Begin Again
Tips and Prompts for Restarting Your Creative Journeys
A half-filled journal.
A sketchbook left mid-page.
A novel with only Chapter One.
A melody that never made it past a few lines.
Craft supplies tucked away.
A camera you once carried everywhere, now collecting dust in a drawer.
Each of these is more than just an object. They’re artefacts of your creative life - of what once lit you up, made you curious, made you move.
But now?
They might feel like quiet reminders.
Of distraction. Of detours. Of what you didn’t finish.
Sometimes they whisper: You let it go.
You didn’t follow through.
You stopped.
But what if we heard something else?
What if, instead, they were invitations?
Not to pick up where you left off in guilt, but to meet your creative self where you are now. To begin - not as a punishment for pausing, but as a practice of returning.
A Season for Starting Over
This month in The Possible Journal, we’re exploring the theme: Begin Again. This is to kick off this publication’s restart.
What have you stopped doing, even though you love it so much?
If you’re a multi-passionate creative, chances are, something had to be paused. Sometimes temporarily. Sometimes indefinitely. Maybe you stopped writing. Stopped painting. Stopped dreaming about that project you couldn’t stop thinking about.
And you’re wondering: Can I really pick this up again?
The answer: Yes. You can. Always.
“Pause and remember—it is never too late to begin again, to forgive someone, to have a dream, to meet someone or to love yourself. It is never too late!”
— Jennifer Young
Beginning Again Isn’t Failure - It’s Rhythm
Sometimes, starting over isn’t about failure - it’s about rhythm. Life moves in seasons or cycles. What once fit beautifully into your days may have been edged out by urgent priorities, unexpected detours, or simply the slow erosion of routine.
And that’s okay.
What matters is what you choose to do now.
Beginning again doesn’t require a grand gesture. It might be:
Picking up your camera or musical instrument for five minutes
Doodling on the back of a receipt
Writing a single sentence in a forgotten notebook
Pressing play on an unfinished dance routine
Clicking “New Project” in a long-closed app
The trick is not to wait until you feel ready.
Readiness often follows action - not the other way around.
“Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose.”
— Anne Sullivan
Tips for Restarting Your Creative Practice
Start ridiculously small.
Just one mark on the page. One chord. One photo. One sentence. Swatch colours. Repeat a couple of dance steps. Let it be enough. Keep the bar so low you can step over it.Reconnect with your ‘why’.
You chose your creative outlets for a reason. Was it about play, connection, excitement, peace, or something else? Let that guide your return.Pick up where you left off.
That half-finished story or abandoned idea still belongs to you. Continue, without apology. Let your past self be your collaborator, not your critic.
Change the context.
Try a new location, time of day, material, or gadget. A shift in environment can spark a shift in energy, and a new toy or fresh supplies can bring renewed excitement.Make it sustainable.
Beginning again doesn’t mean burning out. Build a rhythm you want to return to. Try for consistency rather than completion.
Creative Prompts to Begin Again
Write a letter to your creative self from six months ago. What would you say? What would you forgive?
Take one unfinished thing - a draft, a sketch, an idea - and respond to it, without fixing or finishing.
Create something inspired by a “first”: your first thought today, your first sip, your first glimpse of light.
Use this phrase as a title or starting line: “This time, I’ll begin differently.”
Start a “Begin Again” journal page. Write, draw, or photograph one moment of creative return each day for a week.
Mark your progress. Check things off in a habit tracker. Give yourself stickers. Celebrate the things you get to do, and don’t worry about things you weren’t able to get to.
An Invitation to You
Beginning again can feel tender. Messy. Quiet.
But it’s also powerful. Brave. Generous.
Let The Possible Journal be a companion in that space.
A soft place to land. A gentle place to restart.
📝 Prompt for You:
What are you beginning again this season? Is there a creative practice you’re returning to - or one you’re just now giving yourself permission to explore?
Hit reply or leave a comment. I’d love to hear your story.
Here’s to fresh pages, quiet courage, and the beauty of returning.
Book of the Month: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
For this month’s theme - Begin Again - I thought Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert would make a great companion.
This book is a love letter to the creative process. It reminds us that creativity doesn’t require perfection or permission - it simply asks for our presence. Gilbert’s approach is both gentle and bold, offering comfort to those who’ve paused their creative practice and encouragement to those ready to return.
Big Magic gives us permission to start again with curiosity, not fear. To honour ideas when they visit. And to trust that showing up - imperfectly, inconsistently, bravely - is more than enough.
I carry my journal with me in case inspiration hits, but coming back from a ten year hiatus is quite the process. I was also looking at getting the newest Elizabeth Gilbert book recently as I thought it might be inspiring.