As I’ve mentioned before, life doesn’t always come with a clear map. Some seasons feel like driving through a storm without working wipers — blurry, disorienting, and exhausting.
I’ve lived through that kind of season. After losing custody of my girls, I lost my will to create anything. Every day blurred into work, home, sleep, repeat. If it hadn’t been for my husband (then just my boyfriend) making sure I ate, I probably wouldn’t have. Life felt impossible, let alone the drive to be creative — like I had completely lost my compass.
Slowly, step by step, I realized simple outlets like cooking, cleaning (methodically), or reading were how my creativity was seeping from me. It wasn’t about making something pretty — it was about finding a direction forward, even in the dark. And my compass? It was still there, broken and barely functioning.
Acknowledging the Mess
Your messy season may look different. Maybe it’s during motherhood with its endless laundry and constantly repeating routines, or work deadlines that eat away your time, or just the sheer mental load of juggling it all. Life has a way of piling up until it feels like chaos and coffee runs the show.
The truth is — that chaos is part of the journey. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It doesn’t mean you’ve lost your spark forever. It means you’re human, and the direction is just a little foggy right now.
Creativity as Compass
At the beginning of those hardest days, I completely lost sight of what creativity looked like. I couldn’t put pen to paper to write poetry, I couldn’t lift charcoal or pencil to sketch – honestly, I didn’t even know how to describe how I felt.
Instead, the small anchors of my creativity became stirring a pot of soup and experimenting with spices, methodically scrubbing a countertop when everything else felt out of control, or losing myself in a good book when my head felt too heavy. Those weren’t “projects” in the traditional sense, but they were sparks that helped me keep moving.
Even now, motherhood brings its own brand of mess — toys underfoot, schedules colliding, the constant hum of daily life. And yet, when I sit beside my son and doodle in the margins while he colors, I’m reminded that creativity is still my compass. It doesn’t fix everything, but it steadies me long enough to take the next step.
That’s what creativity gives us — it’s not about the outcome, it’s about the grounding. It’s how to find sparks of creativity, even in a messy life.
When life feels heavy (and we both know it does sometimes), here are a few ways to use creativity as your compass:
- Draw something that feels messy. Scribbles, tangles, chaos on a page — let it out.
- Write five words that describe today and doodle around them. Watch your day turn into art.
- Take a photo of something ordinary — a coffee cup, a pile of toys, your messy desk — and frame it as if it’s art.
Try one of these prompts this week — and if you share it, tag me! I’d love to see your compass in action.
Remember, creativity is not about being constantly perfect or doing that one thing you think you’re good at, all the time. It’s about finding your way, one mark, one word, one spark at a time. Think of it as a compass pointing you toward calm, even when the road feels bumpy, muddy, and unclear.
And friend, even in the messiest seasons, your compass is still right there in your hands — steady, waiting, and ready to guide you home.
From my road to yours, happy wandering.
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