Protecting Your Creativity During the Holidays (Plus, an Invitation!)

Read on for 5 tips AND a big announcement… AND a new website 👀

Welcome (or welcome back!) to Multifaceted, a newsletter about finding delight and direction in a creative life made up of many different interests.

Paper collage on digital ground

Honey, I’m home!

By that I mean, home from a road trip including 4 days of driving, 3 plates of Thanksgiving dinner, 2 stops at Cracker Barrel, and 1 very beautiful wedding weekend.

Plus, 24 hours of Lily’s nursery rhymes on repeat. (I don’t really mind my brain turning to mush if it means hers keeps developing at warp speed.)

No surprises here: I got home feeling sluggish. A little worn out. Possibly adrift from the creative projects I had going on before the big adventure. And definitely bloated.

But, that’s all part of the holiday magic, right? 😅

For a lot of people I know – maybe you, too? – the most wonderful time of the year is also the busiest.

From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, it’s a nonstop 6-week stretch of decorating, redecorating, traveling, spending time with family and friends, attending events, making and eating loads of food, gifting, playing in (or shoveling) the snow, and SO much more.

It’s great – but, if we’re not careful, we can let all the excitement derail our creative projects and plans. This can lead to some serious Christmas blues:

• Feeling guilty or ashamed.
  As in: “I must not be a real writer if I haven’t touched my manuscript since October...”

• Resenting the fun stuff we’re doing.
  As in: “Ugh, if I didn’t have to help plan this holiday party, my series would be finished by now!”

• Having trouble getting back into our projects – and maybe even abandoning them.
  As in: “Where did I leave off with this, anyway? Agh, it’s too confusing. I’m not sure I have the energy to figure it out.”

Now, mix in some small talk about now-abandoned interests and the pressure of New Year’s resolutions… It’s enough to make you retreat with the woodland creatures into a long, quiet hibernation.

As cozy as that sounds… you don’t have to spend your après-holiday time that way.

Here are a few ideas to help you protect your creativity (and sanity!) during the busy stretch this holiday season.

1. Be clear about your priorities.

If creative momentum matters, let that guide you and your plans. Tell loved ones how you’re keeping up with your creative routine. Even if spending time in the studio means missing the 32nd annual viewing of The Muppet Christmas Carol. (You know it by heart – it’s fine!)

Or, if you’re happy to take a break, that’s cool, too. Own that and take the pressure off yourself by setting an intention to relax and enjoy the festivities while they last.

2. Break the ice after a break.

To make sure your creative break doesn’t turn into a creative block, come up with a timeline and action plan for when and how you’ll ease back into your work.

This could be as simple as finding one or two small, easy things you can do. Here’s a list of quick creative tasks that might spark some ideas.

Even bringing out your project materials and reacquainting yourself with the work is a good starting point. In no time, you may be inspired to jump right back in.

3. Try new traditions that engage your creative side.

Even if you set your big project aside, you can still make time for creative play. Why not spice up the holiday season with some new activities that’ll keep everyone’s creativity flowing as freely as the mulled wine?

Swap the usual shopping trip for a holiday craft night. Try handmade cards or hand-painted wrapping paper. Make scarves, hats, or blankets you can donate.

No matter what you do, it’ll be fun to share the activity or the end results with loved ones.

4. Find an accountability buddy.

As most creatives can attest, it really, really helps to have an accountability system in place if you hope to stay on track.

Maybe you can enlist a friend to check in with you via text to help you stick to your creative commitments. I recently joined a local writer’s group – the monthly meetings have been great for reminding me to stay on pace.

And you know what absolutely works if you desperately need accountability?

Coaching.

This brings me to the final tip – and an update I’m excited to share!

5. Make me your coach!

Earlier this year, I started coaching multi-passionate creatives like you.

Why? Well, I know firsthand how messy the multifaceted creative journey can be. And I know we could all use some help along the way. It was through writing this newsletter and connecting with so many of you over the past year that I realized I had an opportunity to offer real, tangible, personalized support to my fellow creative humans.

That’s what 1-on-1 creativity coaching is all about.

Coaching can give you the tools you need to protect your creative practice during busy times of year. Not only that, but it can help you find clarity and focus anytime you’d ordinarily feel scattered.

I’ve had the privilege of supporting, mentoring, teaching, managing, and/or inspiring creatives of all stripes for the past 12 (!) years. But it wasn’t until this past summer that I developed a 1-on-1 coaching program. It’s specifically designed to help multi-passionate creatives find clarity and hit their stride within 3 months.

And so, an invitation:

You’re cordially invited to explore my new site, byjessbarker.com – the online HQ for my growing coaching practice.

There, you can learn all about:

• What creativity coaching is.

• What sorts of challenges it can help with.

• How my 3-month program works.

• What folks have had to say about working with me.

In true multifaceted fashion, I had a blast designing the site, writing the copy, doing the photography, and playing with all the other bells and whistles.

I’ve been concurrently leading coaching sessions while putting the site together, so I’m really excited to finally share it with you. Consider this a little soft-launch party! 🥂

P.S.

Don’t worry – Multifaceted isn’t going anywhere. This newsletter and my 1-on-1 coaching program actually go hand-in-hand.

I started writing here as a way to pass along some of the tips and creative survival guidance I wish I’d had in the past. And coaching is really a true extension of that mission. It’s a way of taking all those ideas and applying them to your unique situation, challenges, and big dreams.

Over the next few newsletter issues, you can expect to learn a little more about creativity coaching. It can be a transformative process for anyone who feels overwhelmed with too many interests. So, I’m obviously really excited to share more!

In the meantime, I’d love for you to check out my site – and let me know what you think or if you have any questions.

I currently have a few spots open for new coaching clients who want to kick things off in the new year. If that’s you, let’s chat!