Context
I started running my creative practise in 2004. At that time the Internet and YouTube were just beginning to capture people’s imagination. The Internet captured my imagination for sure as all of a sudden so many possibilities and opportunities were becoming available. I was hooked. Unfortunately, by 2015 I was three years into creative burnout that began after I shot my feature film Anna & Modern Day Slavery. (Without the Internet and exposure to the online community that film wouldn’t have happened. Sadly back then I simply didn’t know how to handle my Internet and social media overconsumption.)
Now I know and can see that my creative burnout was caused by toxic productivity and hustle culture. (I have written a lot about that on this Substack so please do search my archive posts if that interests you.) The creative burnout itself was horrible, emotionally and physically painful. But in 2015 I thought that the only way through creative burnout was to keep going. I don’t remember seeing or reading anything about slow living or slow creativity in 2015. Luckily, with time and social acceptance of slowness as a lifestyle choice I slowly started seeing the damage constant doing and over productivity was doing to me as a creative individual and to my creative practise.
I don’t think my personal life is slow when I’m in London. But if I go to Scotland or my parents’ country house in Poland slowness is part of the everyday existence. And I love it more with each passing year.
After going back to higher education in 2021, I knew that in order for me to keep creating and running my creative practice I had to change a lot in my practise and embrace something else’s besides toxic productivity.
So, since 2021 I’ve been introducing slowness into my creative practise through intentional engagement with slow practices and activities, while consciously focusing on the creative process instead of the outcomes. That in turn has allowed me to find joy in my creativity once again as creative burnout not only blocked my access to creativity but also took away the joy, I felt making something that didn’t exist before, developing a project or simply daydreaming (a very important part of creativity and creative practise).
My Top Tips on How to Introduce Slow Creativity into Your Practise?
- When you begin a project give yourself permission to explore the project instead of chasing the outcome.
- Don’t aim at perfection. Focus on curiosity and all the different ways the project can grow, evolve and change along the way.
- Aim for realistic deadlines. If you work other jobs alongside developing your project, it will take much longer to complete the project.
- Having to step away from the project is not a failure rather a healthy way to look after your creativity, your project and your mental health.
- Asking for help is absolutely allowed (you don’t need permission to do that). You don’t need to make/create/produce everything on your own. Sometimes delegating is what will make or break your project.
- Don’t compare yourself to others as this is creatively deadly and not very productive.
- Slow down, not all the elements of the project need to come together all at once. The waiting, which reveals the creative journey is also part of the creative process. Treasure the whole process.
- What you create doesn’t have to be for sale, end up in museums or galleries. Making gifts for friends and family also requires creativity and should be treated as a creative practise.
- Taking a break is part of the process.
- Don’t force creativity. If you have no idea what to do next take a break or work on another project.
- Toxic productivity and hustle culture are not your friends. As maintaining those two requires massive amounts of energy that could be used in a much kinder, slower creative process.
- Sometimes doing less is exactly what is needed to make progress.
- Focus is the key, something toxic productivity fiercely opposes.
- You don’t need to ask anyone for permission to be creative or work on creative projects.
When you start moving towards slow creativity, there will be a lot of resistance in your body as well as routine. You might even find yourself resisting the creative process itself. If that happens give yourself time for activities that give you pleasure but are not necessarily directly connected to creativity:
- Go for a walk.
- Dance like no one is watching.
- Cook your favourite food.
- Repair your clothes.
- Tidy up your cupboards.
- Rest and do nothing.
- Read a book.
- Watch a film.
Engaging in slow activities that can spark creativity and connection to creative self will help you sustain your creative practise in a long run. There is no point working on one project, burning out and walking away from your creativity, creative practise and all the projects that could have been, if only…
As for my creative practise nowadays, I think long and hard before committing to a project. I don’t overcommit any more, don’t stretch myself too thin and I’m very comfortable saying no.
I would love to hear from you. How are you engaging or planning to engage slow practices to make sure your creativity and creative practice are sustainable for a lifetime?
Leave your thoughts, comments and wonderings below.
You Might Alos Be Interested In:
The Best Summer Day in 2026 Full of Uninterrupted Creative Expression
Leave a Reply