7 Journalling Prompts to Guide Your Creative Practice & Find Direction
My Hidden Creative Path
Over the years I’ve had plenty of times when I’ve felt like I’ve lost my way, lost my inspiration, lost my ability, or lost sight of my destination while on this creative journey.
When I look back, I wonder what got me out of those dead ends when I felt a weight sitting solidly in my stomach; where nothing worked and I felt unoriginal, uninspired, unimaginative.
And it was always the same thing.
Micro-movements.
It was small steps that helped to reignite the passion in my heart, find a fresh alluring colour to flow off my brush, and made the world shimmer with possibility and light again, making me want to dash back to the canvas and paint, paint, paint or develop a new offering in my creative business.
It was the small steps of reconnecting with what I love, sitting in stillness in the sun, free journalling my heart out, visiting galleries and stumbling on paintings that took my breath away, buying multiple books on Amazon about my latest passion (and reading them when they arrived like special presents in the mailbox), walking meditations, and probably above all, being kind and gentle with myself.
It was giving myself permission to take small steps towards the things I desired, things I was curious about, things that stirred even a faint feeling of excitement and wonder when I considered trying them, immersing myself in them and eventually, expressing them.
As creatives I’ve noticed it’s easy when we’re searching for our creative path to feel we ‘should be there already.’
We should have already overcome the fearful voices in our minds so they never bother us, we should have developed our own unique and recognisable style, we should have a business offering that sells out within hours, we should feel the freedom to express clearly from our heart, not to mention mastered the art of colour mixing, be able to control a brush so it behaves exactly as we want, and never worry about other people’s opinions of our work again.
I’ve found it more useful to get involved in my own creative practice and walk the path in front of me at those times, rather than focus on getting to those preconceived destinations. By taking small actions towards what we desire, I’ve noticed the path reveals itself and is created as we walk.
Discover Your Creative Path
I’ve compiled these journalling prompt to help you hone in on your next direction. The beauty of it is, it need only be one micro-movement towards exploring your creative heart.
You’re invited to use these prompts in whatever way supports you, lights you up and works best for you.
You may like to journal about the prompts and see where they lead, you may like to play with your visual journal and glue images in and make notes in freehand, you may like to write your reflections on a document and keep it in a folder or have a ceremony burning the pages once you’re finished.
Whatever you choose, I encourage you to trust that what you need will find you. I’ve noticed by simply reading and reflecting on these questions you’re putting into motion the discovery of your next micro-movement and personal direction.
So now, let’s nestle in closer to what it is that moves you, what you love, and uncover what lights you up.
You never know where it will lead, and that’s the beauty of the journey!
Finding Direction in Your Own Creative Adventure
Where do you want to go in your creative practice?
Let’s dive straight in and see how you want to feel, what you want to express, and what you want to do in your creative life.
Don’t hold back. Reflect on what it is you truly want, how you want to feel, and what you crave next.
#1. Look back over the recent months, what have you done, seen, or heard that stirred a wondering in your heart? Made you shudder at the beauty of it? Caused your heart to quicken or simply caught your eye?
Was it the cherry blossom in the park, the finch on the fence in the garden, the shade of blue of your friend’s new scarf, the deep red of an oleander blossom in the park? Is it a new album, or song that makes you move, dream and pulse with energy?
Allow your hand to move across the page and record the small details of life that have moved you recently. Nothing is too insignificant, too mundane, or too extraordinary.
This is like a treasure hunt, and writing what has moved you provides you with clues of where to look next.
Give yourself five minutes to write whatever comes to mind without censoring yourself and begin!
#2. Choose either one or a collection of paintings or another creative project you’ve done, and make a note of what you like about them.
What is working in them?
What are you happy with?
What do you find interesting in them? Make a note of your reflections below.
#3. Consider different processes you’ve tried in your painting and creative life. What did you enjoy? WHY did you enjoy it?
Perhaps you enjoyed the meditative quality of painting from still life, or the brisk energetic dance of layering acrylic paints while listening to music.
Perhaps you like to write at a quiet nook, or perhaps you crave the bustle of being outdoors.
Did you enjoy working one on one with clients, or in a group program?
Do you love to make videos, or would you prefer to write?
#4. What do you crave in the practical side of creating in your life right now? Ask yourself how this can be achieved.
How would you like to work? Consider the mood, the location, and the sounds (or silence!) you crave.
Even ask yourself if you want to sit or stand while you are creating.
I remember I once discovered I wanted to paint while sitting down at a table, which helped me choose my next step. I began to paint small, intimate little paintings of the birds in my garden with pen and ink on watercolour paper, instead of the large canvases I'd done for years.
Knowing what you feel drawn to next when it comes to the practical side of creating is useful in choosing a next action, as it can make your choice of process or materials more limited and thus, simpler.
#5. Which three artists or creatives are you most drawn to at the moment?
Print a picture or a few pictures of their works you love and glue them in your visual journal or pin them up in your creative space.
Is there a podcast you've been drawn to? What do you love about this creator's style?
What authors have you loved reading lately? What do you love about their writing?
#6. What do you admire about these three creatives' work?
What excites you, draws you in, catches your eye?
What do you love?
#7. What creative processes are you drawn to next?
Maybe you saw a watercolour and would love to try painting with translucent washes of colour? Or perhaps you think it’s finally time to try your hand at oil paints.
You may want to experiment with charcoal or mixed media.
Maybe you'd love to try releasing a new offering in your creative business. Working with clients in a new way or shaping a program to support them through something you are passionate about these days.
Write what creative processes take your fancy at the moment and what you’d like to try.
My hope is these simple prompts bring you home to yourself, where you tune within and carve out a little bit of time to reflect on where your heart is calling you towards next in your own creative adventures.
And please feel free to reply with your thoughts or what you are feeling called to next in your creative life. I always love hearing from you and I'm cheering you on.
Wishing you a beautiful, creative and restorative week ahead.
Be kind to yourself and nurture your creativity.
With my warmest wishes,
Nicola xx
About Nicola Newman
I'm a Creative Business Coach, Award-Winning Artist & Mentor for Creative Hearts who want to flourish, flow & prosper.
My passion is inspiring and supporting Creative Hearts to trust their inner wisdom and carve out a life that’s personally meaningful and fulfilling to them.
I share practical, evidence-based tools for Creative Hearts seeking to improve their lives or businesses. My work draws from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based techniques, body-based practices, and neuroscience -- and my own creative living adventures -- among other approaches.
My mission is to support Creative Hearts to:
Dissolve creative blocks, develop a loving relationship with themselves, nurture their creativity and reframe the beliefs and patterns that keep them from following their heart and making the creative contribution they would love to make in the world.
My approach is to embrace gentleness, playfulness and self-care to navigate self-doubt and instead cultivate deep self-trust so you can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together your body of work, make money doing what you love and leave a creative legacy you’re proud of.
Let’s pour a cuppa and get to know one another, shall we? :)
