Creative lessons from a colourful sunset
Plus what to do when self-doubt takes over and how maybe you don’t need more time.
This is the first post of my monthly series called ‘Cocoon’.
Cocoon is a monthly series all about how mums create in the time they have available to them, as well as how motherhood inspires their creativity.
I’ll also be delving into this idea of being in the messy middle. The bit where you are working things out, doubting yourself and coming up with new ideas. When you are finding the courage to try something new even though you don’t know how it’ll work out.
In this first post, I’m going to be focusing on creativity lessons from a colourful sunset, what to do when self-doubt takes over and how maybe you don’t need more time.
I hope that this monthly series gives you more self-belief, encouragement and it sparks your creativity.
I’ve decided to do 3 mini posts today
In the spirit of being creative and being experimental, this post has 3 mini posts in it. Somehow, for today, it feels better to write these rather than one long post, so this is what I’m going with.
I’ve been listening to
and her calls in the membership and feel really inspired by those. Claire is a big advocate for being experimental on Substack and trying new things out, so I’m taking her advice!These 3 mini-posts are:
🌄 Creative lessons from a colourful sunset
✨ It’s always worth it despite the self-doubt
🕛 Maybe you don’t need more time…
🌄 Creative lessons from a colourful sunset
I was leaving the house to pick my daughter up from her netball practice on Monday evening and the colour of the sunset stopped me in my tracks. I saw it through the conservatory windows, a colourful backdrop to the bare trees in my garden before I left.
In some parts, the sky looked like a watercolour painting with strokes of light pink, purple and blue all merging together. Then, in the few minutes it took to drive to pick up my daughter, the sky had turned into a bright orange, yellow and pink.
Seeing that colourful sunset moving through those different colours so quickly, made me think of how the changeable and fleeting nature of a sunset is so similar to our creativity.
Catch that creative idea and time whilst it’s there
The creative ideas that pop into my head, often come along when I’m on the middle of doing something like making the kids dinner, and I try to catch that idea before it totally disappears. Writing it in my phone, on a piece of scrap paper or in my journal, if it’s close to hand.
Kind of like the way I wanted to record the moment of the sunset quickly by taking a photo. It’s that urge or instinct of feeling like, I know if I don’t write this idea down, I'll lose it forever.
Also, when I do have the space to be creative, I know how fleeting that time is, because it’s only ever in really short bursts. Similar to the way the sunset moves through all of the colours quickly and then it’s gone. Showing those colours for just a short while.
You never know how things will turn out
The changing colours I saw in the sunset reminds me of how our creative ideas can morph and change too. Sometimes I start a creative project or start writing a post thinking it will go one way and actually it changes into something else entirely and takes me somewhere unexpected.
Maybe there's something to learn here too about letting go or not holding on to the outcome of my creativity so tightly, because it will change anyway. To focus more on the process and enjoy that instead.
Something bigger than us
The sunset also reminds me that there is something bigger than us at work, I love this Elizabeth Gilbert quote that hints to this idea within creativity too:
“The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.”
Realising that there’s something bigger at play helps put things into perspective too, especially when I’m deep in self-doubt and comparison.
✨It’s always worth it despite the self-doubt
Something that I find really hard about trying something new or being creative is the self-doubt that seems to accompany me for the journey. Self-doubt is ultimately there to protect us but it definitely doesn’t feel like that when that potent blend of comparison, imposter syndrome and perfectionism all stop you in your tracks.
Or it might be a fear of failure, fear of judgement or a fear of just getting it wrong.
Self-doubt can be so loud and feels so much like the truth, that even trying to take action feels really hard.
So, what do you do when you feel like the self-doubt is winning?
Let’s be honest, it is scary trying something new.
It can feel like the stakes are so high because you are taking that leap and not knowing if all of your effort is going to be worth it.
In amongst all of this self-doubt, you can actually forget the reason why you are doing something new in the first place.
But I’m here to remind you that it is absolutely worth it to take the chance to try something new. Especially as a mum. For so many reasons, like:
Maybe you are trying something new to reclaim some time for you, in amongst motherhood.
Maybe your perspective has totally shifted as a mum and you’ve had an idea of something you’d love to set up or start.
Maybe it’s to bring more fun into your life.
Maybe it really means something to you.
Maybe it’s something that totally lights you up.
Maybe it’s something that makes you feel like you again.
You can’t guarantee if it will all work out - it might do, it might not.
But there’s so much more to enjoy than just the outcome, like:
Feeling the excitement of starting something new.
Feeling inspired by the creative energy.
That flow state you get into when you start working on it.
Enjoying the creative process, learning and making mistakes.
Having something just for you, that you can come back to time and time again, alongside being a mum.
Just trying that new thing out, seeing how it goes, giving it a chance, that is where the magic is.
Something else happens too…
By taking that action and doing the thing, despite the self-doubt, something else happens.
Those loud voices of self-doubt definitely get quieter. You get wise to them and notice them as a pattern of behaviour that come up when you are about to try something new, rather than them being the absolute truth.
And in the place of self-doubt, comes self-belief.
That self-belief is going to grow each time that you try. You’ll be able to reflect on what worked and what didn’t, because you tried.
You’ll also learn what kind of words can you offer yourself the next time those loud thoughts of self-doubt take over.
Trying something new and doing the thing despite all of those doubts and fears?
It’s an act of courage and that’s something to be proud of.
🕛 Maybe you don’t need more time….
I always tell myself that if I had more time to work on my business then I’d get more done. Which is true in some ways, but I’ve realised something this week too.
I’m currently fitting in writing and working on my coaching business in my son’s nap-times and occasionally in the evenings. When I started my Substack in May last year, I was in the habit of posting every week and writing something no matter what.
This was good for me in the sense of being consistent, developing my writing and trying something new. I also didn’t have the time to doubt myself, I only had the time to just do the thing I needed to do.
Since December, I stepped back from the weekly posting to give myself more space because it all felt like a bit too much. That break has been good in some ways, but I’ve noticed something else too.
Giving myself more space has meant more room for these doubts to creep in. Old doubts that didn’t really cross my mind when I was posting weekly.
I remember a similar thing happening a few years ago.
When my middle son started school and I had more time to work on my coaching business (I’d just found out I was pregnant with my youngest at this point). From 9:30-2:30, that time was my own. I did find though, that I had a lot more time to procrastinate and there was also more time for those fears to take hold too.
So, it’s funny because when I’ve got less time and just do the work anyway, it feels frantic, but then I’ve got less time to worry. Now, I’ve got a bit more time to plan, but I’m kind of tying myself up in knots and it feels harder to take the action.
I thought that was an interesting perspective and reminds me that actually having more time isn’t always the answer. It’s more about just taking action despite it all.
Thank you so much for reading - I really appreciate each and every subscriber and every comment, share and re-stack from you.
Join me in the comments and let me know:
How does nature inspire your creativity?
How have you overcome self-doubt in the past?
How do you feel about the amount of time you’ve got available to you, to fit in your creativity?
Oh I hear you on time! And that Liz Gilbert quote is spot on. In nature, I find that water inspires me most…be it sea, river, loch, or even the rain or a shower. I think it’s the ‘flow.’