Lost & Found: How to Find Yourself Again in Your Artistic Journey

Your authentic artistic voice is always there — but sometimes, because of pressure, anxieties, emotions, it can feel a little lost.

I can remember significant moments in my life when I felt like I’d lost my way. One of the biggest ones was when I started college in New York City. I was majoring in Musical Theatre, and the environment of the school (and NYC) in general was not *giving* what I needed to thrive in my creative path.

I felt lost. Hopeless. Like “if I couldn’t make it here, I couldn’t make it anywhere.”

There was so much pressure that artists need to be able to “tough out” NYC, and if they can’t, well then this isn’t the industry for them.

I remember applying to different colleges for theatre, but writing in my applications that I might eventually want to be a public speaker instead.

But that’s not what I wanted at all. I wanted to perform, be in casts, productions.

I needed to find and become the best version of myself— and maybe you’re looking for how to find yourself again in the midst of creative confusion, too.

The Signs of Creative “Loss” & How to Find Yourself Again in Your Artist Journey

Understanding how to find yourself again might start the same way it started with me — recognizing the signs of creative loss. It’s a little like noticing the first few sniffles before a cold; catching it early can make all the difference in your artistic journey.

Looking for a “Plan B” Instead of Re-imagining Your Plan

I’ve never believed in Plan Bs, because it means your Plan A isn’t as good as it could be!

I heard of this phrase a lot in college in my college theatre program. “I’m double-majoring because I want a Plan B in case theatre doesn’t work out.”

I get the intent, but I think the language could be different. I believe there’s one plan that you know is going to go a million different directions you couldn’t possibly predict.

Instead of thinking of multiple different plans, what would your future look like if you thought of it all as one singular plan? A plan that embraces imperfect art and ever-changing circumstances that we can’t possibly predict?

Put simply — instead of overcomplicating your life with multiple plans, consider your creative path one plan that you can keep shaping, growing, and learning from.

Feeling Drained or Emotionally Distracted

You might feel like you’re too drained to do your art, and then might be second-guessing that you’re getting tired. But consider the fact that you might need to just get moving.

If you’ve been doing anything for too long, you’re going to get tired. And yes, that even goes for your creative career, too! We all need to shake things up after working by creating a little change of scenery.

That’s why my fix for this is having rituals. Consider rituals the pre- and post-workout in your creative project. They might not be directly related to what you’ll be doing, but they help you re-energize before a session and recover after a session.

A big step in how to find yourself again in your art is to regularly check in with your body throughout the day. If I find myself on the computer but having a problem focusing, I check in.

• How long have I been working?
• When did I last eat and drink?
• How long has my body been sitting?

Chances are, you’ve been working for a little too long, and you need some sort of different movement. Change it up. If you’ve been outside and you’re getting tired, sit down and watch a movie. If you’ve been working in your studio all day, close the door and get outside for a walk.

Comparing Yourself to Others

We never know how long it took someone else on their path. So playing the comparison game isn’t just false data, it places unnecessary pressure on you.

The thing about comparison is that most of us are always still going to do it. It’s not fundamentally bad — it’s a way that we can check in with ourselves and see if we’re on the right track.

One of the best decisions at the beginning of seriously focusing on my creative pursuits was deleting social media off my phone for 6 months. Subconsciously, I was comparing myself to people every time I was scrolling. More importantly, it wasn’t providing me any energy or value for my creative pursuits.

If you’re still on social media, check in with yourself to see what value it’s providing for you. Is it helping or hurting you? Is it energizing you or draining you? Is it focusing you or distracting you?

I know what social media does to most people — but I’ll let you decide that for yourself.

But comparisons don’t just come from social media (even though that’s a lot of it). You’ll feel like you’re comparing yourself in person too.

Part of being more aware of this is just simply checking in with yourself and your feelings. If someone’s celebrating wins and you’re feeling a little anxious, envious, or confused, try to identify those feelings and ask yourself why you’re feeling this way.

It’s not helpful to dismiss or suppress those feelings — they’re natural and there to help you!

Quick Tips: Rediscovering Your Artistic Voice

We know some tools to get through when we’re feeling some lower energies in our creative lives. But how can we flip the switch and take inspired action to continue our journeys?

Create Artist Systems

Artist systems are structured routines and practices that support your creative work. They provide consistency and reduce decision fatigue, allowing your creativity to flourish without having to overthink about whether you’re doing the “right thing.”

Some examples of artist systems include:

• Using a project management system like Asana to organize your work
• Time-blocking in your calendar
• Creating themed days (i.e., Mondays are creative work days, Tuesdays are jobs, Wednesdays are break days, etc.)

Design a Flourishing Home Studio

Part of optimizing your artist systems includes having an inspiring home studio. Think about what your home looks and feels like on a scale of 1-10.

A home studio is the concept of treating your home like your personal artistic studio. You want it to be cozy enough to want to relax and be yourself, curated enough to spark joy when you’re in it, and conducive enough to create with ease.

*Tip: thrifting is a great way to embark on a creative project while curating the style of your home studio! You can take on a creative challenge and follow inspiration from a mood board.

Know the “6 People” Rule

I hear somewhere that you are the average of the six people you spend the most time with.

This is the simple concept that you’ll want to be around people who you want to strive to be more like. I’ve started filtering out people in my life (with love) who will second-guess or question my choices. It’s not a black or white “we’re not friends anymore,” but simply spending more time with people that make me feel the most myself and not trying to overreach to others.

Learn How to Find Yourself Again in Your Artistic Journey: Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for Creative Community ♥️

Let’s continue the conversation over on YouTube, because truly, rediscovering yourself in your path is a never-ending thing. If you love getting inspiration from bloggers and creators, then this one’s for you. One of the biggest things I hear is that being a creative can be lonely — so *cheers with tea* to venturing on this Plan A together.