Embracing Change and Letting Go for Creative Growth
Well, I don’t know about you, but in France today is the big “back to school” day for every kid around! It officially marks the end of the long summer holidays for everyone, and a fresh start. While some might be sad at the prospect of the days shortening and the tan fading away, this is also a great time to reflect and reassess our objectives for the end of the year!
What if we take some time not to add more to our schedule, but to reflect on what we could get rid of so we have more time to do what we actually love doing? Let’s make space for what truly matters!
Get back to your 2024 goals:
Remember when you started the year full of good resolutions and ambition, thinking, “YES, THIS YEAR, THIS IS THE ONE”? Let’s have a look at that list and see what you’ve checked off :) Can you also look at what you did not do and reflect on why you didn’t do it? Well, maybe it was a nice idea, but doing it is actually not a priority anymore. It’s time to get rid of it! Repeat after me: it is alright to let go of projects that no longer align with your vision and energy!
Focus on quality, not quantity:
A few burnouts later, I think I have learned that being productive does not really equal doing MORE. Surviving the creator life often requires doing less. But you know, the good stuff! I also noticed that the scarier the task, the more I avoid it by doing something else! So now I am doing my best to give myself more time for what truly matters.
You can spend some time reflecting on your daily routine: what can you declutter there? What projects can you let go of? By letting go of projects that don’t resonate anymore, you free up mental space and energy to pour into what truly excites you.
Letting go as a creative statement:
Letting go isn’t about giving up; it’s about recognizing that not every idea needs to come to fruition. It’s about trusting your intuition to guide you toward what’s worth pursuing.
Last year, I woke up with (what I thought was) the BEST IDEA IN THE WORLD. I called it “motivational sausage.” Basically, I wanted to start a full business, but instead of having another life coach giving you life advice, it would be… well, a sausage! I spent DAYS working on this, developing a brand, getting a website, even started posting on Instagram, etc. As much as I loved this idea, I felt just MISERABLE doing it. Like properly miserable. It went from “Motivational sausage” to “Existential Crisis Sausage” clearly! I wanted the result, but not the process. After months of thinking I was going to be a billionaire with sausages (yes), I had to let go.
On my way to become a billionaire with confused sausage
From this dead project, I kept all the research I did for the branding, all the social media templates, and a weird confidence that hiding behind a sausage was not my solution to success. This project is going to be a spin-off, maybe with fun merchandising, but it does not have to be a full-time business, and I am finally alright with that. (I did not give up the idea of designing posters yet though, send help if you want to create a few of them :D) Doing it was also incredibly liberating because once I started working on it, I realized this was not for me. You know some people who refuse to let go of their teenage dreams but are not doing anything to get there? Yes, you can waste years thinking you want something when actually it was yourself from another life. It is absolutely okay to have wanted something and to change your mind when you realize it was not meant for you.
So what do we do now? NEW GOALS, OF COURSE!
There are still 4 months left before the end of the year, and whether you are happy or not with what you have accomplished so far, there is still plenty of time to either continue your route to success or shift the year so it becomes a FANTASTIC YEAR. What is your energy at the moment? What would be meaningful for you to do right now?
I will tell you mine:
I want to put myself out there and get out of my self-inflicted shell I have been hiding in for a few months (ahem, years) through social media, blog, podcast, etc. I want my voice back! No more hiding behind a rock.
I will book 8 fantastic people into my mentoring program, and I am excited to help them create AWESOME stuff for their art, photography, and business. Wouh!
I am recording 2 courses to put on my website and grow passive income (the good old dream).
Personal: I will block 2 weekend adventures with some friends to finally spend the time to reconnect with my loved ones.
Note : In my 2024 goals, I have decided to push creative business goals (exhibitions, etc) for 2025, and this was incredibly liberating. I am creating stuff but just for the love of it, I am relieving myself from the pressure of having results in this area until next year :)
These seem both actionable and realistic. They are precise enough and not overwhelming :) Also, I know I want to start the year 2025 having done these, as it will help me do something new, as I will have already checked these off the to-do list!
Remember that you are free to evolve. You can change your mind, let go of old dreams to make space for new ones. September marks a fresh start, not just for students but for all of us. It’s a chance to realign with our true passions, let go of what no longer serves us, and focus on what truly matters. Creativity isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what’s right for you, right now.
I am sending you plenty of love, support, and good luck on your projects!
BISOUS BISOUS
