How to get into the video creation mindset this new year by making space for creativity
Get into the video creation mindset this new year by making space for creativity.
I decided to kick the new year off by prepping my mind and environment to be more conducive for creating consistently. The two C-words that scare most of my clients. But there’s a third C-word that holds many people back, not only in generating video and audio content, but in all kinds of professional development scenarios, and that is the word CREATIVITY.
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone say: “I’m not a creative person,” I would be paying someone else to write this post.
Creativity is one of those words that gets lumped into the bag with every “creative” field out there from video production all the way to advertising. But do you not think it takes creativity to come up with better hiring solutions at a manufacturing company? Or a healthier lunch schedule at a daycare center? Does creativity not live inside the walls of a church where moving messages are shared? Or in a meeting between politicians deciding on their next platform?
I believe everyone has a the ability to create and be creative, you just have to understand what helps and hurts your ability do spark this creation.
First, I think it’s important to understand that creating and creativity are not the same thing. Creativity is a noun and create is a verb, which is the beginning of why we apply these words differently. To create is to bring (something) into existence. THAT’S IT! Super simple, right? You made a sandwich for lunch today, guess what? YOU CREATED!
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines creativity as “the ability to create, and the quality of being creative”. If we dive deeper and define “creative” we can make sense of some people’s hesitancy around adopting the adjective, since it’s defined as “the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.” DING! This is probably why people get so caught up in rejecting their creativity, because they don’t consider their work to be “artistic”. A fair assumption, because not everything out there is artistic, right?
Maybe. I believe art is a very subjective work and what I find artistic, you could describe as moronic. But I digress. The point here is that before you can get into the creative mindset and make more space for creativity, you might want to remind yourself of what these words mean, because I personally found this reminder to be liberating!
Lately I feel more at ease about creating consistently because I understand that to create is simply to bring something into existence and this makes it much easier to put my work out there.
Lately I feel more at ease about creating consistently because I understand that to create is simply to bring something into existence and this makes it much easier to put my work out there.
How do you create consistently? That’s why you came here right? We begin by laying the foundation to our creative space. These are the steps I recommend taking to get you ready to create consistently this new year.
Find a creation location
There should be a place in your life where you feel completely encouraged to create. This might be your home office, but it could also be your living room, spare bedroom, a balcony, your attic, etc... You don’t need a ton of space to make video content for social media, even a laundry room can work. The most important part is that you have access to light, either through a window, a ring light or a couple LEDs. You can’t make engaging video content in the dark. Believe me, I’ve tried.
Invite creativity into your space
Last year i realized. that my office space was not helping me create more videos because every time I felt a rush to make a quick video I had to start by moving things out of my background, cleaning off my desk and finding an angle that worked. When I realized that all of this prep work cut 30 minutes into my creation time, I had all the motivation I needed to change my layout and re-decorate. I moved my desk, painted the walls, hung pictures up and re-arranged some of the other furniture, so now when I feel an urge to press record, I just turn on the ring light, plug in my wireless microphone and go! This takes five minutes by the way, not thirty. I also know what height my chair should be to make sure I’m looking directly at the camera lens, so I don’t have to think about that either. All of these things are making it easier for me to just jump in when I’m ready to record a video, without having to overthink my surroundings.
Prepare your headspace
It is nearly impossible to create consistent video content if you don’t have the mental space for it. Another reason why I changed up my office layout and organized it was so I wouldn’t be thinking about the “cleaning” I needed to do while I was supposed to be creating content. “I want to write this blog post, but I should clean my desk first,” was my favorite procrastination excuse. Now I still don’t always have my space in perfect order, but I can handle ignoring it while I’m busy creating because my mind understands this is just a cognitive distortion. You see, I like to use “should” as a way to get out from creating. My coach used to say it’s my mind’s manifestation of my soul being afraid to put my work out. So I started writing down the things that scared me about devoting time to create and it was surprisingly freeing. It didn’t require years of therapy to erase all my doubts and fears, in fact they’re still around, but I’m now aware enough to realize I can create in spite of them. Which is why I suggest you take a moment to write all the things that hold you back from creating videos consistently, then proceed to the next suggestion.
Finding time to create
This is not going to be a paragraph about time management. I’m not going to remind you of the benefits of batching or having a content calendar. Instead, ask yourself this question: “What is the number one (time-related) issue that keeps me from creating video content consistently?” Be SPECIFIC. Don’t give it a vague answer like: “I’m too busy,” or “I have too many responsibilities",” even though this might be true.
Here’s how I might answer this question: “I’m too tired and busy to do my hair and makeup, and if I don’t look ‘professional’ people might not take me seriously, plus I don’t like how I currently present on camera, I need to lose this pregnancy weight.” Phew! Lot’s to unpack here, I know… but I want to show you how helpful it is to be specific about what “time-related” issue is holding you back, because in many cases your time issue can be solved if you address the underlying fears behind it.
This is how I worked through my “lack of time” excuse. I promised myself that this year I will do my hair and makeup at least twice per week, which puts less pressure on having to do it every day. I’ve also embraced my naked skin, with a side of lipgloss and mascara, which I can do in five minutes. BOOM! Plus, I’m a big fan of normalizing the casual look in professional scenarios. I wear sneakers to events, jeans are standard in my work wardrobe and I never apologize for wearing t-shirts and hoodies. I also never apologize for my curly hair, which admittedly is not always looking fly, but that’s life.
So with this new outlook I’ve cut my getting ready time significantly and have more space to create. Now, on that last part…
Slowly I’m learning to appreciate my body in all its shapes, and seeing more people out there doing the same has helped me feel more confident in-front of the camera.
These steps are a solid start to your new year video creation strategy and will help you create more consistently in 2022. But if you really want to make this your biggest video content creation year yet, join me on this free 28-Days of Video Challenge. Together we’ll eliminate the excuses and wash out the fears that often hold us back from making video content. Kind of like a juice cleanse for your content strategy, minus the laxative.
WHY YOU SHOULD DO THIS FREE CHALLENGE WITH ME:
✅ Stay motivated, accountable and boost your social media video content creation to the max.
✅ In just 28 days you’ll get the tools to jumpstart your creativity, come up with engaging ideas, create faster and more efficiently, and increase recognition for your brand and business through video.
If you’ve been wanting to create more engagement for your brand, increase social media recognition, and establish yourself as an authority in your industry, 28 Days of Video Content Creation is your next step! JOIN ME HERE.