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A Creative Journey

Hi, my name is Paulina and I’m a freelance graphic designer, art director, photographer and creative workshop facilitator. That’s a lot of roles, but I’d say it all just boils down to simply being creative. I started designing over 10 years ago but found myself feeling creatively burned out about half way through (I’m actually surprised I lasted as long as I did at the rate I was going).

Somewhere along the way, my intuition guided me to start art journaling, and before I knew it, I found myself teaching art classes on a weekly basis in my local community center. That felt like a creative awakening for my soul. I did that for a few years, but then life happened, someone died and I moved. The next year or two were tough and I hit a stuck place – not only was I not teaching, I couldn’t go near my art journal (and OMG – all my markers dried up!), but I started feeling super blocked at work too.

That year ended up being super hard career wise – I was filled with anxiety over work and my livelyhood which depended on my churning out creative projects on deadline. That was a hard space to be in, and I started to feel trapped because every time I tried to “figure it out” with my mind, something deeper inside me said “no, stay, watch, listen – don’t run from these feelings, there’s something for you to learn here.”

So I begun to ask myself, “ok, so if I have to stay with these feelings, then how do I reach deeper inside myself to survive this?” And here’s where I wish I could just tell you that I read some book, or wrote in a journal or took some epic trip that made it all better. Although I find things have shifted for the better since then, it was not some glamorous or miraculous shift, it was simply a decision to listen to @Oprah, and do the next right thing. Put one foot in front of the other, and just do the best I can in each moment. It’s definitely been more of a journey than a destination.

What’s helping me stay connected to my creativity these days? What’s helping me stay connected to my flow? Here are just a few things:

  • Yoga & meditation
  • Teaching again
  • Working with wonderful clients
  • The book “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert
  • Exploring new creative mediums
  • Trusting my own inner guidance
  • Connecting with fellow creative souls (present company included)
  • Doing the work
  • Practicing being authentic and speaking my truth
  • My Happy Planner (R)
  • My love of art supplies
  • My “soontobe,” my family and my dog
  • YouTube, including my faves like @frannerd, @journalgirl, @donnadowney, @happyplanner
  • My camera
  • Nature

So yeah, it’s all a work in progress, but it feels right. I can tell that I’m being guided to go deeper and find creative freedom right here where I’m standing.

How about you? Do you feel things flowing? What helps you get there? And if you’re not feeling it, then what do you want to try to help you shift?

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