I have found it helpful to cultivate my own personal distinctions between creative work and creative practice. Observing differences between these two channels also sheds light on the fact that one does not have to be working in a creative field or have an art-based business in order to have a very real and purposeful creative practice. Practice is a field of its own. Frolic!
The main difference I feel between creative work and creative practice is that creative work has energy extending out externally, and creative practice has energy turning inward. To me, creative work often feels like outward expression because I can feel it moving through my being and out into the world to be engaged with. On the contrary, I like to define creative practice as something that is a more centered around the inner experience because I have felt it facilitating inward questioning, inward conversation and inward understanding.
I of course can’t speak for everyone, but in my experience, creative work is when I am in open conversation with others or the world, and creative practice is when I am in intimate wordless conversation with myself.
I am not saying one is better than the other, because both of these directions for creative energy are wonderful at the right times. I can however feel the particular qualities of the way practice calls my energy back in, which balances out all of the outward expressing, reaching and connecting that happens naturally in abundance just by being a living person.
Practice and work in relationship
It is fun to see practice and work not only separate but complimentary, in a fluid relationship. Practice can often set the growing grounds for anything that might be considered work later. For example, the material that genuinely arises from the authenticity of honest practice can sneakily go on to influence the work in magical, sometimes even unexpected ways. It’s like how new patterns absorbed from regular meditation practice can slowly start to seep in to your daily life and positively influence your perception and relationships.
Even if what you consider as your work is not in a creative field, or even if your work has nothing to do with what you practice creatively for yourself, the experience of allowing yourself time for creativity may still influence your work and other parts of your life in some awesome ways.
If creativity is part of your work, just know that your work doesn’t have to be your only creative outlet. Let that soften your spirit. Having my stationery & gift line feels purposeful, creatively fulfilling and supportive in its own way. It just can’t be my only channel for creativity. I learned this the hard way, one identity crisis later. ;-)
I know now that my work and life only benefit from a more full Kristen who has some quality bright-burning fuel to show up from a balanced place. My creative practice is an important part of that. Starting a creative practice that has separate intentions from work has felt more like a return than a departure. An expansion rather than division. There is a solid boundary between my practice and my work, but with many windows. ⟡ ⟡ ⟡
For me, practice and work also have some symbiosis going on. I wouldn’t be able to afford art supplies to make paintings if I didn’t have a job. Similarly, I wouldn’t be as happy or inspired in my work if I didn’t have my practice.
There is weird overlap sometimes, too. Since painting is what I currently consider my practice, and designing goods is what I have made a business out of, the crossover of selling paintings goes into this whole other fun and weird mish mash territory where I feel I can be adaptive to each particular opportunity of offering those. This is different and a little more complicated than selling the goods I design, which have clearly set prices and structured sales channels.
Filters.
When creativity is for work, it may pass through a mental filter or two, which makes sense and is very helpful. It’s good to have parameters to guide purpose. For me, the work filters are simple questions, usually. What season is it? Does my heart say this design is worth printing hundreds of copies of? Might others enjoy this?
But in the space of my personal creative practice, the process only needs to be in alignment with my unfiltered nature, nothing more. No business questions to ask. No urgency. No filters needed. In a world of filters, we also need honest practices.
By having creative outlets that are just intimately for my own personal study, free from sales channels and release schedules, and free from the energy of seeking reactions, a different and more honest quality of inner space is able to arise.
In that unfiltered inner space, there is a bit of openness and freedom.
Side quest: Do we really avoid filters by going inward? I am here to say probably not! The real adventure is when we start becoming aware all of the inner filters we have within ourselves once we start directing the curiosity that way. Whoops, have fun!
Creative practice and creative work as individual intentions
A big reason for wanting to make this distinction between practice and work isn’t only to illustrate how I have observed them interacting, such as within my own work/practice situation, it’s to also reinforce the idea that creative practice can be completely independent from work.
A creative practice doesn’t need to be for anything other your personal self discovery and expression.
I wouldn’t have necessarily known this if I hadn’t gone through the process of developing separate creative intentions and noticing what that feels like and how it plays out. I know that if my business collapsed or the whole building set on fire, I would still have a well-rooted creative practice, because the heart of practice lies within myself. What I have physically going on now is just one material manifestation of the same life force that could generate something else of the same, like when you cut a limb off of a plant and it starts growing a new plant somewhere else on the stalk. This brings me so much comfort. Because I know I can always be an artist. I can always find some way to make something no matter what, where, or when. *Exhale*.
So, what does it sound like to you to establish some roots in a non-formal, non-worky creative adventure for yourself?
Speaking of roots, my next post is about practice as a garden. ✿
For now, some more questions to consider:
What does the difference between practice and work feel to you?
How does it feel to see practice as energy going inward instead of outward? Does that resonate?
What kind of creative activities connect you deeper with yourself?
When do you feel the most free in your experience with creativity?
♡ keep practicing ♡
P.S. you can always reply to this email if you have any reflections to share! I love hearing from you.
P.P.S. This whole project really is just my own ongoing reflection log. These are the particular concepts I am really feeling inspired about. You might have an entirely different relationship with creativity and work. I can only really share from my own experience and perspective. Something as ethereal and vast as creativity should not and shall not be confined or defined with rigidity by means of specific thoughts, concepts or opinions. Always honor your individual experience.
I hope my reflections help you relate to yourself, even if yours are different!
Happy full moon time,
-Kristen
This was a particularly great one, Kristen. Lots to think about and consider.