How Do You Acknowledge And Reward Your Creative Achievements?

[Dan Goodwin]

Just reading Alfredo's post about finishing his latest album, I was wondering how others rewarded themselves after finishing a creative project?

Is the reward just the finishing itself, do you celebrate in a quiet moment with yourself, break out the champagne and cake, or let it go by unacknowledged?

Share your celebrations (or lack of) here in the discussion...

[Camille]

Dan,
It took me a long time to think about if I do celebrate. Today the answer came, as I finished my project for a museum entry today...In honor of that...I took me a nice long shower, bought me a nice take-home dinner and treated myself to a PEPSI...my favorite naughty soft drink!
Sometimes, I will find the biggest chunkiest novel I can get a hold of and get involved in a good read...
Sometimes, I just want to socialize with someone over a meal.

For small everyday creative treats, sometimes it is NAP, or playing with a few word puzzles,
meditation or reading something small but spiritually enlightening!

So yes, I do habitually acknowledge and honor my creative efforts regularly...though it took some thinking to realize that I do! Thanks for getting me thinking about this topic, Dan...

How do you reward yourself, Dan???

Alfredo, my eyes are tired now, but tomorrow I will come back and read your link. I really am very interested in how artists celebrate or not celebrate their creativity!

Sincerely, Camille

[Dan Goodwin]

Camille, I have a kind of internal commentary/ conversation going on much of the time and I'm aware of acknowledging when I finish a project, or more often when I have a good session of creating, like a little pat on the back.

Actually sometimes I give myself a literal pat on the back, just acknowledge what I've done.

I think it's important to do this at the time as we so quickly lose track of all the creativity activities we're involved in and under rate how creative we are...

[Camille]

Yes, Dan, that is a great way to acknowledge your creations! All too often we underate our creative activities...so a literal slap on the back reinforces and validates the art play in your mind...excellent mind/body feedback!!!

[Beth Robinson]

Mostly I just admire what I've done. If I'm really proud of it I'll call my husband over to admire it too, even though that's mostly "smile and nod."

[Camille]

Beth, Very Good! Taking time to admire what you do is a very worthwhile way to celebrate creative moments!

[Lin Neiswender]

All of the above, Dan,depending on my mood and the size of the project! I've been known to break out a brand new box of chocolates too!

[Jules]

Interesting question. For me it depends on what the project is...with most of my art the process is what I crave and love so often when something is finished, I kind of mourn the ending of that process rather than celebrate the result.

Other times I do different things. Several times after figuring out something I have been struggling with in photoshop I have leapt up from my computer and did a happy -happy- joy- joy dance and cut loose with some yippees and harays. (This tends to startle my BF)

Then there are times where I just tidy the studio area so I can have room to mess it up again with the next process, which I generally think of during the last one. Can clearing a space be considered a celebratory act?

I would break out the new box of chocolate like Lin, but it is usually gone by then LOL. I have developed the habit of Julia Cameron's suggested 'artist dates' so I treat myself to something special regularly- so I do not really do anything special specifically after completing a project.

Sometimes I am anxious...if it is something I want someone else to enjoy- One example is the fireman picture of Tim's Dad...I was very anxious- wondering if it resembled him or not (I had never met him) and if Tim would like it and all that rig-a-marole. Tim loves it, but that did not stop the worry before I knew that. This is why I do not do commissioned work.

I think if I was working on a major project such as Alfredo's I would do something upon it's completion

[Mary Hicks]

If I completed a huge project, such as Al's album, I'd invite everyone I knew to come to a party to hear my music!! But he's a professional....I'm just a "Dabbler" (no offense, Dabs!)

When I finish something, I always tell Warren about it. Often, I'll show it to him. And more often, I'm set aside by his lack of real interest. He loves what I do and he wants me to progress and learn more. He just doesn't know how to "celebrate it" with me. That can be frustrating.

So, I rely on friends. My friends Elizabeth and Dale love seeing what I've done, but we don't get together often enough for us to share our accomplishments. Having this space - CCS - is the best thing for me. It's taught me to be proud of what I've done, no matter the "professionalism" it entails. The encouragement and interest from folks here has changed the way I look at my own creative outpourings.

[Camille]

Oops, Mary (Dabblerette #2 on CCS)...inner critic says you are "just" a dabbler...you are a creator..."amateur" really means someone who does something with love, and that you do very well!!!

[Dan Goodwin]

A celebratory creative party is a great idea Mary! In some fields of creativity, that is the "public" celebration, for example having your recent paintings displayed in a gallery exhibition, or having a gathering for the first play of your new album.

In a way we have these here on CCS. There's certainly a large proportion of what I create that appears here on CCS before I show anyone in the offline world. The recent writing for the Songs Of The Senses project for example.

Sharing what we create is an important step psychologically I believe in giving our creative output credibility and validity, as you can attest to yourself...

[Camille]

Dan, "Sharing what we create is an important step psychologically I believe in giving our creative output credibility and validity, as you can attest to yourself..."

I attest and totally agree with this, as I have experienced a real change in my outlook about my creative activity and how much more able I am to validate how I spend my creative time. All this and more because of sharing at CCS!

Before CCS, my big questions to myself were: " is this a valid way to be spending my time? Shouldn't I be doing something less self-indulgent? Shouldn't I be helping others? Improving the world?, etc"

Now I don't question these things. It is not self-indulgent for one to do what one does best...it is life affirming...being self-indulgent is not acknowledging and not realizing who one really is.

There is that famous quotation..."An unexamined life, is no life at all." Creativity is how we examine our lives!

These things have come to light as I continued on in my relationship with CCS community!

[WildCherry]

I agree with you Dabs. My outlook has really changed as well. It means so much to me to have the support of my friends here throughout the process and at the finish as well. It seems to add an extra incentive for me to complete things.

So my first of celebration is to share. With my other half and on my blog and here at CCS.

Apart from that, I usually plan a night out on the town and some days of just pottering around without too much structure - in the garden, walking the dog, cooking etc as I tend to neglect my internal balance when I get to the end cycle of a project and need to gather energy for the next cycle.