As an artist, creativity seems to be both the easiest thing to express, and the hardest thing to hold on to. Knowing what habits to hold and what to surround yourself with in order to spark the ever-illusive creativity is the key to being a successful artist. 

Over the years I have found what works for me, and I want to share it with you. Granted, what works for me may not work for you, but I urge you to read further in hopes of finding even just one nugget of advice that might help you regain your hold on your creativity. So here are eight ways that I spark creativity.

  1. Make something every day.

I have found that sitting down and just making something, anything, at least once per day is so helpful to getting the creative juices flowing. I have started telling myself to make something every single day, even if it sucks. And some days that’s just a small doodle on a sticky note at work, but it’s still something. 

The act of being consistent in my artistic practice is key for me. It may not be the same time every day, but I know that by the time I go to bed each night, I have made something. It’s as simple as grabbing a pencil or pen and a piece of paper, or a napkin if that is all you have available, and just dumping your thoughts and ideas onto the page. It works wonders, trust me.

  1. Have a designated space for your creativity.

For bigger projects that are not just the daily doodles mentioned above, such as pieces I intend to post on social media or upload to be sold as prints, I try my best to stick to working at my desk or in one particular spot on my couch. It is in one of these two places that I do most, if not all, of my graphic design work. 

And while my iPad Pro is portable, I find that it is so helpful to have that designated space for my creativity to run free (ironic, isn’t it?). Having too many different environment changes can cause unwanted distractions, and it has always been important to me to have some kind of consistency in my creative process. Where you work is something that is controllable, and I highly recommend setting up a specific space for your artwork as well. 

  1. Music.

A lot of my work revolves around typography and words. Many of my artwork ideas come from music lyrics, and I am continually challenging myself to render the words in a way that conveys the message of the song. I have dozens of Procreate files on my Ipad Pro that are simply words written out in my loopy handwriting, waiting to be turned into something special. Compiling these lyrics and phrases are part of what keeps me on track and knowing that I always have another project to work on. It’s my resource library, so to speak. 

I love putting in headphones, or if I’m alone just blasting music while sitting down to create. It is so therapeutic for me. Being able to drown out the distractions and focus on the making of art. And if music isn’t your thing, find what is. Maybe it’s being surrounded by nature, or a particular podcast that really gets you thinking. Find what works for you.

  1. Books, books, and more books. 

I absolutely LOVE reading. I blaze through a book or two each week. And being a graphic designer means that I spend a lot of time staring at a screen, and I find I need breaks from it quite often. Reading is a great way to escape from the harsh digital light of the screen and just dive into a good book, wiping away everything else. I’m a paper book kind of girl. And while I do occasionally indulge in a digital copy of a book, I am pretty adamant about having a physical copy. There’s something about holding it in my hands that does something, you know? And oftentimes a good book is the source of a lot of my quotes and ideas for new artwork as well. 

So books and reading have a two-fold purpose for me in my search for creativity. One, to give my eyes and mind a break from the constant screen time (I recommend all graphic designers do this. It really isn’t healthy to spend massive amounts of time looking at a screen. And get blue light filter glasses, they have saved me a lot of headaches!). And two, it is another generator of ideas for me. I can get so lost in a book, it’s wonderful. I love the feeling of finishing another book and adding it to my “Books I’ve Read” list. That feeling of accomplishment also leaks into my desire to create, to continue the creative pattern and do something meaningful. 

  1. Have a sketchbook/notebook with you at all times.

If you don’t already do this, I recommend keeping a sketchbook or something to take notes with on you at all times. For me, a lot of the time it is the notes app in my cell phone. Nothing fancy, but it really works. I revisit the notes I take throughout each day, and cull through them to find the ones that are worth keeping and turning into something more. This habit has created so many ideas and potential projects from seemingly insignificant moments. And the only reason I remembered them was because I had something with me to capture them at the right time.

  1. Put your phone away.

Nothing interrupts the creative process like a cell phone and its many pings and cries for attention. Even when my phone is silenced, I still find myself grabbing for it to check for notifications. And if there are messages there, it then continues to steal time away from my designated creative time with my need to respond. That’s why I put my phone out of reach, or in a different room entirely, when I know that I want to be productive and get something done, or in this case, create something. 

Your phone will survive without you. Social media will continue on without you, and the posts will still be there when you are ready to look at them. I have a smart watch and have turned all notifications on it off aside from phone calls and text messages. My phone is always on silent. This move has changed the game for me with my artmaking. I was enslaved to the ping of my phone, and I don’t say that lightly. Your cell phone will suck all of your time, and your creativity, if you let it. 

  1. Schedule your social media use.

I only allow myself 15 minutes on Instagram per day. Any more than that and I find I have spent over an hour mindlessly scrolling to no benefit of my own. If anything, social media depletes my productivity and creativity. Yes, it’s a great source to see other creatives and their work, but at some point it becomes more destructive than anything else because you revert to comparing yourself to the millions of other artists you see on the screen. 

I am by no means innocent of this, and that is why I have set up these boundaries for myself. I curate who I follow on Instagram, and I usually take one day per week to not go on it at all. This day each week is my day to really hunker down and get my own artmaking done without the pressure to be like everyone else or as good as the next designer. Create healthy boundaries around your social media use, take a day off every week, and you will start to see the benefits in your creative process and flow too. 

  1. Make it fun.

Isn’t that what art is all about? The fact that it is fun and you enjoy it? That’s why I do it at least. If I didn’t enjoy what I was doing, I would stop. Finding the routine that works for you as well as allowing yourself to enjoy it and have fun is crucial. While getting the work done, it shouldn’t feel like a chore or an obligation. 

It is a blessing to be able to create art, and I am constantly aware of and thankful for the resources I have available to me to do so. Figure out why you are making the art that you are. Is it because someone else told you to? Or is it really what you want to be making? I hope that it’s the latter, because art is individual before it is ever communal. And while in a client-based environment this may not always be possible, I sincerely hope that all artists find the time to have that feeling of enjoyment in their art making. 

You are the master of your own creativity, and you write the terms for how you use it and what you use it for. If you cannot first create for yourself, you cannot expect to be able to do so successfully for others or for clients. 

I hope that all of these tips were helpful to you as an artist and creative. Make sure to follow my blog for more posts like this! 

Stay Golden,

Hannah