Keeping Your Creativity Alive

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.

Yixuan(sonia) Song

To keep my creativity thriving, I immerse myself deeply in the rhythms of everyday life. It’s about being fully present and observant, embracing the world as an endless stream of inspiration. Whether it’s the quiet moments of morning routines or the chaotic symphonies of city life, every aspect of daily existence offers a wealth of material to fuel my design thinking. Read more>>

Mauriett Chayeb

Creativity is something that must be kept alive by always tapping into the genuine person you are on inside. Always trying new challenges within your talents helps spark creativity! Being able to create is my favorite feeling OR there’s always a quick exploration trip to an art gallery, national park or Disney. I have been lifelong fan of Walt Disney, his imagination has been able to fuel so many humans and I’m definitely one of them. Exploring and eating good food keeps my creativity alive. Read more>>

Qihang Zhang

I keep my creativity alive by immersing myself in storytelling across multimedia—especially through music, which, to me, is one of the most powerful forms of multimedia. Music inspires me deeply; it’s not only a soundtrack to my life but also a source of ideas, emotions, and narratives that fuel my work. Read more>>

Lord Lxnce

This is a very tricky question. I face writers block quite often and every time I go up Against it, it was harder then the last time. I feel like I’ve used up alot of my creative ability. I reference my ability to write like a sponge and the sponge has been dry these days but that doesn’t stop me from trying anyways. When i make my songs and people hear them for the first time and assume its specifically about somebody which isn’t true. It’s just me hitting the punching bag and Keeping my skill up to par with others around me. Read more>>

Ting Li (tim) Tsai

I love all kinds of stories, and I love them in all forms. There are many ways to create and enjoy a good story: novels, comics, painting, and music. I started to tell stories through drawings; I love to tell a story while making a drawing. Then, I discovered video making when I was in high school. I started to tell a story with a camera. It wasn’t always easy to keep the creativity high. It runs dry from time to time. My trick for maintaining my creativity is to keep an open mind and absorb knowledge from all sources. As writers/directors, we can only write what we know most of the time, so the more we read. The more we know, the better we will be able to work. Read more>>

Yulin Yuan

I keep my creativity alive through a combination of teaching, continuous learning, and daily practices that nurture both my mind and spirit. Teaching is a significant source of inspiration—I find that engaging with my students’ unique perspectives and helping them develop their ideas challenges me to think in new ways and stay curious about the ever-evolving art world. Read more>>

Josh Carples

I think most everyone has a creative element inside them, but whether they tap into it, or even recognize it, can be a challenge. For me, having diverse interests and outlets helps to keep me tapped into it. I’m a musician, actor, filmmaker, and photographer, so being able to switch to different methods of creating is helpful. I can play a role in a film or play, then later write or record a song, then go take photos, work on a documentary project, or whatever sparks my attention. Part of it just comes down to doing the work as well.  Read more>>

Indigo

Keeping INDIGO’s creativity alive is definitely not a simple task, as much as we have many brilliant minds on our team. Yes, we are dancing and that is a creative art form, but creativity is certainly hard to come by due to the fact that being a coverist means to copy. We as K-POP dance coverists are given a reference of the original artist’s choreography, giving little to no leeway on how we can make the cover with our own colors. However in that small space stands the opportunity to keep our creativity alive by utilizing the K-POP song to create our own original choreography or formations, making our own outfits with numerous resources on hand and cultivating filming and editing direction. in addition, the recent expansion of our team with new members brings forth more ideas from more people-contributing to the creation of a hub that is constantly fueled with new ideas. Read more>>

Isaiah Wallis

My creativity is kept alive by my belief that creativity is a part of my mind-body and being. When I keep this belief in mind I actively choose to nurture my creativity. I read for new perspectives and depths of knowledge to inspire me to create inquisitive thoughts for design ideas. When I can think in a new way and see in a new way I know I can create better work. I let myself play, experiment, practice and relax so I can turn information into tangible items. Ultimately, I live a creative life. Read more>>

Allison Alexander

As an artist, I’d define my job as “creating and capturing beauty.” For me at least, I’m most creative when I’ve taken time to soak in beauty so it can overflow into my work. Often I’m inspired by nature: beautiful landscapes, the colors of the sky, or tiny wildflowers I see on a walk. Sometimes the spiritual or emotional beauty of a profound quote or Bible verse will inspire a hand lettering session. Simply coming across a striking reference photo on social media will spark my imagination. I’m also a photographer, so I sometimes use my own photos as reference pictures. Read more>>

Duncan Wachs

I try to surround myself with other creatives. Sometimes when one feels stuck, all it takes is another person to open you up to many more ideas. Also have fun and don’t take things too seriously. Remember what got you into your creative outlet in the first place. Read more>>

Alexandra Janowski

To feed my creativity, I find inspiration in the cultures that make up who I am. Having grown up in Paris with a Polish father and a French-Iranian mother, I was exposed to a frenzy of cultures that have had a lasting impact on my art and creative persona. I task myself with connecting my art to these vital parts of myself and my identity, which provides me with an inexhaustible source of imagination. I keep my creativity alive by pursuing each project with the intent of finding this same love and connection to my past within each story I am tasked with telling. Read more>>

Goodeblazer

I truly believe we all have the capacity to be creative and I feel so honored to have the particular creative talent of songwriting. It’s such an intimate form of expression and yet it only allows a couple of minutes to evoke a message. I find that extremely fascinating, so my philosophy is live big and you’ll never run out of things to write about. That takes a great deal of authenticity and courage and emotional awareness; and before you know it you’ve created new experiences, new emotions, and new relationships to explore through expression. So, as I evolve during each of these cycles, I have learned that as long as I am alive, my creativity is a well that will continue to provide as long as I desire to draw from it. Read more>>

Riley Cochran

I keep my creativity alive by constantly seeking inspiration in the world around me. Everyday moments, nature, and the things that bring me joy often spark new ideas. Beyond that, I make it a priority to explore new crafts and hobbies outside of my small business. This gives me a fresh perspective and allows me to create for myself, not just for my work. Trying new things keeps my ideas flowing and helps me stay excited about the creative process. Read more>>

Lorena Garfi

For me, creativity isn’t something I do—it’s who I am. It’s the lens through which I see the world and the bridge that connects me to others. My journey has taught me that creativity is not a talent reserved for special moments, but a practice, a commitment to staying open, curious, and true to myself. Read more>>

Anqi Qiao

I have been an animal lover since I was small. I have countless happy memories of animals from my childhood: when my grandparents took me on their bicycles to the petting zoo to feed carrots to the sika deer and millet to the parrots; when I sat on my dad’s shoulders to watch the giraffes and elephants; when my grandpa made cricket cages out of bamboo to keep crickets, and I watched them chewing on cucumbers and listened to their chirping; and when I pressed my face against the huge fish tank, watching the tropical fish swimming around and eating fish food on the water’s surface. Read more>>

Sarina Dahlan

At the end of 2023, after two stressful years of book deadlines, I found myself at a ghost shrine in Bangkok getting massaged by a person who could see spirits, and my birth chart read by a fortuneteller who had never met a writer. Stories, for me, come from a place of curiosity. The what ifs. And through travelling is how I attempt to tease out those questions. Read more>>

Beylin & Jean Carlo

To keep your creativity alive, try new experiences that break the routine, like exploring different hobbies or surrounding yourself with inspiring things; connect with people who motivate you and embrace curiosity by diving into diverse topics. Sometimes, all it takes is a little break or a walk in nature to let your mind relax and allow fresh ideas to flow. Keep something handy to jot down ideas whenever inspiration strikes, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes—many great ideas are born from small missteps. Practicing a bit of creativity every day will help you feel more inspired and creatively energized. Read more>>

Aimée & Celine

Home organizing might seem like a rigid, formulaic process. People often assume that we’re hardasses because of the nature of the work. In reality, Aimée and I are both creative and original as people. Aimée majored in fine arts and is an incredible illustrator. I’m a musician; I play guitar, write music and sing. Read more>>

Huschai Nau

By being curious. I enjoy painting and one of the things we have to do as artists is to notice the world around us: colors, shapes and forms . I also enjoy making gourmet meals for my family as well as tasting them and being unfraid to mix things together based on what we have at hand is a great way to keep me curious but gives a bit of adventure at home and engage my creativity.  Read more>>

Danielle Vason

Keeping my creativity alive is all about creating space to recharge, explore, and stay curious. I make it a point to step outside of my regular work routine and seek inspiration from unexpected places—whether it’s a gallery, nature walk, or even flipping through a beautiful coffee table book. I also surround myself with people who inspire me, both inside and outside my industry. Conversations with other creatives, clients, or even friends with different perspectives often spark new ideas and help me see things in a fresh light. Read more>>

Andrea C. Izaguirre

This can present a challenge sometimes, but I find inspiration in people I know and that has helped me in life, I find inspiration in nature and that is a source that is always giving, from plants, insects, minerals and even the architecture of bones in both animals and humans can be beautiful and inspiring. Read more>>

Zixuan Fang

In my opinion, maintaining creativity is essential for an artist. Creativity allows us to transform our ideas into works of art. I often practice a particular exercise where I set aside an entire day to sit on the street, observing the people passing by. In the brief moments that they walk past me, I try to guess their profession, their mood, and what they might be about to do. This exercise helps me connect with the people I observe in real life, and I often draw on these encounters when creating my artwork. It makes my characters more relatable and convincing. Read more>>

Rushan Jesani

To keep my creativity alive, I make it a habit to create constantly, even when I’m not actively working on a project. My imagination tends to kick in, and I start jotting down ideas and random thoughts. Later, I connect these fragments, shaping them into a story. I believe creativity is a habit—a skill that needs consistent practice. By honing that skill regularly, it becomes second nature, and creativity flows more naturally. Read more>>

Tucker Howard

I am challenged every day in honing my craft and skills. My liberal arts education has given me such a great opportunity to pull from many different aspects of the arts, which has led me to become a better critical thinker.
As an artist, I write a lot of music, poetry, and spend a lot of time in the timeline (video editing and music producing). I’ve grown up with technology, and see it as an impactful tool to be creative. I try to spend time off my phone and go on runs, hikes, and connect with nature, and talk to God as much as I can, which helps me focus on having good mindfulness. Read more>>

Javin Reid

I find my creativity in a variety of places, whether it is hiking through nature or exploring the saturated streets of downtown. I am an actor, a fashion designer, and a law clerk. Surprisingly, all have the same requirement, a curious thirst for knowledge. I feed my creativity by listening to and absorbing all that I can in various situations and places. A fingernail cut too close to the quick could inform a scene; the texture of a fabric could tell me how to use it; or a missing receipt could prove a wrongly convicted person’s alibi. Creativity is an ether that surrounds us, but in order to utilize it, you have to open up, listen, and feel all the different corners of the world that surrounds us. Or at least, that’s what I’ve found works for me. Read more>>

Alexander Uithoven

I think that a majority of my creative inspiration comes from other works of art. I find it hard to describe, but there is some sort of magic or wonder that the imagination of other artists sparks inside of me. Especially when I am playing a video game or reading a book. There is something so alluring but intangible about the worlds that these artists create in their work. And the best of these mediums have generated some of the best ideas I’ve had when creating my own art. Read more>>

Assel Kenenbayeva

Creativity plays a key role in my work. As a creative person who needs inspiration, it can sometimes be difficult to maintain creativity and easily come up with fresh ideas. Whatever I create in my life, I do it with a positive attitude, delving into the process itself, and I put love in it.
Therefore, my emotional state and mood are very important.
Secondly, visual taste helps to maintain creativity. I get inspired and happy when I see beautiful interiors of my colleagues or famous designers, unusual handicrafts, architecture, trips to nature (in my case, the mountains), where I am truly filled with beauty. Read more>>

Sabine Quetant

When my creative energy feels tapped out, I’ve learned the best way to recharge is by switching things up and engaging a different part of myself. If I’m stuck on a design project, you’ll find me stepping away—maybe taking a walk, solving a puzzle, or adding the final touches to a sewing project I’ve had in the works. Read more>>

Lantron Knox

I keep my creativity alive by continuously creating for my brand. Each step brings me closer to my envisioned goals. By visualizing my desired reality and taking intentional actions, I’m steadily making it a reality. Read more>>

Lydia Simone

As a fashion designer, I like keeping my creativity alive by
traveling and immersing myself in the diversity of cultures and
fashion found across the world. Exploring different cities, like
London, England, has allows me to step outside my everyday
routine, and experience how fashion is worn uniquely. Whether I’m wandering through the
Christmas markets of East London, or strolling down the
historical streets of Paris, or observing the effortless streetwear
of NYC, I find each destination offers a new perspective that
fuels my imagination.  Read more>>

Layla Nassar

Being creative is one of the hardest thing I would say being in the event industry. Following new trends, taking inspiration and putting your own twist on it, and coming up with constant new ideas because people want the same trend or theme. Read more>>

Cortney Sargent

I’m a graphic and web designer with over 15 years in the industry, a handful of awards, and more than 100 websites under my belt. I run a branding agency that works with clients all over the globe, and I co-founded a successful CPG food brand and a food manufacturing company, where I handle all things marketing and design. Creativity isn’t just part of my job—it’s the whole essence of my life. Here’s how I keep the creative juices flowing. Read more>>

Troy Scheid

Creativity isn’t a plant. It’s an ecosystem. And while we can keep part of an ecosystem alive under artificial conditions, that organism really needs the interactions with its entire environment to flourish. Nutrients are vital, but biodiversity is a richness in itself. And as artists and creators, we flourish when we’re immersed in and interacting with a diversity of viewpoints, experiences, cultural traditions, and ways of seeing the world. When I find myself struggling to find ideas, it always helps me to get out of my own head and into community. Talking to mentors, peers, kids, and even strangers can help. And remembering that we’re in an ecosystem, we stay in relationship to those people. Read more>>

Natalia Navarra

Creativity is the ability to use imagination or original ideas to generate fresh, innovative concepts. It opens the mind, allowing us to explore, grow, and think in all kinds of new ways. Through creativity, we can connect with others, learn about ourselves, and explore so much! So, how do I keep this creative spark alive? Read more>>

Robin Garofalo

While I’m far from the first artist to make wavy, abstract sculptures, I think there are a few things that make my work unique and keep the embers of my passion burning. My creativity is sparked and guided by the tools and materials I use. I’m always experimenting with carving more complex, elegant, and subtle shapes. When I find an interesting piece of wood, I carve with the patterns in the grain rather than using it to make a preconceived form. I study the wood in search of patterns I can highlight and places for me to try sculpting difficult and interesting features I haven’t made before. Read more>>

Pat Laverty

This is not a story of my creativity, but the creativity of my late father, Patrick “Pat” Laverty. Even following his passing, his creativity has continued on in his life-long passion project: his music. At the young age of 12, Pat began his musical journey on Christmas morning when his parents gifted him his first instrument – a set of drums. It was not too long after this that he picked up a guitar and began playing with his friends in a classic garage-style band, whimsically playing the weekends away. Read more>>

Lauren Blyskal

As a pet photographer, creativity is essential to capturing images people will love of their animals. I think part of how I keep my creativity alive is looking for the personality of an animal in a photoshoot. Seeing their character come alive helps to inspire me to look at things from different perspectives and build on how I can showcase their little quirks amongst all the variations of different locations, poses, angles, and full body shots vs capturing tiny details. Working with different people and animals each day gives so much variety and I’m always able to learn new things with each encounter. Read more>>

Verb Kulture

I keep my creativity alive by being present in each moment. Taking in the emotions attached to the moments and turning them into art. For example, I watch everything. I notice everything. I analyze everything. I collect data and use that data to create. If there is no data to take in, I silence myself to receive ideas internally. Creativity to is a gift and in order to keep it alive, we have to honor it and embrace it unapologetically. We have to allow our creativity to make mistakes, make memories, and maintain the mystery of the not knowing the outcome. That’s the beauty of being…The beauty of imagining. The beauty of living and most importantly that’s life! Read more>>

Chad Windha,

I try to stay curious. Creativity thrives from curiosity. I’m constantly looking at other images and films and trying to figure out how they were created. What was the thought process? How can I “teach” myself to see things through a different lens? I then take these ideas and start practicing how to do it. Being on set, with clients, talent, and people looking over your shoulder, is not the time to try something new. It has to flow. It has to be natural. The only way for that to work is to do it so often that you don’t have to think about it. Read more>>

Maya Manuela

My practice of refueling creatively has adapted and changed throughout my life. Recently, I’ve been really inspired by reading. I love to consume other people’s creativity, whether it’s literature, paintings, music, etc. There are times when I create really deeply about my own life and my own experiences but I’ve also been aware of how unintentionally draining that can be and how it can subconsciously lead to a desire to create chaos in my life in order to have something to write about. So I’ve been really intentional about finding inspiration outside of my own life lately. I get a lot of ideas when I’m out in nature, I grew up on the water and have always had a really deep connection and affinity for it. I used to write songs as a kid out on the boat when my dad and I would go lobstering. I think creativity is something that everyone has and everyone has access to, it’s just a matter of how much we let ourselves play with it and express it. Read more>>

Margarita Vigne

I keep my creativity alive by finding inspiration in the everyday. I explore textures, colors, and patterns from materials like vintage magazines and recycled objects, transforming them into meaningful artworks. Each piece tells a story, and the process of bringing new life to ordinary items keeps my ideas fresh and exciting. Living in South Florida also inspires me, with its vibrant culture and natural beauty, constantly sparking new ideas. Read more>>

Maren Oates

During COVID, I started getting up about an hour before my kids and heading into my basement studio/office. At the time, my daughter was only 9 months old, so getting out of bed wasn’t always easy, but it became a life-changing decision and a ritual I hate to miss. Some days this may be my only creative time, so maintaining this morning routine has kept me moving forward in my art practice and helped keep my creative muscles fresh. Read more>>