As a blogger writing about various topics, it’s imperative to channel my creativity into what my readers need. One of the reasons I offer so much different content on ABOH is because I love how creativity can act as an outlet. I thrive on writing about my experiences to help others and combined with the power of creativity, inspiring and motivating people to get to where they want to be.

It would be my dream to do this for a living and I love everything I do for this online space. But when you love being creative and it’s a part of who you are, it can be hard to figure out how to keep it under control and focus on the day-to-day running of things. Through my experiences recently, I’ve found some ways to really figure out how to keep things for my blog running smoothly, whilst fuelling my creativity at the same time.

Listen to your heart

I’ve been writing my whole life, ever since I was little. Writing is a huge part of my creative process, whether it’s writing for this blog or writing pages everyday in my journal. As far back as the start of high school, I remember feeling the need to get my thoughts out in the form of writing. It was one of the biggest ways I learnt to understand who I was. I would come home and just write for hours, doing what my heart wanted me to do.

Since then I’ve thrived on fulfilling those needs which is a big reason why I started ABOH. When I experience loss or if I’m going through a difficult time with something, I don’t feel a block. I feel an overpowering urge to process my emotions with a pen and paper.

This is amazing, except it’s hard to stop and drop everything when your life is still going. Your readers need content, your kitty needs playing with and you still need to keep on top of everything. As a working adult, it can be hard to breakaway from your everyday life to follow your heart. But taking the time to listen to it is just as important. I’ve made it a priority to do what my heart compels me to do and give myself time to focus on creativity, even if it’s just my daily journal writing. Doing things for you should be just as much of a priority as other tasks. Don’t push away your creativity when it’s a part of who you are.

Know the difference between creative block and creative overwhelm

When I worked at some previous 9-5 jobs, I thought I was struggling with creative block. I didn’t feel creative. I felt like my mind was clouded. Sometimes, I didn’t even have the urge to create. I did my work and when I came home, it was all about letting go and spending time with my family. But I was stuck with my blog and unhappy in my job which meant I was feeling seriously unfulfilled. I usually had so much energy that I just wasn’t using.

It wasn’t until I realised the cause of the problems and started making positive changes that I was able to use this energy again. I listened to my heart and began creating my true blogging path and that’s when things really started to click.

Understanding the difference between creative block and creative overwhelm isn’t something you’ll learn overnight. If you’re anything like me, you’ll feel burnout often and it can become difficult to deal with. We’re energetic and we need to fuel that energy into our passions. It’s very easy for me to get burnout, but sometimes, it was overwhelm that was the problem. Sometimes you just need to trust your instincts and push yourself outside of your comfort zone. By learning new things, developing my skills and trusting my path, I’ve started to lose the overwhelming feeling.

Remember your creativity is natural

Blogging isn’t always easy. Sometimes, it can be really frustrating, which is why it’s so important to focus on your readers and the content that helps you feel the most fulfilled. My readers are happy, but they want to do bigger and better things to help them get to where they want to be. Really, my readers aren’t just readers - they’re my partners. I find myself creating content and offering services for people similar to who I am, or where I was a few years ago, because each of us has a unique story to tell. There is no one answer to get you to where you want to be, which is why trusting yourself is such an important part of the process.

It takes time to understand how to build your blog around yourself and your creativity. You will always be evolving as a person, as a blogger and as a creative. That means everything should evolve will you. Your readers shouldn’t always look the same. Your content shouldn’t always look the same. Creativity feels more natural when you’re naturally growing. When you force yourself to do things you no longer feel passionate about, you’ll find that your work becomes stagnant.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself right now to check you’re fuelling your blog and life in the right way:

Am I doing work that fulfils me today?
Do I enjoy the communication I have with my readers?
Am I comfortable with my current content categories?
Do I regularly feel creatively fulfilled?

If your answer to any of these questions is ‘no’, it’s time to make some changes. Think about what you can do to help yourself get on track to where you want to be. Creativity is something that should be measured daily and even if it isn’t easy, it’s definitely rewarding. Being a blogger is hard work, right? 😉

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with your creativity? How do you manage it?