Unconventional Ways to Create Meaningful Work When the World Feels Chaotic
Fallen Sycamore Leaf by Zadi Diaz
During times of chaos, our creative energy can get stuck. Here are some thoughts on ways to work through these moments…
Daily Journaling: Adopt a consistent journaling practice (e.g., Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages) to process thoughts and clear mental clutter.
Channel Emotions into Art: Use personal feelings about the chaos to fuel creative expression, whether through painting, writing, music, or film. Emotional honesty resonates universally.
Engage in Activist Art: Use your creativity to amplify social issues you care about, such as creating posters, short films, or zines.
Collaborate with Others: Find like-minded creatives to work on projects, fostering connection and shared purpose.
Focus on Personal Stories: Draw inspiration from family histories, cultural heritage, or personal experiences to create something deeply meaningful.
Transmute the Energy: Take a chaotic subject and transform it into something tangible—like turning anxiety into abstract art or noise into music.
Perform a Creative Ritual: Create a ritual before starting work, like lighting a candle or playing a specific piece of music to ground yourself and invite inspiration.
Create Temporary Art: Engage in ephemeral art, like sand mandalas or chalk murals, which symbolize impermanence and acceptance of change.
Lean into Play: Explore creative play (e.g., LEGO for adults, improv classes, or whimsical doodling) to unleash new ideas without pressure.
Get Inspired by Other Cultures
Wabi-Sabi (Japan): Embrace imperfection and impermanence in your work, find beauty in flaws and the passage of time.
Ubuntu (Southern Africa): Focus on creating art that emphasizes connection and humanity—"I am because we are"—celebrating community over individuality.
Rangoli (India): Create intricate, colorful patterns as a meditative practice, using natural materials like rice flour or flower petals.
Sisu (Finland): Harness resilience and grit by working on a project that feels personally meaningful, no matter how daunting it might seem.
Story Circles (Indigenous Cultures): Host a gathering to share stories orally, weaving collective narratives and sparking new creative projects.
Consider Deeply Out-of-the-Box Ideas
Create in Silence: Take a vow of silence for a day or a week while focusing entirely on your creative work. See how the absence of speech deepens your process.
Reverse Engineer Chaos: Take chaotic headlines or images and reinterpret them into something hopeful or beautiful through your work.
Dream Incubation: Before sleeping, reflect on a creative problem or question. Keep a dream journal by your bed to capture insights upon waking.
Invent a Language: Create a fictional language, alphabet, or symbols to explore new modes of expression in your work.
Host a Pop-Up Art Installation: Turn an ordinary public space into an unexpected art experience, inviting others to interact with it.
Simulate Another Era: Immerse yourself in the aesthetic or mindset of a different historical period to inspire your work (e.g., writing by candlelight or using vintage tools).
Use Chaos as Medium: Incorporate chaotic elements—like splashing paint or using unpredictable tools—into the actual creative process.
Immerse Yourself In Nature and the Spiritual
Create Outdoor Art: Build eco-art installations using natural materials, allowing your work to evolve with the environment.
Moon Phases as Guides: Align creative projects with the moon cycle, starting new projects on the new moon and completing them by the full moon.
Forest Bathing: Spend time immersed in nature to recharge and observe patterns, colors, and textures to incorporate into your work.
Intuitive Creation: Let your intuition guide the process without overthinking—free-write, paint, or compose based purely on gut instinct.
Contribute Globally
Global Collaborations: Partner with artists from different cultures on a joint project, blending traditions and techniques.
Art as Protest: Create work that challenges societal norms or systems, inspired by movements like arte de protesta in Latin America.
Community Healing Art: Host workshops for communities to create collective art that addresses shared trauma or hopes.
Listen to Music
When all else fails, play a song and let it move through you. Here’s one I’m currently listening to…
