Understanding How and When To Conserve Your Creative Energy

The idea of conserving energy often brings up thoughts of “saving up” or “holding back.” However, there is another way to frame conservation - and it just might help you become more attuned to how you access and use your creative energy.   In this episode, Dan and Andrew unpack the seemingly counterintuitive idea of conserving your creative energy, not as a means of holding back but as protecting and nurturing your creative essence until the time is right. As they share their thoughts on what conserving creativity looks like in their lives, you’ll learn how strategies for implementing the concept of conservation in your own creative endeavors. “It seems to me that this whole idea of conserving Chi or conserving your creative ability is all about when you decide to do it.” - Dan (5:47) They also look at all the different sources creatives can draw and absorb inputs from, how to decide when you should push your creative limits and when to protect and nurture your creative energy, and they discuss the idea of more not always being better. Dan and Andrew wrap up by emphasizing that conserving is all about making intentional decisions on when to put in 100% and when to only put in 70%.  “[But] the whole idea of letting your muscles recover or even what they call supercompensate. I think that concept of super-compensation happens in creativity as well. If you can actually allow yourself that time to say, it sounds so mumbo jumbo-ish to say accumulate subtle ingredients of refining the inner elixir.” - Andrew (11:04) In the next episode, Dan and Andrew will discuss the next element of creativity - storing. In This Episode: (1:04) What it means to conserve your creative energy (5:47) Deciding when to conserve your creative energy (6:16) Creatives absorb creative energy from many sources (9:23) Know when to hit the throttle and when to stop and hold back  (11:57) More doesn’t mean better  (14:10) Conserving is hard to judge for beginners (14:38) Burnout is real - don’t overdo it Resources & Links: Dan Nestle LinkedIn Andrew Silberman LinkedIn Get a G.R.I.P. on Creativity by Andrew Silberman The Remote Work Companion   The Dan Nestle Show  Mentioned:  Mindfulness Meditation: Sam Harris When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing: Daniel Pink Purity of Essence: Dr. Strangelove Jim Carrey MIU commencement speech