire. These metaphorical damp logs were:
Doing things I didn’t want to be doing
Doing things that felt out of alignment in my business
Avoiding creative endeavors that were calling me (writing, poetry, painting, singing, etc)
In trying this newfound concept called “we’re all more alike than we’re different”, I want to know, have you ever had your spark go out?
Or maybe you have yet to find your spark.
There is a quote I love that says “be fearless in your pursuit of what sets your soul on fire”. WOW. Sometimes that pursuit can be like putting damp logs onto our inner fires. Sometimes it’s hard to focus on our pursuit when the world around us seems to have already figured out its spark. Sometimes we wonder if there are enough sparks in the world for us!
So, if you’ve lost your spark, or perhaps you are still searching for it, here are a couple of things to do:
Start small. If you used to love to draw, try drawing on one post-it note per day. If you used to love to run, try running up and down your block once per day. Little by little, sparky moment by sparky moment, the flame ignites again.
Take a step back. Remember when I took 4 months off of social media? This break allowed me to come back stronger than before. Sometimes the best thing to do is to take a step back and see things in a new way.
Keep reminders. I do this in two ways. First, I have a “keep going” folder in my photo album on my phone filled with times in which I’ve received positive client and network feedback about my work. It reminds me even in the dark times of my “why”. Second, don’t be afraid to ask questions of others that help bring you back to yourself. You can ask close friends to describe you in 5 words or to tell you about a time you made a positive impact on them.
The really cool thing that I’ve learned about our creativity and our inner spark is that it never really goes out completely. There is always a teeny, tiny spark waiting there for you to return to get the fire going.
Wishing you lots of sparks and creative fire,
Love,
Kelsey