Part 4: Stoking the Home Fires

Introduction:

Welcome back, dear readers, to the next chapter in my comeback story.

If you’ve made it this far, you know that life’s storms have tested me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. From navigating relationship changes, the challenges of blending families, mental health hurdles, financial strain, and career setbacks, I’ve learned that resilience isn’t just about surviving—it’s about adapting, and, most importantly, finding joy along the way. Each challenge, as grueling as it was, has helped shape the person I am today. But if there’s one consistent thread that’s kept me grounded, it’s creativity activity.

Making “art” is more than just a passion or a hobby for me—it’s been a lifeline. Throughout these trials, even when I wasn’t actively working on timotheories or producing anything concrete, the mere thought of painting, discussing films, or collaborating on projects sparked something in me. It was a beacon of hope, a reminder that, no matter how tough things got, there was always something greater to reach for, something to nurture that could pull me through the darkness.

And now, I’m ready to fully dive back in.

This next part of the series is dedicated to the journey of rediscovering that creative spark. Today I want to delve into how I found my way back to my passions, rediscovered my creativity, and the milestones I achieved along the way. After a hiatus, especially one fueled by such immense personal change, it can feel daunting to pick up where you left off. You might wonder, “Do I still have it in me?” or “Can I truly reignite that passion?”

Spoiler alert: You can.

But it’s not always as simple as flicking a switch. Just like everything else, finding your creative rhythm again takes time, effort, and a little patience. Its a gradual process of reconnecting with what truly matters. In this post, I’ll be sharing the key milestones I encountered while rebuilding my creative life, including the practical strategies, mental shifts, and subtle changes in routine that helped reignite the flame within me. Whether you’re an artist, a designer, a writer, a business owner, or just someone looking to get back in touch with a passion you’ve lost, I hope these insights will inspire you to jump-start your own creative journey. 

Oh my god, he’s gonna say it. Hes’ gonna say it. Avengers as…

Flame on!

Reconnecting with Creativity:

Reconnecting with my creativity was not an easy process. 

At times, it felt like I was scaling a mountain made up of mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual barriers – and they were invisible too.

I always knew deep down that I would return to creating, but that certainly didn’t make the in the mean time and in-between time any easier; I thought about this homecoming every day from the time I stopped until now. 

From the moment I stopped producing art, whether it was writing, drawing, painting, AV or acting, there was a distant whisper reminding me of who I was meant to be.

I’ve always been partial to the idiom that if you really really want something, let it go and if it returns to you, its true love. 

But that might not apply to you, so I’ll do you one better – if you want to buy something, wait 30 days before making the purchase. If, after those 30 days, the desire is still there, its likely that you genuinely want it. And that’s a good thing.

That same principle holds true of our passions as well. Life finds a way. 

Despite the barriers I encountered, my creative desires never really left me. Each time I found myself pausing, stepping way from the act of creation, I would dream about it. Surrounding myself with my adjacent hobbies and doing my best to embrace dreaming, even when I felt like an imposter looking in. This ensured I would return to creating art. Those little acts and moments of discipline, helped to keep that flame from going out.

A simple gesture – making homemade gifts for Miguel and Mysticque at Christmas was a great example. 

When I was growing up, my parents came up with a neat tradition for us kids that allowed us all to make a Secret Santa gift for someone within our immediate family. It was great, each of us created a homemade gift for another member of the family, and then we all would guess as who the gift giver was. But as my siblings and I grew older, and romantic partners entered the fray, things became harder to organize to create that same magic. Eventually we began our own families and the commitment to this tradition waned, but the desire for genuine connection and a good surprise remained. 

My wife and I decided to continue this tradition within our immediate family because it was a beautiful creative outlet for all involved.

Motivation may come and go like the wind, but discipline—being intentional about engaging with art and creativity—is what sustains us. It was through these moments of discipline, these small creative acts, that I began to leave the light bulb on in the back of my mind. 

Actively watching interesting movies, listening to new music, playing board games with loved ones, finding inspiration from various creators, and reflecting on how I would reintroduce myself back into art making mode, that helped me find my way back. 

Inspiration Sources:

One of the most profound moments in this journey came during my friend Stephen’s birthday in October of 2023. Our mutual friend Allie was discussing her writing projects, specifically the concept of world building in her creative process. She maintained that world building is essential to creating a natural order and that it would often produce fully realized characters. 

Her words struck a chord with me, reminding me of the creative depths and complexity involved in storytelling.

As we continued discussing creativity in the framework of writing, Steve began to share an idea for a science fiction story he had been developing—a space opera story about history, mythos, and doctrines unfolding as civilizations progressed, with the intricacies of the scifi world gradually revealed to the audience.

Suddenly, it hit me – this could become a board game. I shared my idea with Stephen, and to my surprise, he agreed almost immediately. Ever since then, we’ve been slowly working together to build his vision into a tangible, playable experience. 

This collaboration has been cathartic, exciting, and profoundly meaningful. Steve and I have been friends for almost 20 years. We completed our BFAs a year apart, worked for the same company for nearly 15 years, and now, we’ve found a new way to bond over our shared creative energies. The process of making something together has reminded me of the joy and fulfillment that comes from collaboration, and it’s renewed my sense of purpose as an artist.

Another unexpected source of inspiration came from my former employer, and it happened while I was still there. It stemmed from the company’s investment into employee development through the learning platform Udemy. 

In the 4 months that I was temporarily laid off in 2020, I still had access to the learning resources and so I took a few courses on social media and project management, which not only added to my skill set but opened my eyes to new possibilities.

One particular course, Eli Natoli’s Build a Six-Figure Online Business Selling Online Courses, shifted my thinking about how to manage timotheories et al. It made me realize that my creative work could be more than just content for fun—I could transform it into a service, something that could be packaged and shared with others, who would benefit from my experience. 

I began to think beyond the traditional realms of blogging and podcasting, and into the territory of teaching and mentorship.

Around the same time, I discovered Joshua Mayo’s YouTube channel, where he built an investment-focused business, monetizing it through affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and YouTube ads. His passion for entrepreneurship and his commitment to consistency reminded me that half the battle is simply showing up every day. His success was proof that small, incremental improvements, combined with continuously learning from others, can lead to something great. 

These two content creators aren’t necessarily doing groundbreaking things, but their efforts reached me. A fantastic re-ignition to keep pushing forward, to keep building my own creative platform.

New Projects:

In the process of reconnecting with my creative passions, new projects began to take shape.

I’ve had this desire to build a portfolio website to showcase all my various creative work, for many years now. I’ve even shared some of my art on this blog when I was posting the first time around. 

But I wanted a dedicated space for it, so taking a page from the City of Edmonton and their strategy for road construction projects, I’ve decided to just start everywhere, all at once. And that started officially with timothykuefler.com. You can go check it out, but its definitely not done yet, its gonna be in construction mode for now. 

While its not finished yet, it’s become the cornerstone of a much grander effort for me – selling my fine art and providing both professional et creative services. 

Additionally, I’ve undergone the process of developing logos and branding for my other business ventures: 

1. timotheories – which you may have started to see peek up in various places already), 
2. MTK properties – our rental property business, 
3. Sips & Fits – Mysticques print-on-demand business. 
4. Confer Culture – with Chris and I sharing the responsibility for it now, I’m gonna give it the design and marketing treatments it needs. 

And I have a couple other adjacent properties in the works, which I’ll reveal at a later time. 

Doing all of this groundwork has given me a tremendous sense of purpose, autonomy and a tangible connection back to my creativity. 

Reading that over, you might say it looks like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, and my wife would agree. But I know the difference between having a lot of irons in the fire across all areas of my life, versus having a lot of creative projects in various stages of completion. In the first scenario it can quickly become overwhelming, but in the second, it keeps me moving forward, by giving me options when I need a break in one area. 

And so I slowly keep improving each thing, while focusing on timotheories as the flagship. 

Another major project came when I changed my employer and what my marketing day job looked like. For four years I was project manager for a marketing department, and it truly was fruitful because I learned a ton about building workflows. But last December I decided to go back to my corporate roots. The job I’ve been loving the past year has me developing marketing campaigns, partnerships and branding again, but with the added experience of variety. 

It reignited my enthusiasm for creative problem-solving in the day-to-day. 

I’ve already mentioned this, but I need to emphasize that collaborating with Steve on board game design has brought a new dimension to my creative output – it affords me the opportunity to use design, writing, PM, marketing, and other business skills interchangeably.  And podcasting on Confer Culture keeps me engaged in storytelling and conversational skills. 

And one other creative venture – finally committing to learning music. This is something I’ve said I would do since I was 17 years old. I’ve always wanted to play something. The drums, keyboards, guitar, whatever; but I was super self-conscious about my voice growing up. Fortunately, in the past year I started digging and discovered through a neat little app, that I was singing in the wrong key, literally. Turns out I’m a baritone who always want to sing in soprano. Singing songs within the correct range has introduced me to a whole new form of expression. 

Then we have gardening, which is in fact the actual last project to highlight.

I really need to emphasize how surprisingly creative that can be as an opportunity. It requires patience, care, and attention. It’s become this fantastic creative outlet that I can finally share with Mysticque together. It’s fascinating how something I pushed so hard against growing up can now be something I can enjoy each summer.

Learning and Growth:

During my hiatus, I didn’t just learn about art—I learned about life.

Which is this post’s fitting contribution as a cliche.

What I mean to say, is that I’ve learned a lot about the practical side of the arts in my time away from a regular routine. From managing a photography and photo editing team, to developing a product catalog, to self-teaching myself PM software, to learning digital marketing, I had a great many more opportunities to improve my marketing base.

And then I finally took the leap and left a company that was meant to be a stepping stone from post-secondary into the world of marketing. Luckily I never felt I overstayed my welcome.

In fact, I’m closer then I’ve ever been with two decades of experience now, and I was able to find many opportunities working there. That I was able to resign my position, try another company out, and then come back to that first company with even more conviction, allowed me collect as many roles as I could for a further 10 years.

It’s been instrumental to have these experiences. I now feel even more confident to teach creatives how to build practical skills and conversely bring art enthusiasts into the arts without the pretense. 

The school of hard knocks was good for me. 

Personal Milestones:

The journey of rediscovery was marked by significant milestones: getting married, going on our honeymoon, starting a rental business and eventually completing all the renovations.

Securing our first renter for the renovated property in July 2022 validated the years of hard work and perseverance. 

Finding a new home afterwards and settling into it within a tight timeframe showcased our ability to adapt and overcome challenges. Trying to have a baby and going through the medical system to learn that we are perfectly healthy but just haven’t been lucky yet. 

Getting the two cats having only had dogs growing up, and then finding new jobs in brand new industries — there have been challenging and awful things, but also great ones. I’m proud of Chris and I for revisiting podcasting, I think the content is better than ever. And making board games with a trusted friend turned out to be a pursuit I’ve always wanted to go after. All of these milestones have renewed my vigor for writing, design, marketing, and creating visual art. And I will definitely be sharing more personal stories on all of these topics in coming months.

Achievements:

The progress I made in my career was notable. It might seem trivial, but I now go into work each day excited to be part of the company, and I always feeling challenged, and the team I work with is chock full of all-stars.

And of course, securing a job that aligns with my skills and interests was a major breakthrough, providing financial stability and professional growth simultaneously. 

Overcoming my struggles with sleep apnea, which had plagued me for years, significantly improved my quality of life. 

Addressing my mental health challenges and finding effective coping mechanisms was a significant step toward overall well-being. Admitting that I can always seek help whenever I don’t know how to move forward is humbling too, but also a relief. 

Relationships:

I mentioned a couple of my best friends working on creative projects with me, but my family were the real inspiration to get back into making art and rededicating myself to timotheories. 

Mysticque and I have talked about building our family together ever since we started dating.

We’ve been trying for a long time to get pregnant and have had a few missteps along the way. Despite the losses, I continue to hope we will have a baby together, and it is challenging, but I’m also incredibly grateful for the life and loved ones we include within our circle of family.

Miguel is growing up before our eyes, with a girlfriend and his own cohort of friends. I am in awe of his ability to navigate a complicated life, and will cheer him on always. 

We also have two lovely and weird girl tuxedo cats now: Velcro and Shoelace, who inspire me with many artistic ideas both fine art and with video. They are beautiful animals with interesting personalities. 

And yes, even though it was only for a season of my life, MPQ was my reason to tackle the day for a period and got me through the darkest timeline, so I will be forever grateful for that experience, reminding me to stay connected and engage with others.

Oh, and yes, I do have a pretty great circle of board game friends now, and a consistent space to explore new games and social experiences.

theories summarized:

While travel was limited during the pandemic, our honeymoon to Cuba in 2018 was incredible. 

Going to Drumheller last summer was another great time that reminded me how much I love Canada and exploring it. Navigating the antique museums, local cuisine, and small-town vibes provided healing in a way that few other environments are capable of. 

These experiences were a reminder of the beauty and diversity of the world, fueling my fire and desire to capture and share these moments. And anytime we can get out to festivals and see live music makes my heart happy too. I am so thankful my wife likes to explore as much as I do.

In reconnecting with my creativity, I’ve realized that this journey has been about more than just making art again—it’s been a process of personal growth and rediscovery. The challenges I faced, from emotional and mental roadblocks to spiritual and physical exhaustion, were significant, but they were necessary steps in finding my way back to what I love.

By surrounding myself with the things I care about—music, movies, board games, art, and conversations with friends—I managed to keep the door open, even when the drive to create wasn’t there. This wasn’t about waiting for motivation, but rather about cultivating discipline, which helped me slowly reignite my passion for storytelling, design, and collaboration.

From working on a board game series with an old friend, to developing new business logos, podcasting, and even venturing into gardening with Mysticque, I’ve embraced new projects that align with my creativity. Learning new skills, such as digital marketing and music, has given me fresh perspectives, while personal milestones—like completing home renovations and navigating family life—have reminded me of my resilience.

As I continue this journey of creative rediscovery, I’m reminded that life’s challenges are not just obstacles but opportunities for growth. The lessons I’ve learned will shape the next stage of my work here, and I’m excited to keep sharing that process with you. Thank you for being part of it.

Also. Please take some time to listen to us talk about bad movies in franchises, and whether or not we think they ruin them permanently!

Let’s keep moving forward together!

Tim!