Nurturing Your Creative Time and Space

Musicians are typically very creative people, and often those who choose to work in the arts as administrators are also creatively inclined. But it is easy to fall into rhythms of work and life where we don’t give our creative muscles the chance to work and stay active.  We are busy with emails, practicing, and running from one thing to the next.  If we want to retain that creative spark, we must nurture creative space – time when you can dream up ideas for your work and life.  What time of day do you feel most creative? What environment makes you feel productive – your home? A coffee shop? Peace and quiet, or bustling energy? Do you like to write things down in a book, or type on a laptop? It is worth exploring these questions and trying to identify your creative spaces. Then, make sure you carve out time and give yourself permission to dream, brainstorm, create, and reflect.  Why is this important? It will vary for each person, but some people need that creative time to refuel and refresh and keep from getting burnt out. In other cases, focused creative thinking can help solve problems that are acting as roadblocks.  Now go be creative!