Unleash Your Creativity: 5 Essential Hacks for Artists
February 2025 | Artist Development
by Marilyn Heywood Paige
It’s tough to be creative while managing work, family, and everything else. In December I wrote Unlock Your Creative Potential: A 12-Month Strategic Plan for Artists. It outlined how-to create your artistic strategic plan.
This month, I’m giving you practical tools to keep your creativity thriving. Here are five simple hacks to boost your productivity, expand your boundaries, and keep the inspiration flowing.
Hack #1: Establish Routines
Establish a consistent routine for your creativity. A regular discipline around your creativity will bolster your process. Take inconsistency off the table and see what creative miracles happen.
How to Build Effective Routines:
Set specific times for creativity
Designate particular days or time of day for your creative work. Make it a day and time that suits your natural rhythm. (Side note: every successful author I’ve ever known has told me they have regular, non-negotiable hours that they write.)
Have a dedicated workspace
Establish a space solely for your creative endeavors. Not only does this make creating easier, (Darn it. I have to clear the dining room table before I can craft on it.) but it also trains your brain to associate that area with productivity and inspiration.
Develop pre-creative work rituals
Give your brain signals that it's time to create. This could be making a cup of tea, putting on comfy clothes, lighting a scented candle, or doing a quick meditation.
Break your work into manageable chunks
You don’t have to have a lot of time to create. Plan 30-minute creative sessions. Often, just doing one or two steps is enough to keep you focused and excited about what’s next.
Review and adjust
Assess your routines now and then. (Does ensuring all dishes are done before you get creative really benefit you?) If a routine doesn’t fit your needs, change it.
Routines create habits and habits support your creative process, making it easier to dive into your artistry and maintain focus.
Hack #2: Cultivate a Growth Mindset
Renowned psychologist Carol S. Dweck introduced the world to “growth mindset” in her 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In it she outlines how people with a fixed mindset focus on outcomes over the process of learning. They avoid taking risks and see setbacks as personal failures. They may attribute success more to natural talent than effort. People with a fixed mindset may avoid appearing "dumb."
In other words, fixed mindsets are where creativity goes to die.
Meanwhile, people with a growth mindset believe that their abilities and intelligence can be developed and improved through effort, learning, and perseverance. People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to grow rather than obstacles that define their capabilities. They view effort as a path to mastery. (Sounds like every great artist, doesn't it?)
Artists need to be willing to learn and grow to overcome creative challenges and expand their abilities. (For more on growth mindset, read: https://fs.blog/carol-dweck-mindset/)
Strategies for Developing a Growth Mindset:
See failure as a learning opportunity
Failure is not a statement of your value or character. It is simply an opportunity to gain insights and improve your craft.
Practice self compassion
Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself with the same understanding you would give to a child or a friend.
Set learning goals
Instead of having result goals, (I’m going to finish my 3,000 page novel.) have learning goals. (I want to develop better dialogue between characters that moves the plot forward.) Focus on improvement rather than the end product.
Seek constructive feedback
Actively ask for and embrace feedback from peers, mentors, or your audience. Use their input to refine your skills and perspective.
Reverse negative self talk
When you catch yourself thinking negatively about your work, reframe your thoughts. Use a more positive, growth-oriented framework. For example, instead of, “This looks terrible!” Try, “This is not what I hoped for, but look how much my technique is improving!
Embrace imperfection
James Navé and Allegra Huston, founders of the Imaginative Storm writing method, believe that seeking perfection is incongruent to developing your artistry. They assert that creativity thrives in the “mess.” (BTW, James and Allegra are bringing their Imaginative Storm writing retreat to the Estelle Center in June. Click here to learn more.
Cultivating a growth mindset will better equip you to push through creative blocks and continuously evolve as an artist.
Hack #3: Leverage Technology
From finding inspiration to organizing your ideas and projects, the right tech tools can help make you more effective and productive.
Tech Tools to Boost Creativity
Create mood boards and collect visual inspiration for your projects.
Access a suite of professional-grade tools for various creative disciplines.
Most music distracts you. Brain.fm makes background music that’s not distracting. It has soundtracks for focus, relaxation, sleep, and meditation. I highly recommend it. Visit: https://my.brain.fm/
With so much technology available, there’s little reason not to leverage it to your creative advantage. Ask some of your creative friends what their favorite tools are.
Of course, if you find technology exhausting or uninspiring--pursue analog resources like books and magazines to reinvigorate your senses. Remember your local library and bookstores can be great sources of information and inspiration.
Hack #4: Practice Interdisciplinary Exploration
Steve Jobs famously said, “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”
One of the best ways to reinvigorate your creativity and overcome blocks is to engage in other disciplines outside your primary focus. Your mind gets new information from which to draw unexpected connections and infuse fresh perspectives into your work.
The Imaginative Storm method helps you think more creatively by exploring various disciplines and perspectives. This can lead to the unexpected connections and insights that Steve Jobs was referring to.
Methods for Interdisciplinary Exploration
Attend diverse events
Go to exhibitions, performances, or lectures in fields unrelated to your own.
Team up with artists from various fields
Watching their process and taking inspiration from their work will enhance your own.
Learn a new skill
Take up a hobby or class in an area completely unrelated to your art form. Learning music or languages boosts your brainpower, including memory and focus.
Read widely
Explore books, articles, and publications from various fields to broaden your knowledge base.
See the world
Different cultures and landscapes will broaden your perspective and help you find new artistic ideas.
By actively seeking out diverse experiences and knowledge, you'll find that your creativity becomes more dynamic and versatile, helping you break through creative blocks and discover innovative approaches to your art.
Hack #5: Build and Nurture Your Creative Community
Isolation is only productive to a point. Ongoing creativity requires community. Connect with fellow creatives for support, inspiration, and growth opportunities.
Steps to Cultivate a Creative Community
Join local artist groups
Platforms like Reddit and Facebook have groups and specialized forums related to your art form. Search Reddit or Facebook artists groups to find them.
Attend local meetups and events
Look for gatherings of artists in your area using platforms like NextDoor, Meetup.com, or local community boards.
Offer and seek mentorship
Share your knowledge with emerging artists and seek guidance from those more experienced than you. Community colleges, community centers, and arts centers (like the Estelle Center) are good places to look for mentors and mentees.
Collaborate with other artists
Participate in group projects, exhibitions, anthologies, or other efforts to connect with fellow artists.
Create or join a mastermind group
Form a small group of peers who meet regularly to discuss goals, challenges, and provide mutual support.
Collaborating with other creatives boosts inspiration, focus, and learning.
By implementing these five hacks—establishing a routine, cultivating a growth mindset, leveraging technology, practicing interdisciplinary exploration, and building your creative community—you’ll be well-equipped to unleash your creativity, overcome obstacles, and thrive as an artist. Remember, creativity is a journey, not a destination. Embrace the process, stay curious, and never stop exploring new ways to express your unique artistic vision.
Marilyn Heywood Paige is a marketing consultant for the Estelle Center. She posts about junk journaling and making greeting cards on the Estelle Facebook and Instagram pages.
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