Creating is Really Just Having a Good Chat with Yourself

創作，其實是跟自己好好聊

Have you ever had that experience? You sit down at your desk, wanting to draw or write something, but your mind goes completely blank and your hands don't know what to do. Then you start scrolling on your phone, and before you know it, half an hour has passed.

I used to be like that too. Later I realized that creating isn't something you can just jump into whenever you feel like it—it needs a bit of preparation, just like how you'd tidy yourself up before meeting a friend for dinner.

It's Not That There's No Inspiration, Your Mind is Just Too Restless

Honestly, inspiration isn't as mysterious as we think. It's not some divine gift that falls from the sky—it's more like a voice that's always been inside you, but usually it's too noisy to hear it.

Like when you suddenly get a brilliant idea in the shower, or an interesting image flashes through your mind while walking—in those moments you're relaxed, your mind is quiet. Creating needs that same state.

How I Prepare for Creating Now—With a Bit of Ritual

This might sound a bit pretentious, but I think creating really needs a touch of ritual. Nothing complicated, just something that lets you know "I'm about to begin":

First, I clear my desk of any clutter. Then I slowly prepare the things I need—pens, paper, paints, whatever. I don't rush this process, it's like making tea, taking it slow.

Sometimes I'll light some incense or put on music. Nothing special, just whatever makes me feel comfortable.

Then I sit down, close my eyes, and take a few deep breaths. I tell myself: "Okay, now I'm going to focus on this thing."

Sounds simple, right? But it's these small ritual-like actions that help your mind gradually settle down. Modern people seem to especially need this kind of "mode-switching" ritual, telling ourselves that what we're about to do is special and worth our focus.

You Don't Need to Create Something Great

Many people (including my past self) think that if you're going to create, you need to make something amazing. But that's not how it works.

Sometimes I just play with colors, or draw random messy lines. The point isn't the final product, but the process—you're focused on doing one thing, your hands are moving, your heart is feeling.

During these times, thoughts that you don't usually notice often emerge. Maybe it's a perspective on something, maybe it's a memory, or maybe it's just simply realizing "hey, I actually like this color."

The Benefits of Doing This

From my experience as an art therapist, this really does make people feel better.

It's that feeling of... how should I put it, like getting reacquainted with yourself. Usually we're busy dealing with external things, rarely taking time to truly be quiet and spend time with ourselves.

When creating, no one will disturb you, no messages to reply to, nothing urgent to handle. It's just you and whatever you have in your hands.

Want to Give it a Try?

You don't need to be an artist to do this. Having paper and pen at home is enough, even a drawing app on your phone works.

The key is giving yourself some time and space. Maybe just ten minutes, maybe half an hour. Not for any particular purpose, just purely wanting to create something.

I think modern people really lack these kinds of pure moments. We're always doing "useful" things, but sometimes doing "useless" things actually makes life more flavorful.

If you try it, I'd love for you to share how it felt. Whether you drew something or just sat there daydreaming, it's all good.

Because what matters most isn't the artwork, but your willingness to pause for yourself.

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你有沒有那種經驗？就是坐在桌子前面，想要畫點什麼或寫點什麼，但腦袋一片空白，手也不知道該怎麼動。然後就開始滑手機，一滑就是半小時過去了。

我以前也是這樣。後來才發現，原來創作這件事，不是說想做就馬上能做的——它需要一點準備，就像約朋友吃飯前會整理一下自己的狀態一樣。

其實不是沒靈感，是心太浮躁了

說真的，靈感這東西沒有我們想像中那麼神秘。它不是什麼天外飛來的東西，更像是你內心一直都有的聲音，只是平常太吵了聽不見。

就像你洗澡的時候突然想到很棒的點子，或者走路時腦中閃過有趣的畫面——那些時刻你是放鬆的，心是靜的。創作也需要這種狀態。

我現在會這樣準備創作——帶點儀式感

這聽起來可能有點做作，但我覺得創作真的需要一點儀式感。不是什麼複雜的東西，就是讓自己知道「我要開始了」的感覺：

先把桌子收乾淨，不要有雜物。然後慢慢準備要用的東西——筆啊、紙啊、顏料什麼的。這個過程不要急，就像泡茶一樣，慢慢來。

有時候我會點個香，或者放點音樂。不是什麼特別的音樂，就是讓自己覺得舒服的。

然後坐下來，閉個眼睛，深呼吸幾次。告訴自己：「好，現在我要專心做這件事了。」

聽起來很簡單對吧？但就是這些帶點儀式感的小動作，會讓你的心慢慢沈澱下來。現代人好像特別需要這種「切換模式」的儀式，告訴自己現在要做的事情是特別的、值得專注的。

不用畫出什麼偉大作品

很多人（包括以前的我）都覺得，既然要創作，就要畫出很厲害的東西。但其實不是這樣的。

有時候我就只是塗塗顏色，或者畫一些亂七八糟的線條。重點不是成品，而是那個過程——你專心在做一件事，你的手在動，你的心在感受。

這種時候，常常會有一些平常沒注意到的想法冒出來。可能是對某件事的看法，可能是某個記憶，可能只是單純覺得「欸，原來我喜歡這個顏色」。

這樣做的好處

從我做藝術治療的經驗來看，這樣做真的會讓人感覺比較好。

就是那種...怎麼說呢，好像跟自己重新認識了一下的感覺。平常我們都忙著應付外面的事情，很少真正安靜下來跟自己相處。

創作的時候，沒有人會打擾你，沒有訊息要回，沒有什麼緊急的事。就只有你和你手上的東西。

要不要試試看？

你不需要是什麼藝術家才能這樣做。家裡有紙筆就可以了，甚至手機裡的繪圖app也行。

重點是給自己一點時間和空間。也許就十分鐘，也許半小時。不為了什麼目的，就是單純想創作點什麼。

我覺得現代人太缺少這種純粹的時刻了。我們總是在做「有用」的事，但有時候做點「沒用」的事，反而會讓生活變得更有味道。

如果你試了，歡迎跟我分享你的感覺。不管是畫了什麼，還是只是坐在那裡發呆，都很好。

因為最重要的不是作品，而是你願意為自己停下腳步的那份心意。