Scaffolding: how to support your creativity
Before we create great things we create our scaffolding
An almost awake thought came to me in the night: it’s not about building the outcome in the beginning. It’s about creating the scaffolding to begin the beginning.
Wisdom like a flash of lightening. I don’t know where the hell that came from, but consider me illuminated. Or at least briefly struck by an idea… an idea I tucked snuggly in beside me until morning.
Come morning I had two thoughts: COFFEE. Scaffolding.
And then countless days passed in a blur of mothering, feeding, cleaning, too much instagram scrolling, and golden autumn moments. There was a bobbing thought: What is scaffolding in a creative life?
What could I learn from this? What even was “this?”
I started thinking of places I’d seen scaffolding: buildings mid-construction. Tall walls, high ceilings ready for painters to begin. The Sistine Chapel— well, images not the actual place (yet.) Places that required stretch both creatively and functionally.
A quick google search revealed that people have used scaffolding for thousands of years. Across cultures, with different tools and techniques a collective human need and solution.
Before we create great things we need to create support and structure for ourselves.
There it IS. Support and Structure for ourselves.
Not the finished product. The help that will position us to create.
What if I shifted my thoughts away from the frustrating fuzziness of my exact artistic future and instead recognize the support and structure that will help me reach up and create my future?
Scaffolding in a creative life comes in many forms. From seemingly small decisions, robust routines, and habits these support systems provide lift and light.
Today I’m completing this monthly note to you and to my creative self. This looks like a simple enough feat. Thoughts to words to typing text. Publish and send right to your inbox! Creativity, convenience and connection!
The reality is I started working on this weeks ago. I chipped away a sentence over a sip of coffee. Twirled over words in my mind, editing, thinking, revisiting while sitting outside as my nearly two year old daughter played in the freshly fallen leaves.
At times I chided myself for being too distracted. Or too unfocused. Both in my writing AND in my life-ing. Why couldn’t I just spit this idea out and hit publish? Why did I have to post monthly instead of weekly? Weekly would be SO much better— for growth, consistency, recognition… blah, blah, blah.
Here’s the thing: those moments were missing scaffolding. And my life is in a busy, messy, beautiful, chaotic season.
It’s amazing I had the bandwidth to ponder in nature while my daughter learns about the seasons— and I learn about my own. It's incredible I could blurt a few ideas into the unpublished void as I caffeinated next to a stack of dirty dishes. Those are wondrous things and part of the beauty of being creative. We never truly stop creating.
Scaffolding is what has brought me today to finishing this monthly message. I have childcare for a few hours (support) and I planned ahead how I would spend this time (structure.)
I’ve begun applying this concept everywhere I can. I’ve also found it’s the answer to “Ugh why didn’t I get anything done today??” Put simply some days won’t have scaffolding and that’s okay too. These are the days to slow down. Rest, think, plan.
We can’t just reach up and paint our Sistine Chapel. There’s planning and building first— support and structure that will turn the impossible into the possible.
The next time you’re thinking about creating ask yourself what support and structure would help make creation possible. Hell, maybe even a little fun and restorative?
Next Step: Identify + Build your Creativity Scaffolding
Grab a pen and paper: What’s an idea or creative project you’d like to tackle?
Where can this activity fit into your life? (Example: my monthly publication is realistic for my life right now. I tackle it in small bursts and then use scaffolding to finish it.)
Do you need help creating the time or space to work on this project? Who can help you? What can they do to support you? Get as specific as possible.
What comes to mind when you think about creating structure for this project? Time structure is a common method: a set time to work on a specific goal. This could look like a set weekly coffee date with a friend where you work independently to move your ideas forward with accountability.
I can’t wait to see how you’ll apply scaffolding to your creative life! Thanks for being here with me!
Lindsay
I love this, Lindsay. I've discovered ( mostly by having it pounded into my head) that my level of preparedness deeply effects the quality of my my work.
Case in point : someone wants to come and see my studio this weekend. Monday I cleaned it down to the corners even beeswaxing the shelves. And didn't go in to it Tuesday. Yesterday, I peeked in and it was so inviting that I thought of several new design ideas that were not on my radar at all. My scaffolding was ready. I won't go in to work until next week but I FEEL the creativity coming through the preparedness.
Thank you for pointing this concept out. We need support of many different types to lead a creative life - and some we can givr ourselves.
Yes! I have also lately realised that I am no longer able to simply "jump" into a project the moment it comes to me... For me this became impossible to do when I became a mother. Suddenly, there was a little being who's needs came away ahead of anything my creative juices claimed I had to do right there and then... But for years I struggled. Why couldn't I just do that thing while she napped? why was it so difficult to go from mother to maker? And yes, as incredible as it sounds it's not until recently (my daughter is now ten) that I realised there needs to be a kind of buffer, some middle ground or neutral zone, if you like. A time to build scaffolding and gather support, as you write.
These days, this looks like carving time for myself and to be in the studio ahead and making sure everybody knows and is ok on their own or with each other and the dog doesn't need to go for a walk. Sometimes it means taking myself on a coffee (and cake, guilty as charged!) date and just sit somewhere that's not my home, alone, and think, plan, write. Then, when I do get to the studio my head is clear and I can "just make".