How to break your creative rut

Creative ruts can happen to anyone, not just creatives. You could be in a job for too long, where your opportunities for growth are dwindling. You could be at the top of your game as a snowboarder but can't land any new tricks... It can, and will happen to everyone at some point or another, but overcoming it can sometimes prove to be the challenge itself.

There is no single solution for breaking it up, everyone's brains work in different ways. However, there is perhaps a simple tool that can help you break it. 

I was recently listening to a NPR podcast featuring legendary climber and entrepreneur, Yvon Chouinard. There were a lot of great things that Yvon spoke of, but one of the things that stood out the most is "take a step forward and see how that feels, if it feels good, take another step, if it feels bad, I step back." 

& perhaps it really is that simple... 

Taking a step forward, in any direction is better than being planted on your feet. In my case, I have spent the last 3 years pursuing outdoor photography. The last year I haven't been motivated, i've lost interest and now I have to take a step in a different direction. It doesn't necessarily mean that you won't end up back on that same road, but maybe you will have a different perspective.

Photoset : Tofino

TOFINO, BC

I find myself in Tofino often enough for work, but not enough for fun... Growing up on the island, it was always a go-to place for camping and surfing, so last month it felt great to get up there for a week of exploring and camping. 

La Casa Winnebago

I was fortunate enough to have my bike with me on this trip, camping at my friend Taylor's spot in a trailer park a few minutes outside town... It was a perfect spot to commute on my bike for beer runs at Tofino Brew Co. 
 

Trailer Park campfire

We took a day trip out to Kennedy Lake & explored the logging roads...

Followed by a hike & beach fire with some new friends...

Julia flew out from Vancouver on my birthday to hang out on the beach and do some camping... we found a spot right off a beach to do some bouldering, walked along boardwalks and filled up our growler before hitting a beautiful camping spot outside of town on the ocean. 

3 months on Galiano Island

I started off 2017 with an eviction notice from our landlord in Vancouver. A common story in the city of 'renovictions.' We had only been there for a few months before the landlord decided to sell the unit we were living in under our feet. Instead of spending Christmas looming over finding another rental in the city, we opted to try something new.

We moved our things into a storage unit and January 1st, I packed up my truck and moved over to Galiano Island to live in a cabin for the winter. 

Lucky for me, a buddy of mine on the island has a beautiful cabin resort called Bodega Ridge. It's located on the quiet side of the island, surrounded by arbutus trees and just a block away from the ocean...

Over the 3 months on the island, I helped Jesse with some projects during the day, and spent my evenings by the woodstove reading books and sometimes watching the snow fall... A pretty dreamy place to spend cold winter nights.

Winter can be really slow on the island, which can have it's up's and down's. I broke up the days by going out for hikes. My favourite happens to be Bodega Ridge Provincial Park, just behind the property. The views of the gulf islands from the top are amazing. 

If staying at a beautiful cabin for the winter wasn't good enough, I was so excited to dine out at Pilgrimme, one of Canada's top restaurants which happens to be in a quaint cabin style building tucked in the forest. I won't ruin the surprises for you, but if you go to Galiano... don't think twice about eating here and if there's room, book a stay at Bodega Ridge.

I hope to one day have my own cabin on Galiano, but for now, the journey continues as I am back on the road, living between my rooftop tent on my Toyota, at friend's places in the city or working with resorts along the way.