Crystal Happy Hour 1/12 : Creative Rest and Recovery

Hello loves! Grace here to talk with you about creative rest. In the season of winter and hibernation - not all rest involves getting extra sleep or adding meditation into your routine (while those things are delicious). So over the next few weeks we are going to dive into different types of rest, the first and one I am focusing on this week is Creative Rest.

So what does this mean? Creativity is woven into every area of my work - from making jewelry, to hosting sound healing classes, to writing these weekly emails or co creating our incredible class calendar - everyday asks for the creative self to come out to play. Come the beginning of the year - I have spent the last few months making over 500 pieces of jewelry, helping so many of you find meaningful gifts producing so much. As soon as this season came to a close, I felt the creative exhaustion creep up. Writing, making and even playing my bowls felt taxing. This was my big flashing sign that rest was needed.

Old me would have tried to push through, maybe throw a little shame in about requiring a break and then proceeded to procrastinate and not get very much done anyway. Oh the power of knowing myself and old patterns.

But we are not doing that. I've been listening to the little voice inside my head, asking what it needs and following the little breadcrumbs. Here are some of the things that I've been leaning into to help recharge!

• Clearing out and reenergizing my creative spaces. This is something that has been weighing on my to-do list for literal months. If you are a maker of any kind, you know the challenge of balancing the creative inspiration and the systems of organization that help you feel sane.

• Trying out new creative things - new recipes (slower the better), new art medium, redecorate a space in your life, join a new class, etc. For me, I am taking my time trying out new jewelry styles and different crystals and tools I haven't seen in a while! Within this practice, I am striving not to spiral into any judgment, but focusing on the act of simply creating for the sake of creation.

• I am soaking in other creative things like movies, music, musicals, books, art, etc. I love being around other people's creations and they inspire me. This helps fill my cup in another way and keeps me moving in these colder months.

• Listening to the moments of inspiration! It would be so easy to schedule my making time and have everything go as planned. This rarely happens - between being a parent, business owner and animal mom - joyful chaos is apart of my everyday life. So when I feel the pull to grab my pliers and create something, I honor the call. I'm working in little pockets that inspire the longer sessions. Our creativity is a goddess who loves to feel heard and wooed. I have learned that listening sure makes the process more delightful!

So lovelies, take your time, but in your own way, make sure your beautiful creative self has a space to play this Winter! Taking time to create, listen and adventure is vital to calling in joy, momentum and a regenerating life. The whole point of rest is to fill up our cup enough to live a big, beautiful, expanded life!