Jan 10th 1-2-3: Creativity During Difficulty
1: Creativity During Difficulty ( 2 minute read )
When life gets tough, gratitude can help be a guiding light for you to keep creating.
It’s easy to get stuck on what’s going wrong—extenuating circumstances, creative blocks, or external pressures—but gratitude shifts the focus. It’s not about pretending everything is fine; it is ever so important to acknowledge and address the difficulties. It is also equally important to find the small wins, the things that keep you going, and letting them fuel your creativity.
Gratitude works because it shifts your mindset from “I can’t” to “I can” by focusing on what you can control.
For example, when artist Frida Kahlo faced immense physical pain after a near-fatal accident, she turned her focus to the tools she still had: her imagination and her paints. By being grateful for the ability to create—even from her bed—she produced deeply personal work that connected her struggles to universal emotions. Gratitude helped her transform pain into beauty and keep moving forward when the odds were stacked against her.
Gratitude also helps you get out of your own head and to focus on those around us.
Tough times tend to make us hyper-focused on what’s wrong, which can close us off to new ideas. Gratitude changes that by reminding us of the bigger picture—the people who’ve supported us, the work we have already done, and the resources we still have. It’s like a creative reset button. When you can zoom out and appreciate the whole journey, not just the destination, the spark comes back.
And here’s the thing—creativity and gratitude isn’t just about you; it’s about connecting with others.
When you acknowledge the people who’ve inspired or helped you, you create bonds that often lead to more collaboration and inspiration. Think about the creatives who acknowledge and express gratitude for their fans and supporters - this is powerful because it creates a connection to their fans. Those connections create an environment where creativity thrives.
At the end of the day, creating itself is an act of gratitude. Every painting, story, or song is a way of saying, “I am grateful to be alive, I am grateful to create.” That mindset can transform how you approach your craft, turning it into a way to heal and grow, even during the hardest times.
When life feels heavy, gratitude can be the thing that helps you keep creating.
And who knows? The art you make during these times might just become your most meaningful work yet.
2: Creative Prompts From Us (ex. Write a short story, a poem, a song, or draw a quick illustration of these! Let your imagination run free.)
I. Write down three things you’re grateful for, big or small, every day.
II. Use your creative work to express gratitude for what you can still do.
3: Inspirational Quotes From Others
I. "I am grateful, although my life is not a bed of roses.” - Vincent Can Gogh, Painter
II. "Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” - Frida Kahlo, Painter
III. "I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ’Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.” - Leonardo Da Vinci, Painter, Sculptor, Inventor
Thank you so much for reading!