This hasn’t been a great year… I know you likely feel the same way (and probably have for the entirety of the 2020s thus far!). We’ve all been dealing with immeasurable stress, crushing losses, lingering grief…

It’s been an especially difficult time for creators — writers, artists, and other creative minds.

In a dose of cold, harsh reality: Freelancers and independent creators don’t get paid if they don’t create! (And nothing adds extreme stress to an already crisis-level emotional situation like wondering “How am I going to buy food/pay bills this month??”). For many of us, we create because we have to in order to survive — it’s the only thing we’re good at.

In a more romantic sense: We create because we NEED to. It doesn’t just help us survive financially, it just plain helps us survive.

Creativity is at the heart of everything that matters. In many ways, it’s the only thing that matters. Especially now.

But sometimes creating things is SO DIFFICULT!! Even when we want to — even when we need to!

When you’re in the midst of a personal crisis (illness, bereavement, sleep deprivation, etc.), it can feel almost impossible to find the will and the inspiration to create anything. I know it has been for me… But, in spite of the difficulty, I’ve been creating a whole heck of a lot of stuff on a fairly consistent basis.

The following are the techniques I use to keep creating, always. I hope that my tips help you to continue creating during a crisis as well.

Continue reading “How to Continue Creating During a Personal Crisis” →