Clean Your Room and Do the Dishes

Is it just me, or are we all a bit more creative when we have some distance between ourselves and our chaos?

Living life – be it adventure, struggle, conflict or resolution – gives us the bedrock of artistic inspiration. But if you’re anything like me, actualizing that inspiration requires moments of calm.

Case in point: Just sitting here working my ass off in the studio, 10pm on a Friday night…the last few weeks have been a doozie. Crazy schedule, travel, media, Best Camera, assignments, work, deluge, family, not enough hours. Needing. Inspiration. Struggling. To come up with. Some creative inspiration for an upcoming project. Kept indulging, pushing. Longer hours. Nothing. Creatively parched.

So I went to my old college habit. The grown-up version of cleaning your room during finals before you begin to study…[click ‘continue reading’ link below] —

I temporarily dug outta my life’s clutter. I cleaned out my inbox, cleared off my desktop, returned some voicemails, I made lists. It gave me a moment. A breath. I went for a walk in the rain, carefree for the first time in weeks. And sipped a glass of wine.

And it happened. 2 hours of calm is all it took, and whammo. Best ideas I’ve had in weeks.

It’s often hard to see the forest through the trees, but the next time you’re struggling creatively, go clean your room and do the dishes. Pay your bills and then take a walk. Get some distance from your mayhem, even if it’s for an hour. I’ll bet you 10 bucks you’ll be better off–and more creative–because of it.

Have a great weekend. I know I will.
—

Get my every move: Follow Chase Jarvis on Twitter
Get exclusive content: Become a Fan on Facebook