One of the most challenging aspects of creative work is keeping your creativity alive. If only it was as easy as taking a nap or giving your creative muscles some rest, but as countless creatives have shared with us, keeping one’s creativity alive is something that requires effort and intention. Below, we’ve shared some of those perspectives, stories and advice.

Jessica Rivera

Being in the hair industry, i’m able to stay creative and customize any haircut/color to my clients liking. Even though it is generally the same techniques, every color or cut is different. But with that being said, i do get into ruts where i feel like i’m only doing certain things. For example, clients coming in wanting blonde highlights or long bob haircuts over and over for a period of time. That’s when i can start feeling burned out. So it is always refreshing when i get a client who breaks that streak and asks for something different like a vivid color or a complete transformation where my creativity really gets to shine. So in a sense, my clients are the ones who keep my creativity going. Read more>>

Andréa Pace

There’s nothing quite like 3D rendering to keep my creative juices flowing. It’s like a canvas for my wild thoughts to come to life (minus the paintbrushes and canvases). Given my visual nature, molding my clients’ ideas into stunningly realistic renderings brings me immense satisfaction. There’s something incredibly fulfilling about being able to breathe life into an idea and make it a tangible reality, and for me, 3D rendering is the ultimate catalyst for unleashing my creativity. Read more>>

briana johnson

One of my main goals with my baking business is to never stop learning. Despite how many years I’ve been doing this, I know that there is more to learn because trends come and go and new techniques pop up that could be useful to me. To make sure I am on top of changes, I am constantly watching videos of other bakers/decorators. I research different styles of art that I can use in my work as well. Sometimes I even learn a new skill that doesn’t seem to be related to baking but can be used. One skill that I’ve been practicing for several years is hand lettering. It is something that I use daily because I always write on cakes and cookies. Read more>>

Seerel Meadows

Keeping creativity alive is the most important part of content creation! And honestly, it’s the most fun part, too. I am constantly reinvigorated by my audience. I love seeing what type of content they engage with, what events and locations have them the most interested, and what questions or requests they have for me. This interaction helps guide my content creation, so I know where to go and what to introduce next. Read more>>

Scott DeHuff

Inspiration surrounds us everywhere we go. We just have to open the door and allow it to come in. Sounds a bit silly, but it’s true. Allow your friends and family to be a part of your creativity. When you see something that sparks an idea, let them know, and let them be a witness to your idea becoming a work of art. Or maybe the idea doesn’t amount to much. That’s okay. Let them see/hear/feel why the idea won’t work. You talking out loud, and working through an idea will help them understand the process, and it will help you mold the creativity in your mind. Also, talk to people about what you do. Get feedback. You might not agree with what everyone has to say, but it may spark an idea that may lead you down a path to greatness. Read more>>

Michelle Brodeur

Prior to becoming a professional organizer, I worked in a stuffy corporate environment that stifled any creativity that didn’t fit in their rigid box. That slowly stifled my spirit and my mental health took a hit. When I discovered professional organizing after working with a career coach, I found the ideal way to use both the business side of my brain, to communicate with clients and discover bottlenecks in their processes, AND the creative side of my brain, to make any space feel lighter and brighter. Outside of the business, I keep my creativity alive by reading novels, singing and making music with my husband and making it a point to travel somewhere new once per quarter. Read more>>

Jack Oberkirsch

Your creativity is something that you have to nurture. You can’t expect to flourish as an artist if you don’t feed your creative fire. Some of the things that I do to keep my creativity alive as a film composer are hiking, biking, watching films, spending time with loved ones, and simply playing music. Read more>>

Neil Nayyar

Staying creative is no easy task, but, to me, it is so worth the effort. To keep me feeling inspired and motivated to create new music, I’m always pushing myself to learn more instruments and new styles of music. So far, I have learned over 100! I even managed to officially secure the world record for the most instruments played. That has been a major boost in my confidence in my own creativity! And sharing my musical creations with people all over the world has been incredibly rewarding as well. It’s definitely something that helps me keep my creativity alive and thriving. Read more>>

Nojan Rahimian

In my opinion, creativity comes to life in moments of flow when my mind is quiet and there is no chatter going on in the background. It requires learning and development to get to that point. Most people can experience moments of stillness accidentally or at random moments and they realize the feeling of contentment and peace from it. Read more>>

Tokyo Syrup

I’m a 21 years old forever in my mind when I’m in the mode of the creativity . I naturally had a antenna on everything when I was at that age , so I try to keep my self young in my mind ! Lol Have fun on fashion , nail art idea and cherish what I love like what I love to wear , what I love to listen and see like every little thing I love . I want to inspire others from being my true self one day. Read more>>

Phil Donlon

By sitting my butt down and doing the work. Applying myself. And staying the f*ck of social media. Social media is NOT WORK. In todays environment we spend a lot of time comparing ourselves to others….overanalyzing…and when you start doing that you stifle creativity. I find I do much better when I respect the work I’ve done. Honoring its impact….creates an energy that feeds into itself. Read more>>

J. Kahlel

I keep my creativity alive by continuing to be inspired by who I believe to be the greatest artist, God. I do this by being aware and paying attention to things that couldn’t have been made by men or women. I ponder at the shining sun, I watch the moon at night, and continue to be amazed at they beauty of the stars and Mother Nature. I study the behavior of it all and relate it to our everyday lives because I believe we are connected to it all like a large canvas filled with motion and life. Read more>>

Bria Jaime

Creativity is an energy that we all just are. And I’ve learned to tap into it more and more in many different ways. It has become a daily practice for me first and foremost to become aware and recognize all that I am creating. Being an artist, people might say it just comes so easy or naturally but we forget we all have this innate ability to create. The definition of create is literally to bring something into existence. And that happens every single day for all of us.  Read more>>

Dr. John Neal Jr.

I keep my creativity alive by respecting and understanding it is a gift that only a small amount of people are blessed with. I realize that creativity will allow me to express myself through different lenses. Therefore I must be accountable and bring my dreams to life. This gift also allows others to dream through knowing there is someone like them and they are not alone. As long as I am breathing I will always continue to water my own flower and roses and not rely on others to do so. When it comes to creativity, the energy that we draw from in order to enhance our gifts and ability has a boomerang and reciprocal affect. All artists feed off of each other and that is a gift that is priceless. Read more>>

Arianna Fox

As a lover of languages and all things related to linguistics, those wise words have been told to me countless times regarding my years of hard work in learning enough Spanish to obtain a certificate of fluency. People were certainly impressed by the determination and grit I showed in going the extra mile to teach myself a foreign language, but those who knew even the slightest inkling about languages always cautioned me with those words: “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” meaning that if I stop immersing myself in the culture by meeting and talking to Spanish speakers, or if I stop practicing and learning new words daily, or even if I stop lightly pestering my English-speaking parents with Spanish translations of everything they say, then I will slowly begin to forget the words I’ve learned, and my hard work will be erased. Read more>>

Dr. Dawn Menge

I am very lucky to have a very active and fulfilling life. My inspiration for my children’s series, Queen Vernita’s Visitors educational series is based on my life’s adventures and experiences. Our family does a lot of traveling together in camping trips, sailing, and Hawaii. Queen Vernita visits the Islands of Enchantment and Queen Vernita conquers the Volcanic Islands was created from my multiple trips to Kona, Hawaii to visit a childhood friend. We swam with sea turtles, visited volcanic National Park, snorkeled, rode a raft down the waterways of a sugar plantation, night swam with large manta rays, and traveled down to the bottom of the Waipio Valley, which is the cover of the book. Read more>>

Emily Fischer

I keep my creativity alive by totally submerging myself into the arts. It’s intertwined in my work, my home, and through the people I connect with. I never limit myself to a particular medium and if I’m interested in a form of art that I’m unfamiliar about, ill try it out. I stay curious, I view art as often as I can, and I try to find art in everything- whether it’s through nature or human connection. Read more>>

Victoria Marmet

I have always been into art and creativity since I was a child, even at school, my favorite class was art. Both my parents are artists, my dad is a drummer and my mom was a singer, so I guess I kind of grew up with this need to learn and explore new things and be curious. Because if you are not curious you cannot be creative. Creating is my way to express myself, in my clothes, my makeup, and my projects. Read more>>

Melissa Reyes

Just by showing up! I’m always making time to create, sometimes without any specific purpose – just for fun! I love learning new techniques, new creative processes and experimenting with new mediums. It may sound obvious, but practice is essential for creativity. Read more>>

Stacey E. Haught

I’ve lived what I feel like is a long life, though, in comparison to others, it doesn’t seem like I’ve lived that long at all. They say to write from your own experiences. Write what you know and all that. But for me. I’ve lived that. I don’t want to relive it. My story is the most boring of them all. But what I find the most inspiring, and where you can say I draw my creativity from. Are those around me. The constant, and never-ending well of creative flow are the people I meet, the ones whose stories I learn. The stories my children tell me. The moment where I let my mind wander and the story just builds itself, where I can ask myself “What if I wrote a story with a character like them? What would it look like?” Then that’s when the magic happens. Read more>>

Sonia Iris Lozada

Getting rid of the constant mind chatter that distracts us from our creative pursuits is the key to unlocking creativity. Without the constant thinking about everyday affairs like our to-do list or appointments, we can focus more on our creative tasks. When I’m blanking on new story lines for writing or need to remember lines for a script, I take a few minutes out of my day for meditation. Taking five minutes out of your day to center yourself and clear your mind has been incredibly helpful in boosting my creativity. Read more>>

Tyler Lorita

Being creative makes me the happiest so keeping it alive is as much of a priority as sustaining myself. My creative partner and friends are another reason my creativity stays alive. Without them I would feel helpless in my own artistic journey. Filmmaking is my passion so watching movies and television are some of the best insights to what the greats are doing/have done. Museums, galleries, local art shows are always important for me to view art in a physical, multi-dimensional angle.  Read more>>

Carter Quick

I was talking with a friend about this the other day and the first thing that came to mind is that I have an urgency for beauty. A large part of my creative process comes from the art I surround myself with and the music I listen to. Most of my time is spent reading or looking at art, either online or in physical spaces. I used to feel guilty about spending money on large art books and records but I think it is key to have these physical objects around as you create. They hold so much wisdom in those moments when you are seeking clarity. Scent is another important element in my process. I am always burning candles while working. Read more>>

Hannah Mulik

For me, creativity definitely comes in waves. One way I like to keep creativity alive is to focus on other creative hobbies besides photography. I enjoy decorating my house, painting, and reading. I’ve been collecting art books for over a decade, and I often read self-help/motivational books. I also enjoy going to art museums to see the latest exhibitions. Recently, I got to check The Louvre in Paris off my museum bucket list! Read more>>

Maria De Jesus Berry

Experimentation, meditation, visualization, and constant research are the keys to my creativity staying alive. Being fearless in the face of challenges, adversity, and fierce competition are also key components in thriving. I tend to revolve my art and content creation around subjects that I am naturally drawn to. For my art work I tend to incorporate plenty of flowers, lanterns, women, Japanese, and Native American influences in my creations.  Read more>>

Kiersten Rucker

Creativity is such an important thing to cultivate and explore. As an abstract expressionist artist I don’t want my work to feel forced or too repetitive. I may have phases where a particular media is really calling to me and I want to use it repeatedly, but then I get the urge to move on to something new. Occasionally it can be hard to decide what is next.  Read more>>

Quewithdavybez

The way I maintain my creativity is by doing 3 things: being unique, authentic & through storytelling. Being creative has always been a natural gift of mine that just so happen to be an outlet for me when I’ve went through hard times in my life as a kid & as an adult. Read more>>

Malasurfcartel

Staying inspired. Living and experiencing life/situations being comfortable or uncomfortable. Embracing everything and then being able to let it out and paint the perfect picture. Taking it to the next level and seeing how to perfectly express what you feel. That’s all art really is. How we see the world. Only difference is is that we have to be able to say what ordinary people are afraid to say or even touch or or speak about.  Read more>>

Noah Mortel

I am my happiest when I am creating. This can come in different mediums. My passion and calling is writing and directing films and TV. When I am not doing that, I really enjoy getting the camera out and filming slow-motion videos and editing them to music. I love pulling emotion through music. So far on the side, I have created model videos, maternity videos, and pre-engagement videos all edited to music that matches the theme of the content. Read more>>

Wytessa O’Neal

I think a better way to answer this would be to express that creativity is being kept alive in me, independent of myself. The creativity I explore and express is a gift from God. I look at this gift as my tool-belt because its attached to my purpose in life, to help me fulfill it. Creativity comes out in my talking, perceiving, understanding, in what I do, things I’m interested in, my frame of reference, and etc.  Read more>>

Marsais Urban

I think the best way to answer this is that I really do thrive on creating new adventures. I really love trying new things, adapting to new interests and indulging in new adventures that come my way by following my heart. Basically, I’m an adult with ADHD and well, I embrace it as my superpower. When I hit a roadblock creatively and still have a passion for whatever it is, I find it best to do something thats outside my realm of normal for that activity.  Read more>>

Brittany Donovan

One word… Rest! Being overstretched is the biggest killer of creativity and motivation. Every year I look ahead at the calendar and make a plan to block off certain weekends in each quarter. Creating this space allows me to disconnect, enjoy things that are life-giving, take intentional time to reflect, wait on the Lord for something new to dream about and just simply start with whatever comes to mind. It doesn’t have to look perfect, but this open space lets my mind wonder and execute new beauty that can unfold. Read more>>

Kathryn Bojchuk

I keep my creativity alive by continuing to be in amazement and wonderment about the world. I seek out new experiences constantly and have always treated life as my greatest teacher. Becoming a student of life has put me into a position of growing, learning, & expanding. All of which help increase my creativity since I’m always open to new ideas, lessons, people, places, experiences, etc. Read more>>

Kristen Fagan

I am devoted to inviting my muse out to play through a variety of art making mediums, curiosity and wonder! I enjoy reading books written by artists and books about the creative process. Whenever I want to deep dive into a new subject matter in my life such as color energy, flower meanings, numerology or animal symbolism for example, I engage my creative senses as a way of understanding the material. Art journals, dance, and my painting practice are my way in. I get inspired when I am discovering new things. Read more>>

Kara Hendricks

As a professional photographer, creativity is a huge part of a successful business. I specialize in high school and college senior photography and this generation doesn’t want “traditional smiling at the camera” photos, they want edgy, out of the box images that are different. Sometimes my clients bring their own ideas using poses that they like or have seen somewhere else, but I usually prepare for the photo session in advance, with ideas that will flatter and bring out the personality of my seniors. To get that inspiration, I look at Pinterest and fashion magazines for different poses and even the latest fashion for outfits. Read more>>

Moriah Boone

I truly believe that this is one of the greatest struggles that we, as artists, face today. We are all born with an insatiable sense of curiosity and creativity. We ask so many questions, perform countless experiments, and often generate our own answers from that experimentation. Read more>>

Meca Sica

By surrounding myself around creatives like myself, they encourage me to keep striving for greatness and give me advice when needed. Sometimes when I feel like I’ve lost inspiration in my field of work or business is slow, I venture out of my comfort zone to network, while also meeting people within the creative world it’s always refreshing. Read more>>

Willow Ford

Creativity is a living thing and must be tended to accordingly. We must feed it with experiences that will nourish it. We must hone it by exercising our expression everyday. We must give it new goals and help it evolve and grow. If we treat creativity like something static or like something that can be kept in a box, we will find ourselves facing blocks and mounting frustration. Read more>>

Arianna Litrenta

Keeping creativity alive is not as easy as it sounds when your job is to continuously create. While creativity is one of my favorite aspects of my business, there are times that I feel burnt out or in a creative slump. I’ve found this usually comes at times where I’ve stretched my bandwidth with the number of projects or work I’ve taken on. The times I’ve been busiest- whether that’s developing recipes, working as a food photographer, capturing video content or curating blog posts- can sometimes be the times I feel I’m slacking most creatively. Read more>>

Kat Furtado

I love this question. I have found that the more you engage creativity, the more it engages back with you. It becomes an almost living entity–a process that runs itself. I can’t help but see similarities between creativity and the scientific method, even though many people think of creativity and science as being opposite fields. They really aren’t. I’m oversimplifying, but they’re functions of the same processes for me–curiosity (a hypothesis or plan), play and interaction (experiments), and observations and assessment so you can do it better, differently, or more effectively the next time. Read more>>

Yadira Torralba

I love to take classes and to absorb as much information from others! I also like to watch and rewatch color/haircut classes because I can learn new techniques and get inspired by other Artists. Im 32 years old, born and raise here in beautiful San Diego, coffee lover and such a foodie ! During the day I work at the salon. I’m behind the chair-doing hair, love spending time with my clients!! During the evenings, I work a Beauty Academy as a Cosmetology Educator and most of my free time, I spend it with my family and friends. Read more>>

Mashal Rasul

One of the biggest roadblocks to staying creative is the fear of failure. What if my art isn’t as good as someone else’s? What if someone is already doing that? Thoughts can turn into beliefs and the more we are scared to start, the more we mask our creativity. Art is a skill that develops. Yes, there are people that are naturally gifted and talented but that doesn’t mean that being creative is exclusive to those individuals. It’s important to note that even those individuals spend hours practicing to get to where they are. Everyone has a unique perspective and creativity truly comes to life the moment we take that leap of faith and try. Read more>>

Lauren Souter

I have a lot of friends who have different creative interests and skills and who are always willing to go along with my ideas for photography shoots. I’ll get inspiration from an accessory or outfit that I see and I’m able to have a network of people who are there to help me make my vision come alive. Read more>>

Christopher Chain

Sometimes I go through old photos and see what I like or dislike about the photos. I will then go out and try to retake them. Or I might try a new style of editing. Social media also plays a role in my creativity. I look at what others have done and try to put my own creative spin on a style of photography that I see. Read more>>

Michelle Perkett

Keeping my creativity alive has been a struggle off and on for me over many years and overcoming creative blocks has become much easier only because I’ve had a few times in my life when I thought my creativity would never come back. But it always does. Read more>>