CONTEXT
While I work out the small steps, I need to take to meet my objective(s) I take into account my current life circumstances. Accommodating my life circumstances within my workflow makes it easier to reach my objective(s) as I allow myself to take time to finish what I started instead of inflicting unsustainable and overwhelming amounts of stress in my creative process which disrupts the connection with my creative self.
I have a strong tendency to underestimate how much time is needed to complete tasks or finish the project I’m working on. If I don’t finish the project within the time scale, I set for myself I get discouraged and upset with myself. However, if my tasks are smaller and I finish them way ahead of my self-imposed deadline(s) that is a completely different story.
ACTIONS
One action I took that helped me unpack my creative objectives was working with a mentor. Since I realise not everyone has the opportunity to work with a mentor, this post focuses on how you could mentor yourself by working with questions.
I ask myself questions all the time, which helps me process information.
When I work on a film, I ask actors a ton of questions, which they don’t have to answer. My intention is to plant a seed of curiosity to help them develop their character on many different levels. Over the years, I discovered that asking questions is one of the most important methods to grow and develop my creativity and my creative art practice.
Here are some questions you might want to sit with in order to grow your understanding of your own (creative, project) objectives:
- Are your objectives realistic enough?
- Are your objectives in keeping with the project/s you are working on? Or have they become so big that you lost a sense of where the project is going?
- Do you have a timeline to meet your objectives? Do you have accountability systems in place to keep to that timeline? Could you ask your friend, a family member or colleague to help you be (more) accountable if accountability is an issue?
- Are your objectives in line with your personal and artistic values?
- Are you connected to your creative self while trying to meet your objectives, or are you engaging in toxic productivity in the process?
- Do you need to divide your objectives into smaller chunks, as your main objective is too large to be tackled at once?
- What tasks do you need to perform to meet your objectives? Can you make a list of those tasks with deadlines for when they will be finished? Always give yourself more time than you think you will need. Life happens, and some tasks take longer to accomplish. In my case, I’m usually overoptimistic and schedule too little time to meet my deadlines. If you don’t need the extra time, you can start working on the next task down your list or take some time off.
HOW TO START
You could start simply.
A notebook. A few pages. Write, make lists, collage whatever helps you stay in the process. Working within something gentle and flexible can slowly build momentum.
Working with a mentor was something that helped me a lot. Not just because of the guidance, but because it helped me learn how to trust my own decisions again.
Over time, I realised that this is something I now hold space for in my Creative Audit work too supporting others in finding what feels right for them, in their own creative practice and at their own pace.
In my own process, this meant learning to make decisions based on what felt right in that particular moment.
STAYING CONNECTED
As I continue to discover myself as an artist, I keep coming back to one thing:
I need to feel emotionally connected to what I’m working towards.
Without that connection, it becomes very difficult to stay with it.
To support that connection, I return to small, creative acts. Things that feel playful, intuitive, and grounded in my artistic values.
NEURODIVERSE POV
Working in smaller steps makes a big difference for me.
It allows my neurodiverse brain to see movement and progress. Each task becomes clear, and each one carries weight.
In this way, the process itself becomes just as important as the outcome.
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