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Gem #56 What happened when I stopped creating. I started living.
Bonjour my little demon,
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TODAY’S GEM
This Portrait Gem will be short.
But it holds what might be the most important lesson I’ve learned so far as an artist.
If you’re an artist, a creator, an entrepreneur—or simply building something that matters—this message is for you:
We’re always pushed to create. To stay consistent. To keep producing. And slowly, we start believing our value depends on how much we output.
It happens to me too. I get caught in the rhythm. Sketches, paintings, courses, Instagram posts—I’m always thinking about the next thing to make. But at some point, my head fills with noise. And everything starts to feel heavy. Until one day, my big brother said something that stopped everything. (What would we do without our siblings, really?):
“To create, sometimes you need to pause and live. Because creation comes from life.”
That single sentence brought silence back into my mind. It hit me hard : creation is about how I see the world—so how do I create if I stop looking? If I stop feeling? If I stop living?
Since then, I’ve been learning to respect both phases of the creative cycle. Yes—there’s a time for creation. But there’s also a time for absorption. A time to listen, to wander, to simply be. I still carry my artist eyes, of course, but I allow myself to set the pencil down and fill my life with new experiences.
Because without life, the work becomes empty.
So lately, I haven’t been creating that much. I’ve been opening my eyes. Filling my mind with emotion, with experience, with life. And my next “absorption move”? Learning to ride a bike. Because maybe the next portrait won’t come from my pencil—but from the wind in my face.
And you—what will your next move be?
Voilà, that’s all for me.
See you next week,
Léa
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Something we forget at times. Without living it’s hard to come up with ideas.
Very good tip!