How to romanticize life as a creative!
Today, let's say YES to: the art of living joyfully & creatively!
A year and a half offline taught me something that instagram never could: how to fall in love with life!!
I didn’t realize how much of my simple joys were being traded for external validation until I stepped away from the noise. Coming back (very slowly) feels different now. I’m coming back quietly, fully authentic, and most importantly, creatively refreshed!!
People talk about “romanticizing your life” as if it’s just a trend for aesthetic videos, but it’s actually a beautiful psychological and spiritual practice. It is about reclaiming your agency and showing gratitude for what God’s given you! When you choose to see the beauty in a cup of coffee or admire the way the light hits a bookshelf, you are shifting from a passive consumer of your life to the active “main character” of your own movie!
So, here’s how I’ve been practicing the art of living lately:
Create Hobby Corners
We love having guests over because they always say “your home looks so…. authentic??” And it is! Because, as a creative, your safe space should be a reflection of your passions, interests, and curiosities, not just a place to sleep!
I have a few “hobby corners” that make life feel so yummy!! There’s a cozy reading nook since I’m reading a book a day for the next few months (got my reading chair for free!!), a desk for writing (also free!!), and a small table for chess and another for Spanish learning!! These dedicated spaces add a little extra ✨oomph✨ to your life!
And, it’s been much easier to slip into a flow state with a physical environment that says, “this is where we play.”
Follow your interests, period!
It seems like the whole world is obsessed with algorithms and analytics right now!! (the two things DON’T miss about marketing consulting!)
We often stop ourselves from starting a creative
project because we don’t know if it’ll perform/be received well, or, because we don’t see a clear path to success, or a way to monetize it immediately. But we have to train our creative hearts to care less about the outcome, and more about the exploration!
Imagine how sweet, romantic, and glittery life can feel when you’re creating what you want because you want to and don’t concern yourself with who else wants it?!
When you let playful curiosity lead your decisions and actions, you remove that paralyzing fear of failure!! Take it from someone who was deeply unhappy in her million dollar business: it’s about the process, not the paycheck!! (& we can enjoy the paycheck even more when we have deep rooted joy! 😉)
Hop up out of bed, turn your swag on, take a look in the mirror say “wassup!"
^^ IF YOU DON’T KNOW THIS SONG, I’M ASSUMING YOU AREN’T 29-35 YEARS OLD! LOL 🎶
Okay, this might sound a bit superficial… BUT there’s psychological reasoning behind it! There is a concept called Enclothed Cognition, which teaches that the clothes we wear actually influence our psychological processes and how we perform tasks!
Simply put: what you wear influences your thoughts, feelings, and behavior!!
When I “get cute” every day, I’m not doing it for an audience — I’m doing it because getting dressed makes me feel like the star of my own show!! It signals to my brain that today is an actual occasion worth showing up for! It makes me want to write, record, go for a walk, create something, read a book in a cafe and chat with strangers!
That small boost in confidence acts as a catalyst for creative energy!!
Record your creative journey!
Document as much as you can, as often as you can. Your life is a beautiful, ongoing creative project, and it deserves to be treated as such!!
Last year, I started doing vlog-style video diaries just for myself!! They’re usually five minutes or less each week, and looking back at them has changed everything for me (not being dramatic, I’m serious! Ask my therapist!) I have so much more gratitude for life, Christ, and the people He’s put in my life when I record & watch them back!
Whether it’s a quick photo of a sunset, a scrap of a poem on a napkin, or a little video diary, documentation honors your experiences. It turns “ordinary” days into extraordinary pieces of curated history. And, when you look back, you realize the “boring” moments were actually the beautiful building blocks!
REBRAND, REBRAND, REBRAND!
I repeat: as many times as you need!! Many of us have felt trapped by our past identities. We think because we started in tech, we must always stay in tech. Or if we were a teacher, people won’t take us seriously as a business consultant (or maybe I’m getting personal? Lol)
The point is— you can pivot whenever and however you want!! I’ll never forget, a decade ago when I was interning as a student teacher, one of students’ moms quit her job as a DOCTOR to make furniture because it was her lifelong dream!
We keep in touch today, because she inspired me to quit my job as a kindergarten teacher to start a photography/editing business, then I closed that business to become a consultant, then quit doing that to write novels, and with each pivot, it’s “the happiest I’ve ever been!”
In philosophy, this is the essence of becoming. You are not a fixed, static entity; you are a continuous process. Embracing your rebrand is a sign of growth, not indecision. Life is far too short not to have fun with your careers and try on different hats!!
Become a collector — just not a debt collector, please!
Fill your life with affinities that fuel your mind. For me, it’s books, quotes, and magnets!! (Seriously, our fridge is a travel-inspired mosaic at this point Lol)!
I love surrounding myself with the wise thoughts of people who have come before me. When you collect things that actually mean something to you, it’s like you’re building a physical map of what’s going on inside your head. People get to see and learn about you; but more importantly, you get to learn yourself.
These little trinkets act as reminders to stay grounded in who you are and what you actually care about when the rest of the world starts getting way too loud!! Plus, they just make you smile!
Immerse yourself in your creative interests!
You don’t need a five-star resort or a plane ticket to Paris to have a breakthrough (although, I’ll happily take both!)
Creative retreats or artist residencies are much cheaper than you’re probably thinking!! I recently did a week-long solo reading retreat for less than $400!! Most reputable residencies are even FREE (barring application fees).
But, the point isn’t the price tag; it’s the intentionality behind it. Giving yourself the gift of silence and space is the ultimate creative act!!
GO LOVE YOUR LIFE!
I hope you can see that romanticizing life as a creative isn’t about ignoring reality or acting like everything’s perfect. Romanticizing life is about finding magic in the mundane and extraordinary in the ordinary! — someone give me the contact for hallmark cards! haha!
Seriously though, I hope this made you realize that you don’t need permission to be the most vibrant, curious version of yourself!
✨ how are you romanticizing life lately?
P.S. speaking of returning slowly and creatively…
I’ve started a brand new TikTok to create without pressure! Here’s some videos i’ve shared if you’d like to watch and follow me there!
Thank you for sharing so candidly about your pivots! It's made me feel much less alone or weird.
I have also pivoted many times in my life: first a public educator, then e-commerce owner, real estate agent, digital marketing/media account manager... now? With 2 kids in tow at the moment, I'm not so sure what I'm doing or where I'm headed, but definitely something a little kinder to myself and allows me space, time and capacity to be who my family needs me to be. :)
Thank you for the encouragement! I recently felt the urge to deactivate my IG and take a break for a while just to enjoy life more and be in the moment. I’m not sure when or if I will get back on but I’m looking forward to what is to come and this article was so timely. Thanks for sharing!