5 Tips for the Creative Lifestyle

“Alone, we can do so little. Together, we can do so much.” -Helen Keller

Creatives are very observant people. We’re typically much more open emotionally, and as a result we’re very much influenced by our environment. Negative environments are almost always due to unhealthy relationships, and this makes it extremely important for the creative person to not only network with other people in their chosen craft, but to be in an environment where they are encouraged, celebrated, and uplifted. For the creative to truly thrive, they need to be around people who believe in their purpose and have the same drive and motivation to create. That might require moving cities, moving down the street, or just moving to another room. For some, it can be as simple as setting aside a dedicated creative space.

You could do what I did: I turned my dining room into a small space to do whatever I need to do. I have my desk, my bed, my desktop, my camera, and my lights with me in there. The walls are covered in movie posters and concept art. I work alongside several creatives that I live with in that space, and we’re constantly sharpening each other.

“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” -Carl Rogers

I’ll speak from personal experience here. School is good and not so good, depending on what you’re trying to do. Most creatives go to school these days for networking purposes, which goes back to what I said earlier about relationships. (I didn’t network, but that’s a story for another time) Unless you’re going into a coveted or intensive program centered around the chosen craft, you’re going to end up wasting a lot of time and money on other subjects that don’t contribute to honing the craft. Adrift in a sea of homework and exams, this is where many creatives simply give up. The gift is surrendered for the consistent beat of the normal life. The Art History major gives up on her paintings and tearfully changes her major to Psychology.

This is a travesty.

Remember that college is at minimum a two-year investment, and that most colleges don’t really offer two-year Liberal Arts degrees. You’re looking at investing at least four years of your life. Is it worth it?

The solution is simple: don’t quit your day job. Keep creating. Keep sucking, and network. Be in touch with your craft’s local community. Collaborate and workshop with others, and learn new things about your craft. At least half of what I know has been a result of watching and studying other photographers and writers.

And if you ARE in college (like me) do some serious soul-searching to see if your time is being spent wisely. You might do yourself a favor by dropping out and engaging your craft, or you might be doing yourself a favor by continuing and networking within your university. You might even consider swapping one university for another. That’s for you to decide.

“There is no glory in practice, but without practice there is no glory.” -Unknown

If you make a way for your gift, it will make a way for you. What I mean by that is that no artist did great work their first time around. I’ve been a photographer for six years, and only in the last year has my work started to be remotely passable as “good”. My writing didn’t get decent until I sat down and tore it apart, piece by piece. I had trusted peers come in and critique my work.

I could give countless examples, but they all point back to one thing: I took the time to get better.

I woke up early on Saturday mornings and went into town with my camera. I called friends to see if they wanted free photos. I submitted my writing to workshops. And I faced my critics, the worst of which was myself. If you’re not willing to take the time to refine your raw talent, you simply won’t get better.

“Sometimes you have to step back to see your true vision.” -Unknown

Simply put, you need inspiration. Every creative has reached the point where they can’t seem to get any good ideas. It’s normal. That’s the perfect time to step back, take a breather, and seek inspiration. Everybody draws their artistic image from somewhere, and every now and then we need to go back to our source. This ties in a bit with what I said about environment. There are entire blogs set up to feed creative inspiration. Visit the explore tab on Instagram. Visit an art gallery. Learn new ways to approach whatever it is that you do. Maybe take a short vacation. This is a necessary part of the creative process. Just because you’re burned out doesn’t mean your journey is over. These things come in waves, and creative works take time.

“Without hustle, talent will only carry you so far.” -Gary Vaynerchuk

I just mentioned that creative works take time. But how are you using that time? Are you writing a couple of sentences or painting a couple of strokes and then checking your phone for the next fifteen minutes? I’ve been guilty of this and other distractions countless times, and am (thankfully) starting to move past it. Creative works require labor just as much as they require talent. Stuff doesn’t just “happen”. It’s going to demand your free time inbetween class, inbetween shifts, and it may even require you to stay up a few hours past my bedtime.

My short story “Ghost Spark”, which won a writing award from my University, was almost entirely written between classes during a 16 credit-hour semester. That’s only about an hour a day, but those hours added up.

I forced myself to do it without distraction.

Earlier last year, I started shooting much more than I normally do. I got involved with a close friend (film school grad) to learn how the film world works, and assisted him on a short film. Then, I went straight into filming a 23-episode webseries which wrapped around the New Year. As much as creativity requires talent, it requires hustle. It requires a structure.

Get your tools and get to work.