Be Inspired
Have you ever sat down to create and literally not a single thing comes to mind? Everything just goes blank. Pencil tapping, staring out the
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Be Inspired
Have you ever sat down to create and literally not a single thing comes to mind? Everything just goes blank. Pencil tapping, staring out the window, humming to yourself. You wait for something to come to you and it just doesn’t? I have been talking about lack of inspiration on
Rest, Reset, Reflect, Repeat
As the Bravely Original blog continues to grow and we explore topics all across the creative space, I’ve noticed a particular theme keeps popping up. So many things I choose to cover here somehow link back to our fundamental human need for rest. Isn’t that interesting? I’ve thought about it
How to Overcome a Creative Motivational Slump
When it comes to motivation, there are two things we tend to focus on: how to find it and how to keep it. This week, continuing our discussion on the ever-elusive mystery that is motivation, we’re going to talk about both of those points – how we can summon back
Motivation Station
And just like that, it’s JUNE. Weren’t we just kicking off 2021? Time is flying. Wherever you are in the world, wherever you are in your creative journey, I hope this year is treating you well and you’re finding yourself inspired, productive and motivated. Speaking of… we’re dedicating this month
It’s All About Consistency
How is your creative process looking? Has the work we’ve done this month got you feeling more confident in yourself and your creativity? We’ve spent the past few weeks overcoming the misconceptions and excuses around the creative process, looking at other artists’ creative processes, and molding our own. Today I
Sharing is Caring
As we continue our conversation about the power of the creative process, unlocking the potential of “how” we do what we do, I want to expand on last week’s quotes from creatives to talk about the value of drawing inspiration from others. More specifically, we’re going to dig into how
Let Inspiration Guide You
I’m dedicating the month of May to honing in on our own unique creative processes, otherwise known as the “how” of what we do. Last week, I gave you a few tips for how to demystify yours and really make it work for you. Today, I’m going to let you
It’s A Process
Happy May! April showers bring May flowers… and the chance to demystify your creative process. We’re spring cleaning together this month, but it’s going to be so much more fun than dusting behind your furniture. We’re going to talk all about accepting the responsibility of a creative process, looking at
The Dreaded Question: “What do you do?”
April has been all about putting ourselves out there. We’ve worked through how we feel about being seen, we’ve built social media accounts to share our work with the world and we’ve talked about the best ways to make those accounts work for us. To end the month, I want
3 Social Media Keys to Success
So, did you do it? Is your social media platform up and running? If you said yes, FANTASTIC. I’m so proud of you for taking the first step toward putting yourself out there. (If you said no, go back and read last week’s post – I promise, you. can. do.
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Oh My!
Are you ready to put yourself out there? Say it with me: YES! I AM READY. Last week, we reflected on how we feel about sharing our work and today, armed with that self-awareness, we are going to get started! I want to talk about the power of social media
Take A Deep Breath & Get Ready to Grow
“This is it, don’t get scared now.” (Name that movie!) We’re a quarter of the way into 2021 and we’ve spent time focusing on action planning, self-love, and fulfillment of our needs. Not bad for three months, right? You didn’t know it at the time, but we’ve been steadily
Songwriting Challenge
Attention, music lovers! This week, I launched the first installment of my Songwriting Challenge on the Esma Kirim Bravely Original YouTube Channel. I’m excited to share my first challenge video with you all. Today we will find out… can I write a song in twenty minutes with a handful of
Step Into The Spotlight
It’s the first day of a new month and you know what that means. It’s time for a shift in our focus and a renewed commitment to strengthening ourselves as creatives. Before we move ahead, though, I want to review what we talked about last month and make sure we’ve
Coming Up With My Youtube Intro Music
This is a fun one! In this video, composer Noah Reece and I collaborate to create the music for my channel. I wanted to use something for my intros and outros that had a bit more personality than generic elevator music. Please enjoy watching poor Noah trying to decipher what
Expectation vs. Reality: YouTube Edition
It took me a YEAR to start my YouTube channel. Not for lack of trying, desire or motivation, but because life in 2020 had other things in store. This episode is particularly special to me because I take you behind the scenes and share the ups and downs of how
Wanna Collab?
One of our most fundamental needs, as humans, and as artists, is connection. There is an element of creative work, however, that can border on the verge of isolating. You know what I mean. You’re following your internal inspiration and sometimes it seems like nothing else exists. And don’t get
Peaky Blinders. Pineapple. Posh British accent.
It’s time for another episode of Esma on your new favorite YouTube channel. New videos will launch every Wednesday. Make sure you click Subscribe and hit that notification bell so you don’t miss any of the fun! This week, I talk a bit more about the focus for my channel
The Real Me
After much toil, learning, and oscillation between firm confidence and self-doubt, I am thrilled to announce the official launch of the Bravely Original with Esma Kirim Youtube Channel! This has been a labor of love from its inception, as I challenged myself to conquer personally uncharted territory to create a
Attain & Maintain Motivation
Motivation: a strong will to act toward accomplishment. See also: an elusive but essential component in every creative’s toolbox. We all know that creative work isn’t something that can be delivered at the snap of our fingers. And as much as we might long for the muse-led life, it’s not
I’ve Got Your Back
I’ve dedicated the month of March to recognizing our needs and making sure that meeting them is a priority. Now I want to shift gears ever so slightly and talk about needs on a larger scale, meaning that in addition to being aware of our own needs, we need to
What do you NEED?
When is the last time you really thought about what you need? Being attuned to what you need is one of the keys to success as an artist. This month, I want to focus on taking the time to recognize what it is we each need and ensure we
Believe In Your Infinite Potential
I have something to say. I am enough. I bring something unique to the table. My work matters. I have said it before and I’ll say it again. Actually, I really can’t say it enough. Those of us who answer creativity’s call know that making a living through our art
All In Good Time
Today I want to talk about time: how we can use it to best enable our processes and prevent the abstractness of it from creating illusions that inhibit our abilities. Let me start with a confession: I tend to rush to complete things. Taking my time feels tied to my
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