The top five ways I keep my creativity practical

More and more, I’m learning that creativity has less to do with inspiration and more to do with good time management skills.

You can be completely inspired to create, but unless you set aside some time to do it or have the resources available to get to work, good ideas are just going to end up stashed away in the creative recesses of the mind. Or in my case, into folders on my computer. I like to keep things practical.

The top five ways I keep my creativity practical:

1. iCal: I like to keep a record of everything I need to do. Anything from hanging up a show to remembering coffee with friends. It’s all in there. If it’s not in there, it’s not happening. I’ve also set up the calendar to remind me of yearly art events.
2. Emails: I’m not talking about sending emails to just anyone. I like to send emails to myself. If I have an idea, I write myself an email. If I hear of a new art award, I send myself an email, etc… If I’m in a good mood, I even like to put a smiley face in the email to make my day.
3. Scheduled Sacred Days: My studio time is sacred. That means no phone calls, no computer and definitely no coffee with friends. I can be flexible with my other days, but those weekly Sacred Days are mine and mine alone.
4. The Studio: Let’s face it, it’s hard to work without a studio. Still, there are a lot of artists out there who continue to work without one and that’s great if they can do that. For me, working in a studio makes me feel like I’m taking my work seriously and allows me to keep motivated.
5. Having art supplies: This might sound a little obvious, but I thought it should get a mention. I like to keep stocked with the things I know I’m going to use. It’s easy to use the excuse ‘I can’t do it because I don’t have the right supplies’. So I like to have them on hand.

There you have it. There’s no special secret to getting inspired. It’s all about putting time aside each week to devote to your craft. It’s also important to honor those creative ideas that come into your mind by jotting them down. If you don’t jot them down, they might just drift away into the next artist, and you’ll find yourself saying “hey, that was my idea!”