Feeling Stuck? Shake It Up!

On impulse, I booked an improv class. It was one of those things I had to do before I could second-guess myself. And it was amazing!

I had been feeling stuck. The class shook things up and made a big difference in how I felt, across the board. 

If you’re feeling stuck, shake it up!

Feeling Stuck

Feeling stuck, uninspired, or kinda meh happens to all of us at some point. Try not to be hard on yourself when it happens. It could be your body asking for rest. 

In all seriousness, rest should be the first thing you try for almost everything that ails you! (Along with a snack.)

We all get into ruts and routines. 

Ruts happen, they are a sign to shake things up, not to dig in deeper.

Routines are super helpful (I love them), and it’s good to shake them up sometimes. 

After your rest, try something out of the ordinary!

Shake It Up

The improv class I mentioned was really good because it is SO far out of the ordinary for me. As an artist, I work alone in my little studio all day. I’m seated, and things only happen in my brain and with my hands. The class had me on my feet, interacting with other people. It’s the opposite of my day-to-day. 

You don’t need to go that far to find benefits.

While I was enjoying the lingering benefits of shaking up my day-to-day, another opportunity came my way. I got an email about Workshop Week. It’s a week-long event by the Happy Ever Crafter. Each day, from 9am to 6pm, a different artist presented a workshop teaching you how to do their special thing. It was presented live, and each session was recorded. Attending was free of charge, with a reasonable fee for access to the recordings. This was a very generous offer to the world.

Sometimes I feel kinda stuck in my niche of drawing and painting. So I decided to attend a few of the workshops. Some complemented my current skillset and some pushed it. All the pictures in this post are things I made in workshops.

Specific Benefits

• Fun: I had a lot of fun trying things I would never have tried on my own. I have often discounted the value of just having fun as an adult. A mistake I don’t intend to make again!
• Learning: I learned new things about how to use Procreate. 
• New Possibilities: I even picked up a new hobby! I really enjoyed paper cutting and am looking forward to doing more of it.
• New Perspectives: Playing with many different techniques and styles created more space in my mind around and in between my own ideas.

Options

Yes, it took time out of my work to try these new things. As a self-employed person, I have the privilege of making that choice. Not everyone is able to. 

Even so, there are always options for you. For example, all the Workshop Week recordings were available for free for 24 hours after the workshop.

If you have a full-time job, your time and energy is limited. And you may have access to resources to pay for classes, workshops, and experiences.

My advice to you is to lean toward those experiences that require your active participation over passive observation. For example, taking a dance class will be more rewarding than watching a movie. Taking a pottery class together will be more rewarding than going out for lunch with your friends. Maximize your limited time and energy by choosing experiences that enrich you over those that only distract you.

If paying for workshops, classes, etc. isn’t realistic for you, there are still options! 

Keep your eye out for free offers. If arts and crafts are your thing, many artists who teach have freebies on their sites to attract new clients. Try something new and see how it feels! If you really dig it, you know where to get classes!

You can also create these opportunities yourself. I’m sure you can come up with great ideas that suit your needs. Below are some of my thoughts to get you started.

• Gather people you know to voluntarily teach each other their skills.
• Try co-working in a different environment: gather a friend or two and go work in a coffee shop, library, or park for an afternoon. 
• Take yourself on a date! Go someplace new and interesting all by yourself. Maybe a different neighborhood, art galleries and museums (these often have discounted admission days/times), a park you haven’t visited before, shops or markets that call your attention, etc. You see things differently when alone and when with others. By all means, go with others. And sometimes go by yourself. 
• Try making a brand-new recipe, alone or with a group of friends.

I hope this post inspired you to shake up your routine, no matter how small. If you’ve tried something new, let me know how it went in the comments!