We’re beyond fortunate to have built a community of some of the most creative artists, professionals, and entrepreneurs in the world and one of the most important questions we ask them is around keeping one’s creativity alive. Below, we’ve highlighted some of those responses.
Mary Wallace
I am constantly looking for things that inspire me. Whether it’s a book I read, a film I watched, or even just an Instagram post, I find that I can pull inspiration from the tiniest things and turn it into something. Even when I’m not actively looking for inspiration, it finds me. I will experience a feeling or read about someone experiencing a feeling, and think about how I can make something out of that. Read more>>
Karli’e Whitfield
How I keep my creativity alive is by allowing myself to rediscover who I truly am as I grow. I started making my best work when I started living in my best self & haven’t looked back. Read more>>
Logan Clark
Keeping myself passionate / creative is one of the most difficult things an artist has to deal with. The main way I keep my ideas flowing and my skills growing is by not being afraid to take risks and embrace failure as part of the creative process. I always try to learn from setbacks and use them as stepping stones to improvement. Additionally, when I wake up in the morning, I create focused time for creative work by minimizing my distractions, such as notifications and interruptions. Read more>>
Matthew Weinberg
The way I keep my creativity alive is by keeping my eyes and ears open, and my senses tuned in to the moment. It’s a thing I learned decades ago in, acting class. As an actor, you are the instrument, and the, “player” of that instrument. I had to train my brain to be aware of the little details in things. I feel like that helped me in recognizing the small miracles that are already around us. Read more>>
Jordan Ching
Creativity is a fickle thing. It’s not something you can force or will into existence. Over the years, I’ve found a couple things that help me keep it alive. The first (and maybe the most important) is space. Breakthroughs usually happen in those random moments in between activities. Space also helps me process and digest information which ultimately helps with creativity. The other thing that helps is play. Read more>>
Stephanie Kelley
I think the biggest way to keep creativity alive is not to try and keep it alive, to not dwell on it. If you focus so intently on anything in life, you become blind-sighted by it in my opinion. Creativity comes when you are able to step away from the thought of “having to be creative” or having “to create” and you just are. Just be you. Read more>>
Ronnique Antoinette
Wow! I’ve never been asked that before. Let’s see. It’s both personally & professionally for me. Personally, I thoroughly give myself the permission to rest & refresh. It can be something as simple as taking a walk, spending time with loved ones, journaling or picking up a hobby. Read more>>
Jessica Paris
I have found that one of the most important aspects of working as a full time Artist and Creative Entrepreneur is to take time to make just for the sake of making. I work with several different mediums and techniques, so that helps keep this fresh. But when I’m feeling uninspired or I can feel burnout creeping in, I like to just sit down and make something for me. Read more>>
Holly Gerken
One of the ways that I keep my creativity alive is by making sure that I am taking care of myself to avoid burnout or fatigue. For me, it is really hard to think creatively when you are feeling worn down or discouraged. Sometimes this means giving myself permission to take a day off for a break and other times it means moving to a new environment, often the outdoors, to become inspired and re-energized. Read more>>
Rikilee King
That’s such a great question! I believe that everyone goes through a bout of creative blues, where things start to feel a little redundant and we have to spark our creativity. For me, I find that trying new things in my creative field of photography usually really helps. Trying new things outside of my ‘norm’ helps too, trying a whole new craft or hobby! Read more>>
Lauren Elizabeth
As an artist, I keep my creativity alive by continuously seeking inspiration. I like to surround myself with different forms of art that can spark new ideas and keep my creativity flowing… nature, movies, adventures, puppies… Read more>>
Katia Meisinger
Hmm… Good question. I suppose I keep my creativity alive by simply allowing myself time to work. That is easier said than done, but when I wasn’t allowing myself time, I was miserable. I was very depressed, my energy was low, and I had terrible creative block because I was so focused on trying to force something onto the canvas or into a sketchbook. Now, when I give myself time all my emotions have somewhere to go. Read more>>
Soberichs
This is a very good question. The best way I can describe it is Passion. Music, art, is my ultimate passion and what drives me. Vacations and music constantly keeps me inspired and creativity flowing. Being submerged in music helps with me creating music. Artist such as Giveon, Nicki Minaj, Miguel, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish and so many more, contribute to my artistry. Read more>>
Tommi Rose
Theres a really cool thing someone once told me which was the more you do outside of your art the more you have to bring to your art. So my creativity comes from life itself. So often i find myself in situations that I think it would be a shame to not be documented in some way. Whether it’s an act of kindness, or a heart break, or something so ridiculously funny that I don’t want to forget it. Read more>>
Skippy Stone
I like to just keep things fresh. So many people ask me questions like: “what genre of music do you make?” “what is your creative process?” And for a long time I’ve never had a great answer to that. But I realize it’s because there is no genre, there is no cut and dry process. Some days I’m sampling a beat, others it’s from scratch. Sometimes I sit down at a piano and compose a ballad, and other times I’ll make some sort of up beat funky track. Read more>>
Katya Bogoslovskaya
My answer to the question, “how do you keep you creativity alive?” Is not an elegant or desirable answer. It’s not really something to strive for, and it’s not anything I’ve worked hard on improving or maintaining. But it is a very human answer that I hope someone can relate to. The answer that comes to my mind is this: I’m pretty stubborn and I have a really hard time doing things that other’s tell me to do. Read more>>
Troy aka ‘MaddSouL’ Maddox
My creativity remains alive and well through, first and foremost, God giving me the ability to receive fresh ideas. A lot of those ideas are inspired by sounds and cadences that I hear. In those moments, I become inspired and that’s when I create. Read more>>
Danielle Daniel
Keeping creativity alive can be a big challenge when creating art is my everyday. I can easily reach creative burnout quickly, but I have found a few things that work for me to avoid this. First is easy, take time to rest. I stay out of my studio during certain hours that I have set for myself and do other things I love, like hiking, camping or catching up with close friends and family. Creating a complete distraction for myself is the best thing to give my mind that break it needs. Secondly, I will make time for fun art. Read more>>
Jasyn Turley
How do I keep my creativity alive? Does it ever really die? I watched this video on youtube called ‘How to be Creative: How Artists Turn Pro’ by Story Tellers. It’s one that I visit regularly to rewatch because I think there’s some very helpful advice inside that video. In an overly simplified summary, it’s not doing your art, in my case writing, that is hard. No, it’s the act of sitting down to write that is hard. Read more>>
Lisa Zinna
They often say that creativity is a skill that can be cultivated rather than an innate talent. Intrigued by this concept, I delved into it by taking online courses, even before they became widespread, and avidly reading books to observe how individuals from various fields infuse innovation into their work. I found inspiration in clever song lyrics, non-photographic artworks, novels, movies, and comedians, pondering how their thought processes might influence my own art. Read more>>
Jackie Thesing
My creativity comes from loving what I do! Since I love baking, I’m constantly dreaming up new recipes and ideas for my business. I keep a running list of dessert ideas on my phone, and I’ll add to it at all hours of the day. Whether I pass something at a bakery that gives me inspiration or just think up a new flavor combo myself, it’s important for me to keep trying new things in order to get my creativity alive. Read more>>
Michael R Moore
How do you keep your creativity alive?
As a professional Photographic-Artist, keeping my creativity alive for over 50 years is a significant achievement. Read more>>
Katelyn Woodmansee
I come from a very creative family. Growing up we always played music and had family craft nights. It is of course any creators dream to be able to create for a living, but how do you keep that creativity alive? It’s a great question and I think it depends on the day for me, but I do have a few things that I do that always help me. One would be leaving space without plans. It’s easy especially as a musician to want to book up all my time with paying gigs or writes, but when every moment is accounted for I lose focus and everything feels forced. Read more>>
Jackie Leishman
I do the usual suspects; look at other art, read great books and poetry, spend time in nature, talk to interesting people. But I think the most unspoken thing is that I just keep showing up to the studio. Even when I don’t quite know what I want to make, I still make something, even if it doesn’t turn out. I know that eventually the good with come. Read more>>
Kim Tank
I find that personal photography projects and creative projects outside of photography help me the most in keeping creativity alive. I have done several 100 day projects where I choose a theme that’s either a skill I want to hone and improve or a way to stretch my creativity. Not every image comes out great, but pushing through the 100 days, even when I don’t feel those creative juices flowing, helps me learn to work through those times and I always have a good amount of great images from those projects. Read more>>
Kyle Selley
Creativity is a developed skill, just like anything else. I keep it alive by practicing it. I also maintain hobbies, interests, and new life experiences outside of my art practice. Just because I make visual art doesn’t mean my creativity is limited to this aspect of my life. I make creativity a part of my lifestyle that I incorporate as often as possible. Read more>>
Isabel Camacho
As a Latina filmmaker/photographer, it can be difficult at times to keep my creativity alive. Being in the creative world you can feel at times that you are not good enough. The truth is YOU are good enough. As a Latina in the United States, you find inspiration from your culture and how it adapts to another country. It can be scary, but other people want to hear about your experiences and relate to it. I took breaks and watched films, collaborated with other creatives, and experienced moments in my life that have inspired my creativity! Read more>>
Faustine Lavie
I like to feed my own creativity with various forms of art. As a professional contemporary dancer and choreographer, I of course go to see performances as often as possible and get inspired by other people’s work, but I also love going to see other forms of live performances such as musicals, concerts, plays, etc. I also go to the museum a lot. Finally, I think you can feed your creativity from anything that surrounds you but most importantly I use my own experiences as a human to create art, whether it’s a positive experience, some rough times and challenges, or news that I relate to. Read more>>
Juan Ferron
I believe that creativity is like a muscle. If you go to the gym or excersice regularly, you will become stronger and your muscles will become resilient. Same thing with creativity. If you practice creativity or you try to be creative every single day you are nurturing that skill. A lot of people think that for you to be consider creative you have to be an artist. But I find that not to be true. Read more>>
Richard Newkirk
I keep my creativity alive by staying on the move, always taking in new scenes and new experiences. Recently I took a leap of faith and moved from Raleigh, NC to Madrid, Spain, where I lived for 9 months, which completely recharged my creativity, as every day was a new gold mine of experiences and interaction. With that said, I also have to maintain other ways to keep my creativity alive, as moving around and experiencing new places and things, realistically speaking, isn’t always an option. Read more>>
Dawn Duncan
I am a writer, artist, dancer, lover of music, book author, and really all things leaning into the world of creativity. I am a creativity coach who teaches classes and courses on art, writing, self-care, health and wellness as it relates to creative expression and productivity, and much more. This being said, it’s critical that I keep my own creativity alive, as I not only benefit personally from this, but I have to be a role model for my students and clients. They are depending on me to spark their creativity and teach them ways to sustain and grow in through different forms of artistic expression and lifestyle. Read more>>
Jacob James
I’ve learned to keep my creativity flowing by not overthinking things or trying to force it. I just work when it feels right and the product usually follows. I’ve also learned to pursue ideas that I might not think are my best because sometimes that’s what you have to work through to find what you’re trying to say. Also, I don’t limit myself to making what I think people are going to want to hear. I’m currently working with a lot of new sounds and genres that feel fresh to me, that’s what my main concern is with making music these days. Read more>>
