Going in Circles: how to start again when you’ve fallen off the creativity cliff
- misszoezo
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
When I’m in a teaching moment, and my client is struggling with their inhibitions, feeling like the whole world is watching them as they try to conjure a moment where they won’t completely fuck up being creative, I quietly say: just draw circles. Fill the page. Draw them over and over again. And, when you fill the page with your tight little worrisome circles, don’t stop, but keep going. Find another way — change to a different hand, a different colour, a different medium like charcoal, crayon, ballpoint pen or scissors, paper and glue. Just... play. You could fill an entire journal with circles and no page would be the same.
Why circles?
Because anyone can draw them. Even people who can barely draw stick figures can draw circles! And even if you only have the back of an envelope and the stub of a pencil, you can draw. Anything.
Confession: I forgot to circle!
For the past several months, I've been chastising myself for not doing enough — I should have written at least one email per month, written a blog, painted in my studio, recorded an online mini-course, journaled, etc. And yeh, I did some of those things and felt sick that I wasn't also providing free content for Meta. But, every time I considered doing any of these things, I was both overwhlemed by all the things I would have to ignore if I concentrated on just one thing, and I felt that I'd have to, once again, explain my absence. But also, how am I ever going to succeed if I don't get the things done? How could I promote a new mini-thing if I don't actually have the mini thing made? How am I going to write another blog post or email and admit that I am not doing it right? Paralysis!
But then...two crucial things happened:
A wise woman (my counselor) suggested I read this book: 4000 Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman
I spent time at my favourite beach with my boys, my dog, my sister, nephew and her dog.
Oliver Burkeman is a reformed productivity-pushing experter (my kids used to tell me they were 'experters', and it is now a word). Reading his book, speaking with my counselor and coming face to face with some newly revealed truths had made me realised I simply cannot do all those things all the time. And HOLY SHITBALLS, I feel so much less fractious, more focused and really close to shutting down my meta accounts... maybe. I'm not quite there yet...
But what about the beach?
OK, so the beach was the thing that showed me my way back here, to writing this blog, to you. Every step I took, eveywhere I looked, I could see circles. And, realisation warmed a smile across my face as my darling dog circled back to check I was still with the gang, and my darling family pottered around ahead: I just need to draw the circles, start writing, get back in. So, here I am. And I'm glad.
And, now I want to know: how do you get back in the flow? How do you start again, particularly if you feel pressured to show up, do something, be something? I'd love to know — comment below, send me an email, ok?
xx
Me.
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