The Joyful Creative

Hi there. It's Deborah O'Toole artist here. Now, if you're in the Brisbane area, you might be interested to know that I'll be offering two sessions of my mindful creativity workshop on the 14th of September.  Over the course of three relaxing hours. You'll enter a state of creative flow while experimenting with simple, repetitive techniques, such as doodling, inking, and metallic embellishment. The focus of the session is on enjoying the soothing processes, which calm the central nervous system and clear the mind. 

The artistic outcome is not as important, although you'll be so happily surprised how beautifully creative you are when you just allow yourself to play.  The cost is $120 per person, which includes all materials, a bag of take-home goodies, including our own frame to mini masterpiece. And I'll bring a freshly baked gluten-free cake for morning or afternoon tea.

Spaces are limited so book now at the link in the show notes or go to DeborahO'Toole artist.com/workshops. I look forward to seeing you there.

Hello everyone welcome back to another episode of the joyful creative.

This week, it seems that the universe wants to send me a message about dancing, through experiences, conversations, things I've read and on social media. Does anybody else have that experience where just the same sort of thing keeps showing up and it makes you sort of think about it?  Well, that's definitely happened for me this week and it culminated in an experience yesterday that made me really think about how our inhibitions and the judgments we place on ourselves rob us of joyful life experiences.

So I'm studying to become a holistic creative arts practitioner. It's along the lines of art therapy, but on a practitioner level, which means I would work with people in a practical setting like my workshops to enhance physical and mental health through creative activities rather than actual art therapy which has done in a clinical setting.  And every week we've been practicing a different  modality.  So yesterday's class was what they call emotional meditative movement.  Yeah, they don't call it dance because it scares people.   So anyway, the session went that all the students were together in a room in an old hall with the curtains closed and no atmosphere other than that,  And they play a music track that goes through a series of beats different beats and vibes.  . And there are spoken prompts dotted throughout to guide the meditation and potentially your movement during that segment. 

And I was dreading this. Even though I'm a performer by profession and I still dance most times I'm on stage, and I studied dance as a kid through my whole childhood so I'm quite coordinated and I'm comfortable with moving my body. And I actually love dancing if the mood and the music is right. But despite all of this, I couldn't help feeling deeply self-conscious at the thought of this session.

Now. I've done many gigs where there is always that one person, and this happens mainly at festivals and public places. There's usually a, yeah, that one person, usually a pretty eccentric looking older man or woman who comes in front of the stage and just dances.  With total abandonment, freedom and joy, no sense of self-consciousness or embarrassment. They're just living their best life, dancing to our music in their own unique way. Now we on stage, the musicians we usually make eye contact in a kind of bemused way and go, oh, there's the dance and man again. It's like our little in joke, because there's always that weird one in every gig.

But as I was getting into the movement activity in class yesterday, I started channeling the dancing man.  And I realized how judgemental I am to people who seem a bit weird and who don't seem to care that they look different and are happy to stand out from the crowd and just do what comes naturally with their body as a response to hearing music. Maybe I'm judgmental that they clearly don't have any training, and they look a bit silly in my opinion.  

But then all of that would be to say that unless you are good, as in professional level at any creative act, that you really shouldn't do it or show it in public… which is completely contradictory to what I'm all about here in this podcast.  Like I truly do believe that people should practice creativity simply for the way it makes them feel during the process, and never hold themselves back because of whatever they perceive the standard is in comparison with professional creatives. Or even worse, what mean things other people might say about their work?

And. As that was in that room yesterday with my eyes closed my heart open. I'm swaying my body, spreading my arms overhead…I was wriggling my fingers like I was sprinkling fairy dust, feeling fully alive, free to take up space and fully immerse myself in the music.  And I realized that the dancing man had it right all along!  I was the one with my rigid ideas of what should be shown in public and with my judgments of what's good enough.  I'm the one who had the lessons to learn.  And it became pretty clear that I hold some pretty nasty judgment against myself. And look, yes, I do put myself out there a lot with my creative offerings. But it's all very quality controlled, if I'm honest . And I do tend to dismiss ideas sometimes because I don't think I'll perform them at a high enough standard.  And I just thought to myself, maybe I need to just drop the overthinking and judgment and I might even enjoy my life a little more.  After all joy is the goal, Right? I keep saying that it's all about joy and being a joyful creative, and having joy, doing whatever it is in life.  

So who would have thought I'd have such an epiphany dancing around a dark hall with my eyes closed?  If you're listening to this podcast, you probably already have a creative passion or interest.  And if any self judgment about your standard is holding you back, or there's a different medium you're curious about, but you feel silly or hesitant to have a go, I encourage you to channel the dancing man.

There's a quote that says “Dance like no one's watching”. But I say dance like YOU’RE not watching. Or not your judgmental ego self anyway.  When self-consciousness threatens to stop you from participating in any way, just think of all the opportunities for joy, for love and fun you might have missed in the past because of it.  When you do this, just sort of put into perspective how your inner mean girl or guy robs you of joy in her quest to save you from potential embarrassment.  Well, you can go and tell that mean go to go sit quietly at the bar. While you go hang out with the weirdo dancing man.

And I know that this is probably not groundbreaking information but maybe if you're listening to this now there is a reason, and maybe it is a thing that you need to hear.   So on that note, my friends go forth. Be creative, be weird.  Do what you feel in your heart to do. Because life's too short not to.  

Okay, well, that's the end of this short little episode.  I hope that you enjoyed it. Be sure to pass this on to anybody else who might need a little bit of a prompt in this direction.  And if you did enjoy it, I would love you to leave review.  So until next time, keep creative, my friends and bye for now.

I hope you enjoyed this episode of The Joyful Creative.  If you did, be sure to subscribe so you catch them every week. And if you can, please take a moment to leave a review or share it with a friend so the podcast can reach more people who need support and inspiration. Thanks for listening and keep creative. 

So you have the time but not the motivation? Here are 8 tips to get you off the couch, away from the screen and into your studio when you just can’t be bothered. Anyone relate??

In short:

Allow yourself to do the minimum and celebrate those small wins.

Plan a big reward for finishing a project.

Get yourself an accountability partner.

Have inspiration in your environment.

Get physical.

Put down the phone!

Change up your medium.

Start with a simple warmup activity.

Links:

• Order my colouring Book - It Starts With A Heart
• Subscribe to my mailing list
• Send me an email
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Workshops — Deborah O'Toole Artist

TRANSCRIPT

 Hi there. It's Deborah O'Toole artist here. Now, if you're in the Brisbane area, you might be interested to know that I'll be offering two sessions of my mindful creativity workshop on the 14th of September.  Over the course of three relaxing hours you'll enter a state of creative flow while experimenting with simple, repetitive techniques, such as doodling, inking, and metallic embellishment. The focus of the session is on enjoying the soothing processes, which calm the central nervous system and clear the mind. The artistic outcome is not as important, although you'll be so happily surprised how beautifully creative you are when you just allow yourself to play.

The cost is $120 per person, which includes all materials, a bag of take-home goodies, including our own frame to mini masterpiece. And I'll bring a freshly baked gluten-free cake for morning or afternoon tea.  Spaces are limited so book now at the link in the show notes. Or go to deborahotooleartist.com/workshops. I look forward to seeing you there. 

Welcome to The Joyful Creative. I'm Deborah O'Toole. I'm a multi passionate creative and I believe regular creativity is essential for well being. Whether you love painting, writing, knitting, music, gardening, or any other creative pursuit, here you'll find the inspiration and support to make your creative practice a joyful priority in your busy life.

So let's get creative. 

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode. I've just come off a crazy couple of months and I have two full days where I could be creative for hours but I just couldn't be bothered. Just not motivated. And this has got me thinking about the difference between not having the time and not having the motivation. And I think many people will relate to this because we often say we're too busy and then we spend time doing other things that don't get as closer to finishing our creative projects or simply even just tending to our need for regular creative expression.  So I started thinking of ways, I've got myself out of a slump in the past and into the studio.  And if you've been following me for a while, you know that I'm on a daily creativity streak, which I track with an app on my phone. And that is a big motivator because I want to maintain my streak and  when I look at my phone and I see the app sitting there, it's a really big reminder and I am quite motivated then even just to do a bit. But I realize that a streak isn't for everyone or not everybody's there at this point in their life. 

So here are some other tips which may be useful on those days when you do have the time, but not the motivation.

So tip number one:  Allow yourself to do the minimum and celebrate those small wins. 

So on those days, when you're really struggling, set a timer for five minutes, get to work on your project and when it goes off, you're done! Congratulate yourself for your efforts and go celebrate with a cup of tea or some chocolate or whatever makes you happy.  Chances are, you will feel motivated to continue in which case that's the bonus, but if not, that's okay. You've done five minutes and you're done. You've done your creativity for the day.  Maybe you're extremely exhausted or unwell and the thought of even moving from the couch or the bed is too much. Well on those days, curl up with a sketch pad and pen and just sketch or doodle for five minutes.  You might not be any closer to finishing your project, but at least you'll reap the benefits of the creativity.

Tip number two: Speaking of rewards in all seriousness… Plan a big reward for finishing a project  especially the long ones.

You might want to book in for a massage or plan to go out for dinner or buy some new supplies for your next project, Whatever motivates you to keep chipping away at your current project.  But just remember that the benefits of regular creativity are all about the process rather than the end goals. So make sure you're enjoying yourself as you're doing it. But rewards can sometimes be the motivation you need to actually do the creating when you're past the honeymoon phase of the project. 

Tip number three: Accountability partners.

I know this is a bit of a buzzword, but really if you know that you're likely to feel a lack of motivation when it comes the time to be creative, prearrange a date to get together with a friend and do your creativity together, like a Crafternoon or something, or if that's not possible, make an agreement with your partner to exchange process pics of your respective sessions.  Because having a buddy join you either physically or virtually is an instant motivator and doubles as an opportunity to gain encouragement or feedback on your project, which will further motivate you.

Tip number four: have inspiration in your environment.

This is another one that works really well for people who know themselves and anticipate needing a boost to their motivation. So you can make your phone wallpaper and laptop screen saver an image that reminds you of your project.  There might be an actual pic of your work in progress or a pic of the intended finished piece, for example, if you’re working on a knitting pattern or sewing something.  Or it might be an inspiring picture from another artist.  A picture on a fridge, your vision board or your bathroom mirror will also serve as reminders for your creative aspirations.  And also make sure your studio or creative space is inspiring. Keep it beautiful full of life with plants and flowers, whatever makes you want to be in there.  Ideally you want to feel motivated by just being in the space  surrounded by all your materials. And most importantly, have your materials ready to work with not packed away.  Nothing is more unmotivating than having to find, prepare, or set up materials and tools before you even get started.  If possible, have everything ready to go so you can just sit down and start. And this is especially true. If you're setting the five minute timer. Because if it takes you more than five minutes to set up, then you've wasted all that time.  So have it ready if you can.

Tip number five: Get physical.

Maybe you need to physically move your body to shake off stagnant mental energy? So go for a walk, go to the gym, some stretching, a few star jumps, or just stand up and walk out doors into the sun. You'll feel a shift in your energy that might just bring some creative motivation. And other things you can do along these lines are taking a quick shower, doing some breath work or meditating. . Just anything that shakes you out of this stale unmotivated feeling to at least slightly energetic to get to your studio. 

Tip number six: Put down the phone.

And I'm saying this to myself as well, but I think we can all agree that Social media, YouTube, Pinterest, and all those other apps on our phone can rob us of hours of our lives if not kept in check, and when you're in a less than motivated mood, this is likely to be the activity that you'll go to.  If you catch yourself in a screen slump, do this… Immediately put down the phone. 

If you wear glasses, take them off.

Close your eyes.

Take three cleansing breaths where you completely empty and fill your lungs. 

And think about your creative practice. 

And then open your eyes.

Take a beautiful big stretch.

Stand up and go to your creative space and immediately pick up a tool or material leaving or phone where you left it.

If you need your phone for your music or something to get going on your project, then just give it at least five minutes before you touch it again. You just need to sort of break that cycle.  I know, I sound really bossy here, but knowing that phones are so addictive, I believe it requires explicit detailed instructions to reprogram our behaviour.  And like I said, I'm saying this to myself as well.  

Tip number seven: Change up your medium.

Maybe you're bored or stuck in a rut with your creative project.  So try doing something different and see if you feel more motivated. I'm certainly not advocating jumping from unfinished project to unfinished project because I do think finishing has a good cathartic cleansing energy about it.  I'm going to do another podcast episode in the future, just about finishing things and why it's important. But if you have finished numerous projects on this medium and you're feeling like you're no longer challenged,  then may be something new will get you excited to be creative again. So is there another medium that you've been curious about?  

And finally tip number eight:  Perhaps a simple warmup activity, such as doodling, simple stitching or mindful coloring will get you in the mindset to tackle your project.  Often the leap between sitting on the couch, watching a screen to actually using your hands and brain is too much to get our heads around. But easing into it with a gentle passive activity might make it an easier transition. And if you don't actually move onto your main project that's okay too. You've still benefited from some mindful creativity.  If you don't have a coloring book on hand, I have a lovely one available, which I'll link in the show notes. It's called it starts with the heart and I've had some really good feedback on it recently that it's not as overwhelming as some of the other books on the market, because it's a bit more organic, It's not as symmetrical or as intricate as some of the books on the market. So that's been some really lovely feedback to get.

So,  there you have it, eight tips to get you motivated to be creative when you really don't feel like it.  And remember, there will be times when you're going to drag yourself to doing your creative thing and you won't feel like a creative, expressive goddess at all for that session. It might actually just feel like hard work and that's okay. Just be present with it, like you would with a child who you love, but is being challenging at the time,  Give yourself grace. Thank yourself for your dedication to the project and know that the joy will return when you're in a better head space. Probably when you've had a good night's sleep! 

So I hope that you found these tips helpful. If you do, I'd love it if you would leave a nice review and maybe even send this to a friend who might benefit from these tips.  Until next time. Bye for now.

I hope you enjoyed this episode of The Joyful Creative.  If you did, be sure to subscribe so you catch them every week. And if you can, please take a moment to leave a review or share it with a friend so the podcast can reach more people who need support and inspiration. Thanks for listening and keep creative. ​

Lately I've found myself wondering if I should still be performing in a rock band at age 53.

After 35+ years in the biz, am I too old for this? Sometimes my aching body says yes! But more often it's my nasty nagging inner-critic (ego) that says I look too old and it's silly for a woman my age to be prancing around the stage, belting it out like Tina Turner. Nobody told Tina to stop doing it when she was 53 so why should I?

I believe that when your soul calls you to do something creative, it shouldn't matter what age, gender, type you are. Creativity transcends stereotype so just go for it!

Links:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Order my colouring Book - It Starts With A Heart
• Subscribe to my mailing list
• Send me an email
• All Abilities Australia
• Rest Easy Expo

Transcript:

Well, hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the joyful creative. This is the seventh episode. And if you've been listening to all the episodes so far, I just want to say, thank you so much for listening, for tuning in for giving me your support. If there's anything in particular, a subject about creativity that you'd like me to cover in a future episode. I'd love to hear from you. You can get in contact with me via email or social media, all the links are below in the show notes.  So, yeah, reach out and let me know.  And if you know anybody who could really do with this sort of support and inspiration, then by all means, please share this episode. You can message or text them the link and then they'll be able to listen as well.  That will be wonderful.

Also just a little update on my episode from last week where I talked about my collaborative artwork with all abilities Australia that was auctioned off at a gala last Friday night.  The piece fetched $2,300 at the live auction for the fundraising gala. And yeah, I'm just so pleased with that result. All abilities Australia are an amazing organization that really support adults with various mental and physical abilities.  They do such a great job and they were fundraising to purchase a big van a wheelchair accessible van that they can transport the participants around town in to take them out on excursions and around the place. 

And when I was working with these people, I really felt how valuable it would be for them all to have  the enriching experience of being able to go to an exhibition or an art gallery or a live performance or any other type of arts that's outside their four walls  and so hopefully the money raised from this artwork will help them to reach their goal to be able to purchase this van. 

Another public service announcement I have is that this Saturday I will be presenting at the Rest Easy Expo at Technology Park. So that's this Saturday time of recording the 24th of August, 2024.  It's going to be amazing. So many vendors that are all geared up to share their information on improving your quality of sleep, rest, relaxation, wellness, all that good stuff. The tickets are $10 if you buy them beforehand, if you turn up on the day, they will be $15. So if you're thinking of going, if you're in the Brisbane area, I recommend getting online and booking your tickets early so you can save yourself $5. So I will be there with a giant colouring page.  That'll be a free activity for anybody to come along and contribute to this massive colouring page pick up a pencil, have a little bit of time out and do some colouring. And. Yeah, it's going to be amazing. 

I'm also going to be presenting a modified version of my mindful creativity workshop at the expo, that's another free activity. I'll be taking people through the doodling part of my workshop. I normally do some work with ink and other materials, but just to keep it simple I want it to really show people how easy it is to really drop into that relaxing flow state with nothing more than a fine liner pen and a piece of paper. And these are materials anybody could have in their hand bag or the backpack, whatever you carrying around. And if you're sitting there waiting at an appointment or on public transport or any time when you would normally get out your phone and scroll through social media, which can be not as relaxing as we'd hope.  Having a pen and paper available just to go through some repetitive mark making is really a wonderful thing for your central nervous system and to reduce stress. So I'll be presenting that at the Rest Easy Expo. So if you're in the Brisbane area, like I said, come along, so if you do see me there absolutely come say hi. I would love to meet you. 

Now if I sound a little bit like a drag queen today, um, I can tell you, I'm certainly not looking as glamorous as a drag queen.  But my voice is very tired because I've just done a week of five gigs in six days. Five very high energy big jumping around like Tina Turner and singing like Tina Turner.  Not the whole time, but, yeah, these gigs have been quite high energy, which is a lot for a 53 year old like me.

And I just wanted to talk about that because I've recently been thinking, When is the time when I'm just, I've got to pull the pin on this?  When does the time come when I am too old to be performing in that situation? And it's a really hard one because when I'm performing, I just love it. I really get a buzz out of singing, performing, and especially that music. It really actually energizes me. And I know I do it well. I have over 30 years experience performing as a professional vocalist.  And yeah, I really love it. I love the people I work with. I actually work with a lot of very young musicians, so I do feel a bit like the mum of the group. But we all have great banter Uh, they're very respectful of me but I'm really happy to say that I am performing at my peak at the moment, and I'm very happy to be a mentor to those younger musicians. I think working with younger people actually does keep you young. So I'm really grateful for the opportunity to keep doing this.  But yeah, my body feels it when I have done a gig and today I really am feeling very tired. My voice is tired. I do wonder when is the time that it should be put to bed. My husband says I'm silly for even thinking that because while I still enjoy it, why am I even considering giving it up? And I guess I'm thinking of giving it up because sometimes I wonder about how it appears to the audience that I'm, I'm 53.  I think I look okay for my age, but I certainly don't look 25. You know, I've got a bit of middle-aged spread and some jowls and some crows feet around the eyes like we all do at this age. I'm not ashamed of them. But yeah, I just wonder about the perception from the audience when they see me jumping around, whether it seems weird or dumb. And really that's just the ego talking if I really think about it.

My spirit tells me that I'm still supposed to be performing because it still brings me a lot of joy and the audience love it too. I get lots of good comments after my performances. Nobody says “You're a great singer, but gee, you know, you do look a bit middle-aged”, nobody's talking about what I look like. So why am I even worrying about it?  Why do I think it's an issue? Why do I think that my age should preclude me from performing if it still brings me joy and still brings other people joy and still brings a capability to the band that I'm working with? I realize when I say it out loud, it's ridiculous.

But it made me wonder whether there are other people out there who might be shying away from potential creative pursuits because of their age, because of their gender? Maybe you're a young person in your twenties and you feel like maybe cross-stitching might seem a bit Nana-ish. Or maybe you're a bloke and you really want to get into knitting, and you feel like it's a bit feminine and strange.  And what if you’re a middle-aged woman that wants to get into deejaying? I actually have a friend who is learning to DJ and it's super hot. Like it's, it's crazy good that she's during that. When I look at other people, of course I say, This is the most empowering thing you can do is just to push through any doubts that are to do with the ego, wondering whether you look silly or it's not the thing for a person my age or my gender or my type to be doing.  And this is where the spirit comes in.

I'm sounding a little woo here, but you know, the soul has a calling. And it might not be the same calling all the way through your life. You might have different callings at different times of life. I think we're all experiencing that. I know people who are changing careers and changing marriages and changing gender. Recently, there seems to be this wave of people, just shaking things up and burning down what's been and building up something new.  And that's sort of all in together with, if you want to do something creative and your soul is calling you to do it, then there was a reason for that. There is something in the universe, that's presented an idea to you, and if you're thinking about it, and if you can't stop thinking about it, then do it. It doesn't have to be sensible. It doesn't have to be normal.  In fact who wants to be normal anyway?  Um, Yeah, go for it I say.

But what I do think is to be careful of making the distinction between creative pursuit that really is your soul's calling and something that maybe your ego might think might be a cool thing to do. For example, I have a guitar sitting there that really hasn't been touched for a while because when I'm busy, it's the first thing to go. But I really fancy myself as a chick with a pick.  I'd really love to just be standing up there, not just singing, but also strumming the guitar. I love the idea of me doing that. And funnily enough, when I think of doing that, I don't think I yes, but you're 53, you can't do that. That's just, how hot would that be? But I don't show up for the guitar.  I do show up for my visual art. I don't know whether it's mainly because singing and performing is sort of my job so to add guitar, it is a bit of a creative, extra thing. But my real creative calling is to delve into visual art. That's what I'm really drawn to do. And that's what I do every day.

But yes, if you're thinking, oh, I just really wanted to do some artwork so therefore I'm going to paint with oils or they're going to be big canvases and they're going to be like this other artist that I like. Well, unless you actually going to show up for it and actually buy the materials and make the time and create the space to do that, then maybe it's just a thing that your ego thinks that it will be cool to do.  But if you have an idea in mind and might even seem silly or might even seem weird at your age, gender, Time of life and whatever and you can't get that idea out of your head then that's a real thing. That’s, That's something to be listened to.  And if you can't get away from it, then you need to be there.

So this is just a bit of a short kind of reality check for myself actually. And hopefully it might be useful for somebody out there who's having a few doubts about what they should pick up or whether they should pick up something that they're thinking about.  And yeah, just feel empowered, feel empowered to do the thing that your soul is calling you to do.  And if you don't like it after a while, or there's any reason why you need to give it up, then just give it up.  There's no rules. You can just try something and then try something else. But yeah, listen to your gut. And if your gut’s telling you to do it, pivot, try something else, then what's stopping you is my question.  

So on that note, I hope that you all are inspired to pick up something creative. And if you're wondering why then just go back to my first episode. If you haven't listened to it, or if you forgotten about it it just goes back to the why, why it's good to do something creative, if your soul is calling you to do it.

So on that note, keep creative my friends and I'll see you in the next episode.

 I just completed an artwork that is a collaboration between myself and participants and staff at All Abilities Australia. This piece will be auctioned at their upcoming fundraising gala.

In this episode I share the process (what a journey!) and some insights I gained about creativity.

Find me on socials  - https://www.instagram.com/deborahotoole_artist/

https://www.facebook.com/DeborahOTooleArtist

Send me an email - [email protected]

Order my colouring book - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/

Subscribe to my mailing list - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/subscribe

All Abilities Australia - https://allabilitiesaustralia.com/

Transcript

Well, hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the joyful Creative. Today's episode is a little out of the norm. It's a bit of an off the cuff I hadn't really planned, but I just finished an artwork like hours ago, and I thought it'd be really nice to talk about it because it really does relate to creativity being for everyone.  So I have a friend who works as a dance therapist with an organization called All Abilities Australia.  And, they run a program where people who have varying levels of,  physical and mental abilities can come along. It’s a day program where they learn life skills, exercise, join in community mindfulness, lots of great things for these adults who are past school age. Where they can come along and still engage in enriching activities during the day.  And they’re currently fundraising to purchase a big van, a maxi van people mover to be able to transport the participants  around town, on excursions and to really enrich their lives with various experiences. So that's their fundraising effort. They have a big gala coming up this Friday night.  And my friend asked me if I would be able to, along with participants, create an artwork that could then be auctioned off to help raise the funds to go towards this van. And she's one of these people who is.. her energy is just infectious. And it's very hard to say no to my friend. 

There definitely was something in it for me, because even though I'm doing this on a volunteer basis, have been developing a mindful creativity workshop which is to help people to drop into a beautiful, mindful flow state without having to use any particular artistic techniques like brush strokes, or drawing shading or anything like that. So, what I normally do in these workshops is some doodling, and then we go into dropping ink on a page and rolling it around on paper. 

It's a beautifully relaxing activity for all people and I really wanted to see whether these participants at All Abilities Australia would also benefit from this kind of activity. So this project gave me an opportunity to do a bit of research on this process.  So I went in and I've had three sessions with these people and we've had so much fun. 

They were really interested in getting involved. The first day I used pipettes like an eyedropper. And, their motor skills are at varying levels. And so  some of them had some assistance from the staff. And myself. But to see them even really drop into this flow state and really just enjoy seeing the colors rolling around the page through the water.

And what they achieved during that session is really not dissimilar to what I achieve when I'm doing the same technique, which really proved that this technique is really for everybody. I mean, it's not hard. You just get a piece of paper, you drop some water. You drip some ink, or we had actually poster paint that was thinned down because we were using what they had, so it's thinned down to a runny watery consistency.  And they dropped that on the page. A couple of colors that mixed together, a little bit of shimmer color, and gosh, the results were really beautiful. So that was the first day.

The next day I came in  and what I knew I was going to do with his artwork was to have a big canvas that had a painted background and then make collage from the paper pieces with the ink markings on it.  So I brought in some canvases and dropped acrylic paint directly onto the canvas and with gloves on the participants just with their hands, not even with brushes, just mixed the colors onto the canvas.

We had a couple of different layers. So gosh,  the results there were really beautiful because they're not preoccupied with perfection. Nobody was trying to make it smooth and even. What I really wanted was to have a background that had some character in it.  And in this sampling session, they really achieved that where I've got canvases that have got some really wacky kind of backgrounds on it. So I knew that that would also work for the final work.

So then the last time I went in, I brought a great big canvas in, and we did the same technique with the canvas. I dropped some acrylic paint on, better quality paint, better quality canvas. And the participants again, just mixed the paint, had a beautiful time getting their hands dirty and spreading the paint across the canvas. Mixing colors,  but again, what they achieved with the background was this gorgeous sense of depth. And just sort of leaving some, some colors, untouched. and then after that was done, a few of them came along and put their hand prints in it, which was a lovely touch. Those hand prints are a little bit hidden now, but, but they're there and it's lovely that their hands are on this piece. Actually visibly.

So then with the collage pieces, what I realized is that to just have some little abstract shapes, ink running around a page, which ends up being quite noodley. I quite like the visual effect there, but I thought it would be appropriate to have some sort of connection with the participants and the piece. So thinking about what they all have in common and why they come to all the abilities Australia every week. Every day they dance. One of the things that’s sort of foundational about the organization is that they dance every day. They all love it. They put on music and they have little routines that they do. And when you see their faces light up, you realize that dancing is just such a beautiful, creative thing to do. They move their bodies. They express themselves. So dance is a big thing.

So, what I thought would be a lovely thing to do is to end up with a whole lot of little paper figures that were kind of like people dancing.  So for this session, I took some better quality mixed media paper.  I painted on just with water, some figures that really just, I didn't even know how they were going to turn out. And then each participant then drops and colored ink. I admit that I pretty tightly curated the color palette they cause.  If I had asked everybody what color they wanted, it'd be probably a little bit outrageous. 

So I kept it to a red and blue ink. Mixing together. So some of them are still in their primary form, but for some of the participants, they ended up mixing the colors beautifully so that they've ended up with some lovely sort of purpley tones. And then on most of those pieces, I dropped a pure drop of yellow which actually just kind of brings the whole thing to life. So, what we've ended up with was 20 little figures that seem to have this Kooky, Odd, but joyously, exuberant vibe I guess. Um, and then it was my job to cut them all out. Uh, arrange them on the background. So, um, so you're probably wondering what this all looks like, but so the background ended up being sort of purple mauve colors, quite a light background.  It's almost a neutral, but it's got a mauvey tone. 

And then if you can imagine these primary toned with a little bit of purple and bright yellow toned figures as a collage mixed media arranged around the piece. There's already heaps of photos of this final piece on my social media. So if you're curious to know what it actually looks like then  go ahead and check it out. So just to describe again, it's a very large canvas. Neutral light mauvey background, and then these weird, funny joyful looking figures in  primary colors, but with some purple mixed in, carefully arranged around the canvas. 

So getting the placement, right for all these little figures was quite a lengthy process. A bit of trial and error, went back and forth a little bit. Um, but what I wanted was to portray a sense of connection, but then also some independence because these participants, they March to the beat of their own drum. They're actually quite independent and they're usually quite communicative if they don't want to participate or they only want to do a little bit, or they don't want to dance so I felt that the independence of their personalities would be a good thing to express in the placement.  But I also wanted them to look like they were, having a bit of a dance party and just really having a great time. So I think I've achieved that.

So then it was a matter of pasting all those pieces down. And then, then I thought, well, I really needed something to add to the background.  And this was a lot of trial and error. I did some wing, like sketchy things in oil pastel. I also did some in gold gold paint, which the gold paint looked quite good. Cause it was pretty subtle. But the oil pastel sketching… I did too much of that. Then I decided to outline all the figures.  And it just wasn't working. So I thought, well, maybe I can blend out the outline. I can sort of soften it a little bit. So I got my finger and I was rubbing around and rubbing around and it still, just wasn't really working. Um, and then I thought I'd really stuffed it up.  But then I realized that actually I could just wash it all off.  So I did that.  When I think of how much time I'd spent on work that I did to it, that I ended up removing it’d probably be a couple of hours.

But what I realized is that you know, this process is something I've not done before. And normally when an artist does an art work. They do a lot of experimenting and a lot of sampling. And when they end up working on the final piece it's a culmination of hours and hours of sampling and they know that it's going to work. Now.  I'm a person that gets asked to do something. And I think it's a good idea. And I say yes before I've even realized that maybe I don't really know how to do it.  So I said, yes, and I have really not done much on canvases before. There were elements of this that does relate to all the work that I have done before. But this is just something that was a bit new. And, uh, yeah, luckily I was able to remove the bits that I didn't like. 

And I finally come up with a composition of the background that I thought was harmonious and didn't detract from these joyful figures, but connected them in some way. So, what I've ended up with is  the gold paint and also some bronzy colored metallic paint with a much finer paintbrush making a little bit more subtle marks around the negative space.  So after all of that, I finished it off with a coat of the gel medium, which is the pasty stuff that I stuck the figures down with. It's a good thing to go over the top as well. And I thought that was appropriate. It's not necessary on a canvas, but I thought it was appropriate to put over these bits of paper, which had endured a little bit of rubbing and scrubbing with all the the removing and the back and forth that I had done with them.  And I I'm just really delighted with how it's turned out.  It's still yet to be known how it goes in the auction, but yes, I will report on that at some point. The auction is this Friday. So by the next time I record another episode, I will have the figures of what happened there.

But look, the point of this whole story is a couple of things  and one is about my own creative process. And just trusting that I did have enough knowledge and enough experience in my well 15 years of making art of some type of medium.  And also the power of YouTube and the internet to find out how to do things and whether other things are possible. . And to trust my instincts about what was going to work and when it didn't look like it was going to work, to pivot. And do what was necessary to make this piece harmonious. There was a lot riding on it and it wasn't just me making a piece of art for myself. I feel very responsible for how beautiful this piece is and how it's received, and whether it can make some money for All Abilities Australia to go towards their, their big van. So.  Yeah, my creative process was really challenged in this, but I've found it a beautiful challenge. And I do think that sometimes when you push yourself out of a comfort zone and end up using some media or some techniques that you haven't used before, You learn so much and you learn what not to do in the future. 

And the other part of this creative story is really just about how creativity is for everyone. It was so beautiful for me to teach this technique to people of all abilities. And to see how they took to the processes and how some of those people actually push through some barriers about making a mess or whether they thought they were able to do it. And giving them that encouragement and seeing them achieve something that even, they thought they couldn't achieve. And seeing how much they had a great time doing it was so rewarding for me. And I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be involved in this and.  Yeah. Um, I'm still on a high, I've got to say. It's just been such a, a beautiful thing for me to go through and to see them go through..

And yeah, I guess the last part of all of this is just how great it is to do creativity with people. As a community. There's definitely something special about it. I mean, I tend to be a bit of a hermit when I'm creating, I really love to just lock myself away in my studio space and spend hours and hours. And I think about a project and I obsess about it and I can't wait to get to it. And the hours spent doing it. I really enjoy on my own, because I'm a bit of an introvert/extrovert. That's the introvert part of me. 

But doing this piece, with other people and for other people, its just something really, really special.  And you can do this with anybody. You can do it online. But it is nice to do in person… if you have anybody who wants to come over for a Crafternoon or play music together, or dance in the park together to some music.  It's a beautiful thing doing creativity with others as a community.

So if this is something that you already do, I would love to hear about it. Send me a message and yeah, let's get some ideas flowing about how we can be creative as a community. And yeah, make this a much more beautiful and creative, joyful world. So on that note until next time, keep creative and I'll see you in the next episode. 

How do you get started if you’re keen to pick up a creative pursuit but don’t know where to start? From online resources to listening to the quiet voice within, I give you some ideas to get you going on your creative journey. 

SHOW NOTES:

Find me on socials  - https://www.instagram.com/deborahotoole_artist/

https://www.facebook.com/DeborahOTooleArtist

Send me an email - [email protected]

Order my colouring book - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/

Subscribe to my mailing list - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/subscribe

Rest Easy Expo - https://resteasyevents.com.au/

TRANSCRIPT

Well, hi there again, and welcome to another episode of the joyful creative.  Many listeners to this podcast would already have a creative passion that is their go-to thing that they do when, when they get time. And maybe they're listening to this podcast because they want some tips and ideas and encouragement and inspiration on how to make the time and how to justify the time to do the thing that they're really drawn to do.  But what if you're keen to try a creative activity, but you just don't know what to do or where to start. Well, in today's episode, I have some tips to get you going.

So the first tip is do some soul searching.  I know this might sound a little woo woo. But. Sit quietly and take a breath. And ask yourself, what have I always wanted to try? Because chances are, there is a spark of an idea that's been lurking around in the back of your mind for years, maybe since you were a child.  Maybe it's something you did try as a child, but you stopped because you thought you were bad at it. Or maybe someone actually told you and you believed them. But when it comes to creativity, the standard you're at is completely irrelevant unless you want to make money from it. And even that's subjective. So please don't let your own opinion of whether you're good at it or not to, stop you from having a crack.  Creativity is for your own personal joy and nothing more.  So, if you think you'll enjoy something, do it. And don't be too cool for school and think, oh, now I'm an adult, I should be doing oil painting landscapes or charcoal life drawing. If you want to finger paint or draw, stick figures in the sand, go for it. As I said before, listen to the quiet voice within and act on that rather than using any mature logic at all. 

Number two.  If you're not hearing anything from your quiet voice go out and look for inspiration. Go to galleries or music performances. Or art supplies stores.. in Australia, Spotlight, Officeworks, and Bunnings also now have art and craft supplies sections which actually have some good stuff there for beginners. Obviously if, uh, you know, you want to go straight to professional standard, you might want to go to something a little bit more specialized, but you can get a lot of stuff in the craft and art supplies sections of these general big box stores. So wonder around those aisles and see what you're inspired by.  YouTube has heaps of videos, Pinterest… There's plenty of online resources. I guess what you'd need to do is have a bit of an idea so that you can search something. For example, if you thinking you want to play guitar, then that's an easy search. Then you can just choose what sort of style you want, or if it's visual art or a craft or a fiber art or something like that and you just want to narrow it down. Putting a search into YouTube or Pinterest will certainly come up with heaps of options and ideas.  And what I suggest you do is when you're going through this process, be really present to your intuition. And when you come across something that just makes your heart stop and you just suddenly feel really excited in your gut and it lights you up, investigate further with this, because it's probably going to lead you to the thing that you're really going to enjoy. 

Number three, take a class or a workshop.  Workshops are less of a commitment and they allow dipping of the toe into the medium or the art form because it's probably just a three hour or one session thing, as opposed to committing to a whole term of classes. But it's completely up to you obviously. And you can do these in-person and online. There are heaps of how to videos on YouTube as you probably know. There's also a platform called Skillshare. And you pay a subscription and you can take a class in, well, pretty much anything, and it's not just creative things. It's also things like, um, like podcasting. Or copywriting or some technical things as well. 

But if you search macrame you'll find heaps of lessons or classes. So they're all presented by various artists and tutors, and they all have different lengths. So you really want to go into it you might want to choose a one and a half hour class, but if you just want something kind of basic, then there might be something that's a little bit shorter. But yeah,  Skillshare is a good resource.   

Also many artists offer online workshops and classes. So if you're on Instagram, for example, and you're really loving the work of a particular artist, if you go into their profile, there's a high chance that they might be offering an online course or a workshop that you could take. And if you're already interested in that artist, chances are you'll enjoy there technique and learning what they do.

Number four, invest small. So just buy what you need for one project. So don't go buying all the yarn in the wool shop even though they're all gorgeous colors and it's all exciting. I would suggest just keep it small. You can always go back if you do decide you like knitting or whatever the project is. You can also look on marketplace for secondhand goods. A lot of people are getting rid of things that they thought they were going to keep doing and decided not to. So, yeah, quick marketplace search or Gumtree, or one of those platforms will probably offer quite a selection of art supplies or musical instruments or anything that somebody had a crack at creatively and decided that's not for them, but maybe it's for you now. So starting with a small investment means you won't feel the pressure to continue if you find that you don't like it and to drawn to a different medium. And pivoting is okay. Sometimes the barrier to starting is the commitment or the perceived large outlay. So just start small and just get going. 

Number five. Coloring books. If you're really stuck for ideas and you just want to get started try coloring. It's such a relaxing and mindful activity. And the great thing is that there are just a few creative decisions to make. For example, what medium are you using? Pencils, texters, colored pens. And then you can choose your colors and the placement as in. Are you going to do it pink on one side and red on the other, or how are you going to place the colors? So that's only really three creative decisions you've had to make. And this can really awaken your creative thinking without the decision fatigue of just starting with a whole blank canvas. Coloring's also quite portable and it's a low investment. 

I've actually released a coloring book this year. It's called It Starts With A Heart. It's available on Amazon, but I will link it in the show notes.  And if you're in the Brisbane area, I will be bringing a giant coloring page to the Rest, Easy Expo on the 24th of August at Technology Park. Now this expo is all about promoting quality sleep and it will feature heaps of vendors who offer goods and services for relaxation and wellbeing. So my coloring page will be a free activity for all attendees who want to come and take a little time out and relax with some coloring in. I can't wait to see what it looks like at the end of the day, when thousands of people have come and contributed to this giant coloring page, it will be really exciting.  So come along if you're Brisbane based. Tickets are now available. They're just $10 for entry. And I'll add that link to the show notes as well.  I'll also be presenting a modified version of my mindful creativity workshop, which will also be free. And that could be a great way to get started on creativity if you use it to get started. Or if you're simply curious as to what a mindful creativity workshop is.  

So they are just a few tips or ideas on how to get started with a creative pursuit.  I'm really excited for you. And if you do get started on something, please do send me a message or an email. I'd love to hear from you and what you've decided to do creatively.  

And just lastly, remember pivoting is okay. You might go through a series of interests, like a serial creator, I like to call them, before you find your thing and that's okay. I've actually pivoted three times in the last few years after practicing textile art for a decade, which I thought I would always do. And I'm one of those people who still has a stash of fabrics and all my materials from the textile art days, because I'm just not quite ready to let all that go yet and I might go back to it, but for the moment I’m enjoying exploring other mediums. And, you know, It's my creative practice.

So I wish you all the best finding your creative path. And remember there are no rules and it's all part of the creative journey.  Just follow the little voice as I always say.  So I hope you found this helpful and I'll see you in the next episode until next time. Bye. For now. 

Why Joy? I didn’t call this podcast the JOYFUL Creative for nothing!

Is joy possible or even important in our busy lives, particularly in the world today? Listen in for my musings on joy, how we take a joyful perspective on the not-joyful aspects of our lives and how we can ensure our creative practice brings the joy it is meant to (not be another burdensome item on the to-do-list)

SHOW NOTES:

Find me on socials  - https://www.instagram.com/deborahotoole_artist/ https://www.facebook.com/DeborahOTooleArtist

Send me an email - [email protected]

Order my colouring book - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/

Subscribe to my mailing list - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/subscribe

TRANSCRIPT:

Well, hi there and welcome back to another episode of the joyful creative. Today, I'm talking about joy.  Is Joy important? I think it is. And that's one of the reasons why I chose the title, the joyful creative for my podcast.. It's not the productive, creative, or the dedicated creative. It's about joy. I feel that so many people lack joy in their lives and joy is important. If you don't have a bit of daily joy in your life. speaking from personal experience and from observing the same thing in the people around me. When you don't do anything fun, you get miserable. 

And you know, that might seem a little bit flippant, but you know, that's how depression and anxiety set in. And well, there might be reasons to be anxious in your life, but if you have a little bit of joy in that sort of helps to subside that. Now I'm not a doctor, I'm not a psychologist. I don't come with any medical professional opinion. This is purely anecdotal, what I've experienced with myself and what I do see in others and from conversations I've had with people recently.  There's a lot to be said for prevention. Let's not wait until we're all taking antidepressants and having to have time off work because we're completely burnt out. Let's be preventative. Let's see what we can incorporate into our lives to avoid going down that dark tunnel and just to keep us a little bit buoyant. 

If you think about the things that we want in life, the things that we covet and, you know, we think that we'll be happy when we get that thing.  Well, If you drill down to why, like why do I want a better job? Do I want a bigger house? Do I want to get pregnant? Do I want to find a life partner? Why do you want that? Well, I want the better job because it will pay more money. Well why do you want  more money? Because then I can pay off my debts. Well why do you want to pay off your debts?  Because then I will feel a little bit less stressed about my financial situation. And if I feel less stressed, then I'll be happy.  So, if you drill down to all the things you might want in your life, you probably find that the reason why, the intrinsic reason why is not just to have a house, not just to have a partner, not just to have a baby. But because you perceive that those things will bring you happiness.  So happiness and joy are really the issue.  Happiness and joy are what we're striving for. 

We're not striving for  more money. We're striving for happiness and joy. And so why not bring something into your life that can bring a little bit of joy?  Um, to have a bit of joy every day. It doesn't mean your whole life is perfect. It doesn't mean that you don't have things that upset you or stress you or that you don't have any problems, but you know, there are a lot of problems in the world, I understand there's cost of living crisis. Housing insecurity, and of course what's going on in the world, all those atrocities, you can't even look at the news without seeing something that's really disturbing and can really make you feel like, well,  what's the point?

Am I allowed to feel joy when people around the world are suffering so badly? It's a tricky question. I'm not proposing to, to be finding the answer. I'm just giving my own perspective here.  But.  I think if we have the attitude that well, there’s so many terrible things happening in the world so I can't feel joy then you can't be a beacon of light and joy to anyone around you.  So do we all just want to be miserable? 

I think when people are miserable, it brings out the worst in people and people are more likely to act out of desperation and not in their highest good or the highest good of the people around them. So I think there is a greater good in people finding their own joy that they can then spread to the people around them.  So let's bring it back to creativity.  I did get some feedback,  from a friend who I don't think she was meaning to say it in this way, but I perceived that,  she was taking my message, my message of “Everybody should do daily creativity” to mean. Gosh. Yes, I know I should do that, but now it's another thing. Now that's another thing on my, to do list. Another thing I should do. Another thing I should do, like going to work, like going to the gym.

And I just want to flip that around because the creativity is meant to be your joy. So, if you're applying anything other than joy to your creativity, then you're really defeating the purpose.  And another perspective of this is to think about anything that you feel like you have to do in life. I have to go to work. I have to go to the gym. I have to do the house work. I have to drive my kids around.  And  look. Yes, our life is full of things that we have to do. But if you think about it, everything that you have in life, on your to-do list, in some ways, at some point you've actually chosen that.  If you've got a horrible job that you hate going to well, in some ways it does bring you some joy. And joy might be a big word, but yeah, that job that you don't love…At least for now, until you find something better, it is providing some financial security for you. So again, joy is a big word. But let's think little joy, joy with a little J.  It might bring a little bit of joy to your life, or at least a bit of contentment that you have that financial security.

Yes, we have to, we should do, should go to the gym or we should exercise. 

Well, the way to look at this is to be joyful or grateful that you've actually got an able body that can take you there. That can exercise that you can keep healthy. 

Or when you've got to run your kids around, I'm sure that you'd rather be sleeping in on a Saturday morning, rather than getting up early and taking them to a soccer match outside in the cold. But you do it because you love your kids and you want to give them the opportunity and you want to be the best parent that you can be to those guys and give them the opportunities to play sport. So you do that. So that is something that you get back. The feeling of what you're providing for your children. So everything we have to do, there is a way to flip it around and think of “What am I getting out of this? I am getting something out of everything that I have to do”?

Even housework. No one likes to do it. Well, some people like to do housework.  I tend to come at it very resentfully. I hate the fact that I have to spend my weekends doing housework, but then I really love to have a clean house. So, yes, there's been times I've had cleaners in the past, but we just don't have one at the moment. So I know what I like to do at, at the time, but the payback is that I have a lovely clean house and I am grateful that I live in a house that I can feel pleasant in.

So look, I'm not saying in any way, please don't take this to mean I'm saying “you made your bed so lie in it.” It's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that. Yes, we all have situations. Sometimes the situations are things that we didn't choose. And I understand that. But for the most part.  Let's think about the things that we have to do in life and put a bit of a joyful spin on it. If, if you can.

And when it comes to creativity. Yes. It might seem like, oh, it's another thing I need to do because it's good for my mental health and my wellbeing.. And I used to do this. I used to think, well, I want to call myself an artist. And I've taken on a commission or Or I have a piece going into an exhibition or a body of work so I really need to get into the studio and get it done even though I'm already really busy with lots of other things and very tired.  And then I realized that what I was doing was getting a bit resentful about having to be creative. Which  really surprised me because I love being creative. 

I love being in my studio and being surrounded by all my pretty art supplies. It really does bring me joy. So why would I be sitting there on the couch, trying to get motivated and feeling resentful about having to be creative?  And it made me think about Elizabeth Gilbert who wrote big magic this is the Elizabeth Gilbert who also wrote, eat, pray, love, which most people would know about. But she also wrote this book called big magic and it's all about creativity. Um, it's a great book. I really recommend it. But one of the things she said in his book that really hit home for me was that she, so her creative thing was writing obviously. And she likened her creative practice to a secret lover, a thing that she would steal away to spend time with and be excited to spend time with alone. And I think that's a beautiful way to think of your creativity. And that certainly helped me too. Think of it.. I actually think about my creativity, like, like my baby. Like I would never be upset with a newborn baby for crying at night.  You'd never be angry with the baby if it was demanding on you in any way, because he loved that baby.  And if you think of creativity like the baby.  You want to nurture it? You want to be there for it. You love it so much that even if you spend time on it, which you feel you don't have, or you don't have the motivation for, you know, what it gives back to you. So it's not a burden. You don't feel resentful about spending time with it.  So that's a perspective that's really helped me.  And again, as I mentioned in some of the previous episodes about making time for creativity,  It shouldn't be a burden. It should be something that you're looking forward to doing. And like, I suppose, for example, if you have a free night where you're home alone, instead of doing housework all night, or even accepting an invitation that you don't want to go to.  Just block out that time for yourself and for your creativity.

It doesn't have to be in everyday thing, but if you really want to get the benefits out of it, It should be a regular thing. And as I mentioned about my streak that I'm on, If I don't do it every day, then there's just so many reasons why my practice can be derailed by. Change of routine or being a bit sick or going away on holidays or work or anything like that. So if I don't do it every day, it goes by the wayside very easily. So that works for me. You can also have a streak where you say, okay, I'm going to do something three times a week or once a week. But making that commitment to yourself.. and when I say making the commitment to yourself, of course now it's sounding a bit prescriptive, which is what I'm trying to avoid.   Your commitment to your creativity should be, and again, I hate to say the shoulds and shouldn'ts.  But you want it to be something that you're looking forward to. Something that is joyful. Something that draws you in.  And that you just can't wait to spend time on like a secret lover.

So there's a bit of advice, I suppose, a bit of guidance on how you can have a more joyful perspective on the things that we need to do. And particularly when it comes to your creative practice which is so beneficial for you, if not, for any other reason than it brings you joy. And Joy is important, as I said. And if you're applying anything other than joy to your practice, then you're defeating the purpose.  

So look, I hope that's been useful. I definitely don't want anybody to feel that my message is demanding or prescriptive in any way.  I'm here to encourage you and to inspire you to really carve out that time for yourself. We all do so many things that we have to do that it is important for our well-being and our future mental health to maintain a little joy in every day. So I hope that's helped, and I'll see you in the next episode. Bye for now. 

DESCRIPTION:

I get it, you’re super busy with life, job, kids, parents, all the things…. and you think “there’s NO WAY I can make my creative practice a regular priority!”

Well, I’ve been there and I can tell you there are ways to help make this a reality and bring the joy  and wellbeing benefits of creativity into your life… yes, every day!

Here are my tips:

1. Start Small - even a little bit every day counts 
2. Set a Routine - scheduling a regular time for your creative session means you don’t have to plan it every single day, and it’s more likely to happen.
3. Create In the cracks - not the ideal situation, but doing your creativity in lunch breaks, in waiting rooms on public transport might mean the difference between getting something done or not.
4. Create A Space - designate a space in your home where you can have your materials and tools ready to go at all times.
5. Stay Inspired - Surround yourself with visual cues to keep you inspired and connected to your practice.
6. Be kind to yourself  - take the pressure off the outcome and practice creativity regularly  simply for the joy of it.

SHOW NOTES:

Find me on socials  - https://www.instagram.com/deborahotoole_artist/

https://www.facebook.com/DeborahOTooleArtist

Send me an email - [email protected]

Order my colouring book - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/

Subscribe to my mailing list - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/subscribe

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi there and welcome back to the joyful creative. I'm Deborah O'Toole. And in episode one, I talked about why creativity is important. So in this episode, as promised, I'll share some tips on how to make your creative practice, a regular part of your busy life.

So tip number one, start small.  In the last episode, I talked about my daily creativity streak inspired by the book streaking by Jeffrey Downs and Jamie Downs. So their version of streaking is not what we Australians know it to be, which is running publicly across a sports field nude. No. The book streaking is about committing to an activity, and that could be running meditating, reading, whatever. And doing that activity every single day or a frequency you set for yourself. And the result is that you create life-changing habits.  Now in one of the chapters, they talk about making the commitment laughably simple. And the reason is so that there is absolutely no barrier to your success in the streak. So you might have a super busy day or be unwell or have some emergency come up.  And if you have set your task as laughably simple then you would still be able to complete your activity for the day and to maintain your streak. Personally, I dedicate a minimum of just five minutes a day to my creative practice.  It usually ends up being more than five minutes, much more actually, normally once I sit down and get going. But there have been times recently when I have literally set a timer for five minutes and just done the bare minimum because it was one of those days. But I still maintained my streak.  Now you might wonder what's the point of only doing such a small amount?  And the answer is that having the streak going means my creative practice is in the forefront of my mind.  Otherwise, I would allow a busy period; Holidays, Travel, Having house guests or any other disruption to my routine  to derail my practice. 

And I would find that I had neglected it for weeks once I thought about it again.  So, whether you go all in and commit to a streak is up to you. But I do recommend committing a small amount of time on a regular, if not daily basis. And you'll soon find that your creative time is as much part of your routine as other daily activities.

Which brings me to tip two.  Set a routine.  Incorporate your creativity into your daily routine, just like you would with exercise or meal times.  Doing things at the same time, every day, consolidates the habit and makes it automatic and less of a drag than having to think about when it's going to happen every day. 

So choose a time you know you're likely to be able to keep, and you're less likely to be derailed or ambushed by other factors in your life. For example earlier in the day might work better for you if you know, you're likely to be brain dead at the end of the day.  Or nighttime when the kids are asleep, might be better for you than when they're awake.  Or first thing when you get home from work while you're still in doing mode before you get into vege mode. 

 I know that if I take off my bra and put on my slippers and sit down on the couch, then things are not likely to happen after that. It's just too hard to get motivated. So if you do your creativity while you're still feeling a little motivated, then you can get it done and relax later.  But if your life has no routine, and your days are completely unpredictable. Look to tip three, which is create in the cracks.

And  by this, I mean, Look for the minor incidental moments where you can get at least something done. It's not ideal, but it's better than doing nothing at all. 

So here's some examples. 

If your creative thing is portable, such as drawing, colouring, doodling, or writing, could you do it on public transport during your commute?  Could you bring it to work and do a little on your lunch break? Could you bring it in the car and do a little while waiting for your kids, music lesson, or while waiting for an appointment?  If it's something not portable, such as painting or sewing, could you do it alongside your kid doing homework, or when they're reading a loud? Or during the ad breaks, if you're watching TV.  Also consider that other related activities, which are portable, like sketching or brainstorming or taking artistic photos on your phone, all count as daily creativity. 

Yes, I acknowledge that these are not the ideal circumstances for prime creative output. But at the very least, they keep creativity at the forefront of your mind, which helps you keep up your creative momentum. And that's important with daily habits.  

The next tip is create a space.  Designate a specific area in your home for your creative activities, because this can help you get into the right mindset. And if possible, have your supplies ready to go because there's no greater excuse for not doing something than having to set things up. If it's there and you can sit right down to it, then you're more likely to do it. Ideally you'd have a studio or a room where you can lock yourself away and be figuratively and literally in the zone when creating, but I realize that's not possible for everyone.  

And of course the type and size was space you need would differ depending on your craft. But I've seen creatives set up at the end of dining tables, on a small desk and a hallway,  a converted linen closet sunrooms, garden sheds. There’s many other options and with a little imagination and a few storage solutions, you should be able to come up with some sort of permanent creative setup. If you search creative spaces on Pinterest, you'll find heaps of ideas.

And also if you have little kids and no room that you can close the door on, and if you're worried about them getting into your project, consider having supplies on a tray or in a basket that you can put out of their way and bring out when you're ready to get creative. And then you might even be able to take your creativity to wherever they are like in their room or playing outside, et cetera.  

Next. Stay inspired.  It can be hard to maintain a creative practice when you're very busy and creativity is the last thing on your mind. So surround yourself with inspiration… books, music, art supplies. Anything that sparks your creativity. If you can gather them together on a shelf or a Pinboard next to your creative space, all the better. But also go out and get amongst inspiration at art galleries exhibitions, live show, urban architecture and of course, nature.  

And lastly, be kind to yourself. 

Remember that creativity isn't about perfection or even finishing anything. It's about expression and enjoyment of the process. So allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them. Follow your curiosity and try new mediums if they interest you. No matter what you do creatively, you still reap all the benefits every time you sit down to it. 

So it's worth continuing for that reason alone. 

So there you are just a few tips to hopefully inspire you to make creativity a regular habit. If you have any other ideas that have worked for you do send me a message. I'd love to hear from you. I'll leave my details in the show notes. 

Until next time, keep creative. And bye for now. 

Who is this Deborah O'Toole anyway??

In this episode, I introduce myself, talk about my creative background and how I’ve come to where I am now.

In short, I'm a former full time Army vocalist who has always loved visual arts, I’m on a daily creative streak and I’m passionate about spreading the good word about creativity for well being. Oh, and I adore my labradoodle and morning coffee!

Listen in for the long story…

SHOW NOTES:

Find me on socials  - https://www.instagram.com/deborahotoole_artist/

https://www.facebook.com/DeborahOTooleArtist

Send me an email - [email protected]

Order my colouring book - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/

Subscribe to my mailing list - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/subscribe

TRANSCRIPT:

Well  hi there and welcome back to the joyful creative. I'm Deborah O'Toole. And today I thought I should probably introduce myself and explain my background and how I've come to doing what I'm doing now in this whole creativity space. I might just jump straight in. 

I have been a vocalist for my whole adult life.... early in my career, I performed in bands.   Did some TVs some recording sessions. So music theatre, which was very exciting. And then in 2002, I joined the Australian army band as a full-time vocalist.  Had a fantastic 21 year career. Traveled some very interesting places, had some amazing experiences there. And early this year, 2024, I have transferred to part-time, just in search of a bit more freedom and a scope to do these creative ideas that I have had for a long time. 

So I'm very grateful for my army career and yeah, I'm still performing with the band part time. So I still have a connection there. ... so for my whole adult life, as well as being a performing artist, I've also practiced visual art. And I got a diploma of art - studio textiles and design from RMIT in 2011.  And then for the next 11 years or so I was practicing textile art, doing a lot of stuff with quilting and but more sort of experimental stuff. Not the quilts with triangles and squares that you might think of when you think about quilting. 

I'm really was just layering up fabrics and adding a lot of embellishments, sequins and beads. Really loved doing all of that. And then I just got to a point when I really wanted to explore other mediums.  The laborious nature of the textile art was bogging me down I'd have to say. Yeah, I just wanted to have the antidote to that very slow art and do something that was a little bit more immediate. ...... I had a bit of a break from it. I picked up my sketchbook and fine liner pen. And I just started doodling, which is a thing I'd  always done. And the doodling was really therapeutic actually. And another thing is that I do a lot of travel, have done with my work and also, personally, we love to get around camping and whatnot. And obviously when you're on the road, it's very hard to take the whole textiles studio with you. 

So that I could still do something creative, I would bring at the very least a sketchbook and a fine liner pen and sometimes a bunch of coloured pencils. So I could use some colour as well. And I just really got into these little sketches. Yeah. They became a bit of an obsession. Then I got myself an iPad and  started doing the doodles digitally in the procreate app.  And then that actually led to me creating a bunch of illustrations that I've now published into a colouring book, which is available. I'll put the details in the show notes.  Yeah. So that was an interesting project as well, just to go through the whole  logistics of publishing a colouring book. So I  got that out this year. 

So around the same time I was doing these digital doodles, I started a daily creativity streak. That started last September 2023.  And I planned to do it for a month, doing something creative every day for a month. And then at the end of the month, I just kept going and I'm still on it now.  Yeah, the streak has really changed my life because (it sounds really dramatic doesn't it?) It's really changed my practice, let’s put it that way. Because before I started the streak, I would always wait until I had time to be creative. I would have a project I wanted to do and I would say, okay, I'll do it tonight after work. 

And then I would get home from work and then there'd be some life thing that would happen or I'd just be too frickin tired, to be honest. And then I think  I'll wait till the weekend and then I'll be fresh. But then of course, on the weekends, there's other life things that have to happen. And. Let's face it. Sometimes you just actually want to do weekend do things when the sun's out and, there’s country drives to do and people to go out with and whatnot.  Then yeah, the creativity would get pushed to the side, even on the weekends when I thought I had time.

So doing the daily streak, what it's done is made it so that it's at the forefront of my mind. And I just do the bare minimum. I make my bare minimum five minutes. So if I really can't do any more than that. I do five minutes and then I can say I've done it. And it just keeps me connected. It keeps me connected to my practice as an artist. And of course other than that, I have experienced all the benefits that I explained in episode one about the powers of creativity and regular creativity. And now, yeah, the daily thing, there's so much less pressure. I think before hand I would have a project or a body of work or a piece I wanted to create and I would think about it. And I would want to do that whenever I had time. And now that I just do it every day, it doesn't matter what I do. It doesn't matter what I do every day, I could just be playing around. 

And I think that playful nature of my art practice was really missing beforehand. So that's one of the reasons why the streak is great. I have to be honest and say that I've made a lot of art that isn't going anywhere. It's just, it's just a whole lot of samples. But it may lead to something. In the future, but anyway, that's that's the thing for future Deb to worry about. So yeah. 

So now that I've experienced this benefit of doing it regular, I'm saying daily, but not everybody's going to be on board with the daily thing, but I'm going to say regular creative practice. I'm just really passionate about spreading the word.

And I've just developed a mindful creativity workshop. It's still in its infancy, but so far I've had some great results and really great feedback from participants who don't see themselves as being creative. And the point of the workshops is not for people to learn any type of artistic technique. So it's not an art class. It's not it's not art therapy. But people do definitely feel the benefits of just dropping in and just sitting quietly with a pen and paper. Or with some ink and paper. And just doing something that's very simple that becomes very mindful.  Yep. So I'm really looking forward to exploring where I can go with that. Yeah. And so that has led me to create this podcast so I can reach more people with this message and offer support and practical tips to help people to manage regular creative practice within their busy lives. Because.  I've been there. 

I know that people will say, Hey, I've got little kids that I don't have one moment of time to myself, let alone five minutes to do creativity. And.  Yep. I've been there. I know how it feels. It's not just people with kids, it's people with, Parents that they're caring for, or just full-time jobs that leave them brain dead at the end of the day. Yeah, they are real things. 

And I think I have some pretty cool ideas and tips to help people get around that. And I'm just here for empowerment. I'm a real enabler. And I am going to say, if you think you don't have time you do have time and please take the time to do it for yourself.

So that's really the journey. 

A few more fun facts about me if you're interested… I'm married to Tooley we live with our  very adored labradoodle Roxie dog. We've got three adult children between us and I've got a granddaughter so I'm a Nana. And they all live in Melbourne. So Tooley and I are empty-nesters now.  We currently live in Brisbane, Australia. But because we're still subject to Army postings we will be moving on from here within months and yeah. Who knows where we'll be at the time of your  listening to this. It could be anywhere.  What else? I recently qualified as a yoga teacher and I meditate regularly. I did have a little bit of a break from it recently, and gosh, I feel it. Yeah, my meditation pillow was calling me recently. So I need to meditate. The other thing I need is a good strong coffee in the morning so I can function.  I don't drink coffee all day, it’s just really a morning thing.  But yeah, it's essential.

I love singing music, theatre songs. And I love listening to disco music when I'm pottering around the house and doing housework and whatnot. Yeah, disco seventies authentic, please.  What else? At the time of recording, I'm 53 years old and yeah, I'm really excited to be moving into my, somebody called it an Encore career as a freelance creative.  Still not sure where this is taking me, but anyway I'm going with the flow. 

So here I am.  What else? I love colour and I love playing with colour combinations and I love sparkles.  I'm a bit crazy for a middle-aged lady loving so much colour, especially pink and sparkles. But that's why you'll see a lot of metallic and glitter in my work.  

Yeah, that's just about it. If there's anything else about me that you're curious to know, send me a message on social media.  I’ll put those links in the show notes and yeah, I'll get back to you.  So that's about it for today.  I hope you've enjoyed that. Thanks for listening. And I do hope you join me in the next episode. 

Bye. For now.

Welcome to the first episode!

Here I talk about the WHY? Why regular creativity is important, and some of the incredible benefits to mental health and wellbeing. If you’re struggling to prioritise regular creativity in your busy life, these points might just help you reframe that thinking so you can get more creative, enjoy the benefits and bring more joy into your life!

Here are the takeaways:

1. Creativity reduces stress and anxiety.

2.   Creativity boosts mental health.

3. Creativity fosters a sense of accomplishment.

4. Creativity connects us with others.

5. Creativity keeps our minds sharp.

SHOW NOTES:

Find me on socials  - https://www.instagram.com/deborahotoole_artist/

- https://www.facebook.com/DeborahOTooleArtist

Send me an email - [email protected]

Order my colouring book - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/  

Subscribe to my mailing list - https://www.deborahotooleartist.com/subscribe

TRANSCRIPT:

Well, hello and welcome to the first official episode of the joyful creative. I'm Deborah O'Toole and I'm passionate about creativity for wellbeing and making it a joyful priority in our busy lives.  Today, we're starting with the why, why regular creativity is so important.  I think creativity gets so underestimated as a form of wellbeing.  People see it as a hobby or a nice thing to do when you (in quotes) have time. But I would argue, and this is from my own experience and observing it in the people around me that regular creativity is actually essential, just as it's accepted that daily exercise is beneficial to our health and wellbeing, so too should creative activities, if they bring you joy. I mean, nobody says “I went for a run today and that's all I have time for this month.”  Or showering or brushing teeth.  You know, they're activities that we know should be done regularly, if not daily, to be of benefit to us. So creativity, isn't just a fun pastime. It's a powerful tool for enhancing our wellbeing. So let's talk about some of the incredible benefits of engaging in regular creative activities.

So number one, it reduces stress and anxiety. 

And this is such a big issue these days.People are overworked and burned out and just surviving.  But when we immerse ourselves in a creative activity, our minds enter a state of flow. So, this is when we become fully absorbed in what we're doing. We tend to lose track of time and whatever stresses you might've been thinking about before, just seem to go away. Studies have shown that this state of flow can reduce stress and anxiety and leave us just feeling more relaxed and centered.  And let's face it, just being surrounded by all your beautiful materials, the softness of your knitting yarn, the shiny viscousness of paints. The patterns on your scrapbooking paper, the feel of piano keys under your fingers. All these comforting sensory experiences can put you literally and figuratively in a happy place.

So number two.  (And this is a little bit like number one, but) it boosts mental health.

So regular creative practice has been linked to improved mental health. Activities like painting, writing, or playing music can act as a form of self-expression.  It allows us to process emotions and experiences in a healthy way. And this can lead us to greater self awareness and emotional resilience.

Number three. Creativity fosters a sense of accomplishment.

Completing a creative project, if you actually complete them, which I know a lot of creative people start projects and don't complete them. But when you do, no matter how small it's gives you a great sense of achievement and pride. And this can boost self-esteem and motivates us to tackle new challenges, both creatively and in other aspects of our lives. The fact that even if you simply managed to do something creative every day, or at least regularly, you’re keeping a commitment to yourself and to your own wellbeing, which is definitely an accomplishment in these stressful times.

Number four. Creativity connects us with others.

So sharing creative work can build connections with others, whether it's joining a local art class workshops, retreats, participating in writing groups, gardening club, community theatre, or community bands. Well, simply sharing your creation with friends and family or online on social media.  It fosters community and helps us form relationships and starts conversations and discussions. And all of this is great for mental health and wellbeing. 

And finally, number five. Creativity keeps our minds sharp.

So creativity is essentially problem solving. So while it feels relaxing, your brain is in a constant state of engagement on the task. For example, when you're choosing colors or placement, design elements, like scale composition, et cetera. Creative activities stimulate the brain, keeping our minds sharp and agile,  it can improve cognitive functions, like memory, attention, and concentration. (Which if any of you a little bit like me and a little bit middle-aged you'll know how essential it is as we age to keep our minds going so that we can avoid that brain fog and forgetfulness that seems to come on) 

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. I'm sure that there are other benefits to creativity. But if you've been struggling to prioritize regular creativity in your life, hopefully this episode will help you to reframe this thinking so that you can reap all of these benefits and bring more joy into your life.  That's it for now, but in a future episode, I'll be giving some practical tips on how to make creativity, a regular habit. I hope you can join me then. 

Bye. For now. 

Welcome to The Joyful Creative - a source of inspiration for integrating creativity into your busy life. Whether you're into painting, writing, knitting, music, cooking, or gardening, I firmly believe that nurturing your creative practice is essential for your wellbeing.

Join me as we embark on a journey to reconnect with the creative passions that bring us joy. Together, we'll explore practical and holistic approaches to creativity, uncovering its profound impact on mental health and overall wellbeing. Through insightful discussions and practical tips, I'll help you navigate the challenges that often hinder regular creative expression. Whether you're looking to reignite your creative spark or embark on a new creative journey, The Joyful Creative is here to support and inspire you every step of the way.

Connect with Deborah

Website

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube