It’s been too long since my last post, so I must apologise to all my loyal followers. I always intend to write weekly, but real life dictates unfortunately, and so you may find yourself meeting with me only every couple of months.
I feel compelled to write about my experience as a perfumer over the past year or so, and be forthright about the ‘blocks’ that can happen to those of us in creative fields. I have definitely been experiencing that for some time now. At the start, I found it frustrating, and I tried to push through it so I could get back to doing what I love, which is bringing you inspired fragrances. But those actions only compounded the problem, and so anything that I had been working on, pushing out, trying to create, fell short of the mark and just wasn’t, well, inspired.
I’m not sure exactly when, but some time over the past few months, I realised that I have been suffering from burnout, and I had an epiphany about my life and my work; I needed to let things be, and surrender to the experience.
And so, if I couldn’t bear to turn on the computer that day, I just didnt. And if I needed to sit on the couch and watch Ellen, I did (and still do!). And if getting into the studio didn’t feel right that day, I closed the door and went home. Or for a walk. Or for coffee with a friend. Or whatever my mind and body needed that day.
At first I thought the world would miss me. That One Seed would suffer for my lack or inspiration, that my customers would suffer for my lack of productivity. But none of those fears seem to have come true, and, in fact, I find myself being more real, more genuine, more ‘in the moment’, more creative in my every day life. And slowly the inspiration has started coming back. Not when I’ve penciled in a ‘day in the studio’, but at random moments, and I am finding that my ideas have been more original and more inspired than ever before.
Its a funny thing to surrender. Such a scary concept – as if surrendering means you give up and throw everything away. But I have found that surrendering actually has the opposite effect. Surrendering to me has meant finding who I really am, where my creativity actually comes from, being more me than ever before, and seeing life in a whole new light.
Liz
x
One Seed - the Beautiful Life Project 
Good for you Liz, it’s so important to honour your Self. In doing so you teach others that it’s perfectly okay to do the same. Congratulations! And although I’ve never experienced your creations I love your work, the look of what you create and that you share the process of being a perfumer; as an aspiring perfumer I’ve been grateful for your generosity.
Thank you,
Maxine
Hello Maxine. Thanks for joining me!
Such lovely words – I really appreciate them. Its so nice to know one’s experiences can have a positive effect on others. That’s what its all about after all, isn’t it!
Liz you write and explain the feelings you’re feeling so well, I’m right there with you. It’s great advice and something I am going to take onboard xx
Thanks Melissa. It’s a really important journey, and one I want to come out the other end from with a different view. All the best in yours too. I’m glad to hear my experience is important for others to read about. 🙂
Great post Liz. I am sure many of us will relate to exactly what you are saying. I have learnt in my experience that the creative mind can only unleash itself when it is not forced, pushed to its limits. Only then can it find inspiration and the energy to create the work of art…
I am sure this ‘surrendering’ will prove to be a blessing for the next step of your journey in the wonderful world of the Art of perfumery.
Thank you for this enjoyable post.
Isabelle
Thanks Isabelle. I so agree with you – creativity can’t be forced. It needs to be a process all on its own. Sounds like you’ve been here before!
Thanks so much for joining me!
You need to put this post on annual repeat and read it again each year to remind yourself to get off the treadmill.
Thanks for reminding me.
Portia x
Good idea, Portia. It’s a lesson I hope I never forget. x