Creative Tune-up

Last week during a number of coaching sessions with clients I was reminded once again how the relationship we have with our business can at times be driven by positivity, or slowed way down with unexpected negative thoughts brought on by things not going as planned.  

There are times when our vision for what we want moving forward can start to get very foggy and out of focus. Things within our business that once brought us joy somehow can begin to lose their luster and leave us uninspired. 

It can be so hard to escape the negative thoughts that sneak in with the lack of vision!

Things that once brought us joy somehow can begin to lose their luster and leave us uninspired.

This can happen when we are doing the same thing over and over again until we reach a point that finds us losing momentum and the needed imagination to get our best foot forward.

It’s not that much different than a love relationship that loses that initial adrenaline rush.  After a while the problems and issues can seem like they are more trouble than they are worth putting up with, and you can begin to question everything about the road you are on.  

If you have held onto a love relationship or a business for any amount of time you know that nothing brings the spark back like reinvigorating your imagination and doing something new. In other words, giving yourself a creative tune-up.  

One of the first steps in a creative tune-up is to check the tools you are using to inspire your daily activities. Sometimes we can find ourselves pinching pennies and not upgrading to new or better functioning equipment.  

Speaking of new equipment, this past week I went out and purchased a new camera. Not a small feat and something I have been wanting to do for quite some time. My old camera was having trouble taking photos quickly, causing me to miss out on some great shots along my journey.

I was finding that relying on my phone all the time for pictures was not only eating up way too much memory, it also was keeping me from really getting the best shots at times. 

Today’s picture is one of my first shots from my new Nikon - taken on an excursion my son Travis and I took to the Botanic Gardens here in Denver last week.  

Suddenly I have a whole new canvas to paint on and I have been having so much fun! In turn it has allowed me feel a whole new sense of creativity and possibilities for upcoming projects that actually have nothing to do with the camera. A creative spark can travel onto other mediums!

This week’s quote is from Edith Wharton – the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Age of Innocence in 1921.  Another source of inspiration is to read biographies such as Edith’s to learn of the creative road others have taken along their way. To realize they are human just like you and me can be an empowering realization towards action.  

What can you do this week to shake up your summer creativity? Fully stop to assess the tools you use and the stories of people you surround yourself with. Now allow yourself to be your best self!

If you have found your creative light fading a bit, make it a priority to stop and evaluate what you need to do to get that innovative imagination of yours humming along as it was designed to do.  

Remember, it can be the slightest of tweaks that can make all the difference.  You don’t have to start from scratch either or find the new cure for cancer.  It can be simple as taking something already out there and improving on it.

Share with us over in the comment section below how you will start on your own creative tune-up or where you stand right now today on this whole topic.

Happy Creating, Happy Summer!

To your Successes and Victories,

- Cheri

P.S. If you are looking for some new tools in your business to spark your creativity check out our  Resources Page for some of our online favorites.   

Cheri Ruskus 
Author, Business Growth Coach, 
and Founder of the Victory Circles   
www.VictoryCircles.com