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.
Malaika Nawaz
I keep my creativity alive by staying curious about life and gentle with myself, letting ideas come without forcing them. I allow myself to write imperfectly because honesty matters more than polish. I protect my solitude, notice small details and let real emotions, pain, love, confusion shape my words. Read More>>
Thabo Ngwenya
Creativity stays alive in me because I allow myself to feel deeply. I observe life, I heal, I break, I rebuild and from that process, something true is born. Read More>>
Roderick Martin
As a filmmaker and student majoring in Digital Media Production at Eastern Michigan University with a Communication Media and Theatre Arts minor, having previously studied Film Studies at Washtenaw Community College, where he also founded and ran the WCC Motion Picture Society. Read More>>
Danielle Arsiaga
I keep my creativity alive in my lash business by having clients that challenge my skill levels, have unique request like colored lashes or color matching to hair tones, and by constantly being in a state of learning new techniques and skills. Read More>>
Janet Clukie
How do I keep my creativity alive? By going out in nature and experiencing the beauty of creation. There have been many times throughout my journey as an artist when I’ve been creating all day, trying to sleep, and my mind just won’t shut off with new ideas I want to try to create. Read More>>
Ryan Kay
I would say that creativity is what keeps me alive. Writing, directing, acting, music, photography, painting, sculpting, designing… creating makes me happy. And not creating makes me go crazy! It’s symbiotic; I nourish my creativity so it could nourish my life. I go about exploring new things, or familiar things, differently. Observe and register life around me like little kids do… Read More>>
Aileen Cook
That’s a tough one. There isn’t one answer. I do many things to stay creative, yet despite all attempts, my brain shuts down and needs a break. Silly as it sounds, I do find being outside in nature is one of my key muses for creativity. Read More>>
Brittany Murray
To keep my creativity alive, I make it a priority to take necessary breaks to avoid creative blocks. When an idea comes to mind, I write it down and take time to research it. I also look to other creators who work with similar crafts for inspiration and fresh ideas. This process helps me stay motivated, inspired, and constantly growing as a creator. Read More>>
Danica Tulloch
By listening to music, reading, researching, taking care of self-care and lots more I can think of. Read More>>
Lawdan Shojaee
When it comes to keeping my creativity alive, I prioritize movement. Movement in my body through yoga and exercise, but also movement through execution. When I have an innovative idea, I make moves. My creativity is also best nurtured when I feel uplifted. Read More>>
Coty Cockrell
I’ve always felt like creativity has been a core part of who I am. Whether seeing rainbows in oily rain puddles at gas stations, endlessly reorganizing my crayon box, or simply taking the long way home from school, as a kid I was always curious to make colorful connections with the world around me. Read More>>
Bob Bowser
I have always believed that we are continually learning. New techniques,better composition and using new technology and equipment. It’s all important. I am always asking questions with fellow photographers that have a different skill set in photography world and will find myself trying their techniques to improve my creative photos Read More>>
Chrissy Collins
Keeping my creativity alive has meant learning when to step away. Early on, I believed that if I wasn’t pouring blood, sweat, and tears into my work at all times, I wasn’t trying hard enough. After more than a decade of painting, I’ve learned that mindset isn’t sustainable… or productive. Forcing myself to create when I’m not inspired usually leads nowhere. Read More>>
sheldon powell
I honestly have been finding it hard to keep alive lately. I haven’t been able to really shoot as much as I want. It’s more sitting behind the computer planning for projects and building out teams which is fun and can be creative, but for me I loose the sight. Read More>>
Aalegra Dell Daze
I keep my creativity alive by always looking for inspiration! In everything I do, I like to make sure there is intention and passion behind each project. So whether that means creating a look inspired by my favorite video game character, or making a mix that incorporates a viral soundbite that’s caught my attention, it’s important to look at everything with an artistic lens. Read More>>
Sik.B Tha Hippie
My Experiences in life gives me great creativity… Read More>>
Steph Carson
One word: Play. I love the word “play” because it’s a noun, a verb, and most importantly, an invitation. A lot of people think creativity dries up because you’re “out of ideas,” but most of the time it’s because you’ve stopped giving yourself permission to wander. Ideas are infinite, but curiosity can become a finite trait if you let it. Read More>>
Jack & Gwen J Groenheim & G Stoddard
My partner and I have found that creativity, much like humans, thrives with movement, curiosity, and change. Over time we have learned that creativity doesn’t necessarily disappear; it just dampens when you stop trying new things. And yes, trying new things is hard. But it becomes a lot less intimidating when you have someone beside you who’s willing to try too. Read More>>
fabrizio ceccarelli
Creativity, for me, doesn’t arrive quietly. It shows up in the studio, late at night, when I’m standing in front of a canvas that isn’t working. There are paintings leaning against the wall that I never finished. Some of them were erased completely. At first, that used to feel like failure. Read More>>
Michelle Walters
2025 brought a profound life change that required me to completely start over. I had to rethink and restructure nearly every part of my life — who I was, how I lived, and how I wanted to move forward. Through all of that, creativity became the thread that carried me. Expression wasn’t optional for me; it was essential. Read More>>
Valheria Sanchez
I believe creativity is a way of living, not just something you turn on for work. For me, it’s often reinforced through adversity, when resources are limited or when I’m faced with challenges that require me to think differently and push beyond what’s easy or familiar. I keep my creativity alive through daily practice. Read More>>
Sherry Li
Many people say that creativity springs from daily life, and I completely agree. Whether it’s the work of beginners or famous artist like Vincent van Gogh, the most authentic and powerful art often draws from the same common source: the ordinary moments and natural world around us. Read More>>
Jade Houghton
A big part of being a content creator is mixing what’s popular with your own brand or niche. I think that I take a lot of inspiration from other creators who do things similar to me, and I add a bit of myself into it. Creativity is finding ways to add yourself into what works. Read More>>
Bri Hollandsworth
Pelvic and lymphatic therapy aren’t fields people usually think of as “creative,” but creativity is actually my favorite part of what I do because no two patients, bodies, or lives are ever the same. I believe generic therapy often falls short for that exact reason. If something feels complicated or disconnected from a person’s real routine, it usually doesn’t stick. Read More>>
SHAYSON KREA
Creativity, for me, is not something I force—it’s something I protect. I stay creative by staying connected to real life. I observe people, emotions, and moments, especially the ones that don’t make noise but leave a mark. My music often comes from memories, unfinished conversations, love that didn’t fully happen, and growth that came through pain. I also give myself permission to step back. Read More>>
Joe Charley
For me, creativity stays alive when it’s treated as a living relationship rather than a resource to be extracted. I’ve learned over time that creativity doesn’t respond well to pressure, urgency, or constant demand. It responds to care, rhythm, and honesty. I’m a multidisciplinary artist — music, performance, directing, writing — and early on, I thought staying creative meant always producing something new. Read More>>
Caden Coleman
I honestly think creativity is a lot like energy. It’s always around you, but you have to be intentional about tapping into it. You have to feed it. If you don’t check in on it or give it time, it’s really easy to lose momentum or feel like it’s gone quiet. Read More>>
Kristin Marquet
For me, creativity stays alive when I give it space instead of forcing it. Some of my best ideas come when I’m writing without an agenda, walking around my town, redesigning a space in my home, or simply observing people and culture, not scrolling for inspiration, but actually living. Read More>>
Melissa Barnes
I’ve learned that creativity isn’t something you wait for…it’s something you tend to, like a living thing. For me, keeping my creativity alive starts with staying curious about people and ordinary moments rather than chasing trends or perfection. I’m constantly paying attention. To people, places, things. Those quiet observations are where most of my ideas begin. Read More>>
Maria Carpio
I keep my creativity alive by constantly learning and staying inspired in the hair world. I invest in advanced courses to sharpen my skills, explore new techniques, and push myself beyond what I already know. I also subscribe to hairstylist education pages and follow industry leaders who keep me in the loop on trends, formulas, and fresh ideas. Read More>>
Felipe Nothen
I’m always creating new things, whether it’s musically with my bands or my own songs, I like to seek inspiration in everything, whether it’s in films, mood or even memories, I like to mix all of that and use a bit of nostalgia, surrealism, I usually feel more comfortable going in the opposite direction of other people. Read More>>
David Shackelford
I think part of it, is the fact that I never allowed my childhood to die. My inner child is protected. Didn’t know how important that would be, until I got older. There’s other factors, as well. My mind runs constantly. Like a giant server. No, On-Off Button. It never shuts off. Being creative? Yeah. Never shuts off. Concepts and ideas come to me, organically. Through an image, movie quote, number sequence, a color, a song. Yeah. Doesn’t take much, to inspire me. Read more>>
