Keeping your creativity alive has always been a challenge, but in the era of work from home, where the lines between work life and home life have blurred and where burnout and social disconnection are rising, creativity is at risk. We’ve asked some of the most creative folks we know for advice on how to keep one’s creativity alive.
William Alonso
Art is my passion, and my artistic life has flourished among the plastic arts; theater, specifically puppet theater and teaching. These three areas have allowed me to develop strategies and resources that maintain creativity at high levels of consistency and adequate for what my work requires. Read more>>
Chris Binotto
I keep my creativity alive by surrounding myself with extremely talented people, they teach me something new everyday. I make a point to continue my education but my friends/team are my true inspiration to continue pushing my culinary bounds. Read more>>
Kelly Austin-Rolo
I keep my creativity alive by constantly creating. Having a set schedule to work and be in the studio specifically to create is important to me. I always have more than one piece or series being worked on at a time. This allows me to move from one piece to another if I feel the need to slow down and observe a work for a while. Read more>>
Deaniera I Wibisono
It’s an odd balance from one week to the next. Mainly I move between weeks of going out to catch a film every night to not leaving my apartment for days on end. There are some days I just need to avoid my writing and I let myself be immersed in someone else’s creativity. The opinions I form about others’ works clarifies what I want in mine. Read more>>
Mariah Seales
Taking breaks! For the past few years, I’ve sustained myself almost exclusively with my creativity. As fulfilling as it’s been, for me it’s not sustainable. Working constantly, being spread thin between different projects and creative mediums, while trying to maintain a personal life, was a lot! Read more>>
Stacy McClanahan
We’re living in a time when being an artist often means not just selling your art but selling a persona-your “brand”. Your lifestyle, your appearance, your social media feeds. It can feel like You are just as much a commodity as your work. Like so many artists I know, I find that curating photos, making updates on social media, planning events, doing administrative tasks- all the things we’re having to do to try and sell our artwork and get discovered can be so exhausting! Read more>>
Amie Easton
As artists we always struggle with this in a physical form, but creativity is always alive in some form. Sometimes switching out the form in which we need to create. Most commonly, we experience burnout in a particular medium of expression, so I find changing the medium in which I express creativity, ie; cooking, photography, painting, a very successful way in keeping that creative mind sharp and motivated. Read more>>
Denise Tirrel
Creativity in the modern sense is the ability to go beyond traditional ways of thinking and develop new ideas, whereas in the Middle Ages creativity was seen more as celestial inspiration. Keeping my creativity alive and honing it is helped by my insatiable curiosity about the world and seeing beauty in the simplest things. Read more>>
Ryan Tesluk
I keep my creativity alive by making something at least once per week. I have found that doing so makes me happy and hopeful for the future. Read more>>
Tasha Haight
I am in the business of being creative. I own a mermaid company – that in itself is creative, but I’ve taken it even farther. Mermaid Tasha LLC offers mermaid entertainment in a variety of forms. Our mermaids perform synchronized swim shows, interactive mermaid experiences, birthday parties, photoshoots, and mermaid camps. Read more>>
Sebastien Courty
As a textile artist, I find that keeping my creativity alive involves a delicate balance of inspiration and exploration. I continuously seek out new experiences, whether it’s traveling to different cultures, immersing myself in nature, or visiting art galleries and museums. These encounters spark my imagination and offer fresh perspectives that I can infuse into my work. Read more>>
Madison Oakley
My biggest sources of creativity come from being out in nature, ancient history especially mythology and from the people around me following their passions and sharing their stories. When I find myself uninspired this is what I turn to. Perhaps a long walk through one of my favourite trails, listening to the river, looking for interesting feathers or bones. Read more>>
Tina Snyder
I keep my creativity alive by always staying current with the latest trends, popular brands and local theme park influencers such as bloggers, vloggers and other various social media platforms that share trendy “theme park” styles. Read more>>
Sydney Adams
It’s hard. Sometimes creativity hits me like a lightning strike – immediate and bright in my minds eye – and flows through me onto the paper or canvas. I am just the conduit. Sometimes, though, my creativity is like a ghost dancing around me – I can feel it lingering there, just out of reach and I have to work hard to harness it so that I can craft my vision and bring it to fruition. Read more>>
Davide Micciulla
I keep my creativity alive by constantly seeking inspiration from diverse experiences. Traveling is one of my go-to methods, as it exposes me to various cultures and locations. Exploring different environments allows me to absorb new perspectives, traditions, and lifestyles, which in turn fuel my imagination. Read more>>
Kelly Branyik
Creativity has been a part of my life since I was a child. My siblings and I were divorcee kids, and it was a brutal time because we had a father who insisted on making the divorce complicated and painful. My mom, who was an early childhood professional and creative herself, knew that as adults, we were going to need coping mechanisms and healthy outlets for any trauma that would come from the divorce. Read more>>
vladimir chopine
In communicating with other creators, don’t stop creating and expressing new ideas. The more you create, the more ideas you will get. It’s like static electricity: more movement creates a higher charge. Read more>>
Taylor Hungerford
Creativity is something that I think you either do or don’t do. It comes from a simple need to express yourself. I express myself in so many ways, from music, to music videos, to graphic design to photography. It all feeds into one another in how I exist as a creative force in this world. Read more>>
Nicole Dery
What a great question! Creativity can be defined in lots of different ways. I like to use a sort of mush-mashed definition derived from of a bunch of other definitions: creativity is the generative use of imagination and observation. I keep creativity alive through practice. There are many ways I practice. The most important way is by prioritizing it, which means saying no to a lot of other things to make sure there is time for creativity built into the days, weeks, months, and years of life. Read more>>
Moe Houston
That’s a great question actually, since the towards the end of 2023 coming into 2024, I was sparked again. I want to say I was hurt by a number of things and I think the pain caused me to feel like I should write again. I was in a writers block for a long time. I just could not find the passion to go about writing. Read more>>
Aleksei Doktorevich
As a cinematographer, keeping creativity alive is vital for my art and work. I power my creativity by diving into various art forms like painting, music, and literature for inspiration. But it’s not just about consuming – I also withdraw to reflect on my own ideas. Observing the world, from the play of light to human interactions, fuels my imagination. Read more>>
Teressa Gehrke
I’ve been afforded the opportunity, thanks to my parents, to have many chances to explore my creative side. When I was young, I did tap, dance, ballet, art, and painting classes. I’m also musical. I had piano, voice lessons, and even voiceover work. I keep my creativity alive by teaming up with colleagues who are creative. Read more>>
Cleonique Hilsaca
As an illustrator, I work with clients on a variety of projects. Sometimes I have a lot of creative freedom, and other times I must work within strict guidelines and feedback. To keep my creativity alive and my clients happy, I must find a balance in my work where I am staying true to myself while creating work that successfully meets my client’s needs. Read more>>
Brendon Wilkins
I always strive to seek out content that inspires me. I am excited to study and investigate all the intricacies that make this content so unique and interesting. With a consistent input of ideas and art that inspires me, I am continually energized to explore and create art that represents who I am. Read more>>
Acacia Grace
The past few years, I feel like I have really cultivated my creativity. I started to journal is that I can put my thoughts together in one place. Sometimes I get inspired with lyrics throughout the day, and I write them down. I have a playlist of instrumentals that I want to write to, and sometimes the thoughts or lyrics that I write match the lyrics. Read more>>
Megan Phillips
As a social media manager, I am ALWAYS thinking of content creation ideas. Whether it’s for my own brand or my clients, my brain is always thinking of ways to share stories in ways that feel authentic to the brand and audience we’re trying to reach. Because of this, I definitely get into creative blocks sometimes. Read more>>
Quentin Lewis
I keep my creativity alive by continuing to create. As I like to say “keep my pen polished”. Read more>>
Rania Stone
The key is to avoid compromising in easy situations. Step out of your comfort zone and dare to think outside the box. This means not following the crowd or adhering to others’ expectations. Challenge yourself to explore new perspectives, whether through travel, meeting diverse people, or diving into different genres of literature. Read more>>
Dalal Bruchmann
I have three little ways that have helped me keep my creativity alive in the past – The aesthetic experience I love visiting museums, monasteries, gardens. I love to read poetry and listen to a classical concert. I often seek the beauty in my environment. Places of art, whether through words, history, architecture… or the high level of care something is bestowed with… I find that very inspiring. Read more>>
Asa and Eric Makowski
Asa- I try to keep my creativity alive by listening to different types of music. I’m always looking for things I’ve never heard before and stuff that pushes musical boundaries to keep that creative spark alive. Read more>>
Tiffany Cade
It is never smooth sailing for an artists’ journey. Creativity is one of the most important assets when it comes to an artist and how I keep my creativity alive is to keep practicing my art. I create at least once a day whether that is painting, drawing digitally, tufting a rug, or creating armatures for a new clay piece. Read more>>
Joe MacGown
How do I keep my creativity alive? This a question I am often asked because I am a prolific producer of a variety of styles of art. People wonder where my inspiration comes from, do I ever have artistic block, and how do I produce so much art. For me, inspiration is everywhere, but I am especially drawn to nature and the interwoven tapestry that ties all life together. Read more>>
Wen-Chia Chang
I keep my creativity alive by actively seeking inspiration from the richness of daily life experiences and various aspects that surround us. I find that the ordinary moments and interactions in our lives can be profound sources of creativity. Observing the world around me, engaging with diverse people, and encountering unexpected moments all shape my perspective and influence my design choices. Read more>>
Kori Steigerwald
I may be different than some in this, but for me, creativity is very much influenced by the world around me. I take note of how sights and sounds affect me emotionally and use that when I need to create something new. Put me in a quiet room by myself, and I may come up with some original ideas, but surround me with other people, music, art and nature and my creativity can soar. Read more>>
Steven Stringer
The best way for me to keep my creativity alive, is to spend time with others and the artwork of others. Any kind of artwork. Whether that be visual or auditory. One of my favourite things to do, is just to explore weird stories and ideas, these ideas are often inspired while conversing or experiencing some kind of art, whether that be fine literature, or even trashy reality TV. Read more>>
