8 Creative tips for my buddy
1. My Calendar
Putting stuff in the calendar makes me so much more likely to get to things.
Before I often thought that I should be doing something more productive when I was trying to relax. This eased that pain because I made it concrete what I want to do.
I thought for years that it would be fun to have a place to write whatever I want. When I decided I would write 20 minutes at least every other day, an easy goal. It gave me momentum quickly!
I plan some time every week when I can be completely ruthless and uncaring about the logic of a project.
It can be self-indulgent, waaay too ambitious, or pointless.
It doesn’t matter, it’s just to get stuff out of my system.
2. Collect motivating thoughts
There are some thoughts that make me feel more motivated.
Stupid solutions to simple problems.
Stupid ideas are easier to come up with than smart ideas. Trying to do things in a smart way and a stupid way tend to end in similar results. "Think of something smart" leaves a lot of things out, while doing something stupid doesn't limit anything.
I chose to do this, I don’t have to do it.
Certain days it can feel like I have to do stuff, like it's just obligations. Then I try to remind myself that I chose all my projects myself.
Not saying you need to adopt these exact sentences, just some tips.
3. Have different creative outlets
Being aware of the balance you need is important. When I have a huge project, I like to make sure I have something smaller on the side to work on. Something easier with lower stakes, where I can finish stuff more quickly.
It gets monotonous to focus on one thing 100% of the time.
4. Don’t be afraid to start new projects
The only way to know whether a project will click is if you start it.
It's frustrating to see them pile up and the majority never being close to completion. But if you feel creative, don't suppress it.
Sometimes I “start” new projects by making a few notes or a rough outline, in a dedicated space. It’s a harmless yet helpful way to admit the urge.
It's like getting your mind stuck on a song to carry an idea with you for a long time. Writing it down or working a bit on it, even if it seems hopeless, might be healthy to do. You might find it's more doable than you thought or that it wasn't that fun. Then you can move on instead of wonder.
Before I started this blog I worried that I might not have much to write about. But once I tried, I found that there was a lot to write.
5. Body of work
For me it’s all about building a body of work to cover all aspects of my thoughts and interests. That's my BIG PROJECT and long personal goal. This blog is part of that. There are lots I can say here that I wouldn’t otherwise talk about.
6. Presenting myself
A lot of people would call this “branding”, I don’t like that word much because it feels a bit irky and prestigious.
Picking colors, making a logo or a nice profile picture is all important.
But what matters is to figure out what your unique story is. Go beyond defining what you do as a word (like graphic designer). What do you bring personally or from an unrelated field?
This is hard, but it helps set you apart and gives you focus. I'm still figuring this out.
7. Creative Buddy
Find somebody that you resonate with. Make a habit of talking on a regular basis, on call or in person about projects.
I talk to a friend once a week about writing.
This gives me more motivation to have something worth talking about every week.
8. Measure by input, not output
Sometimes I would feel like I wasn't finishing and putting stuff out often enough. This is tough because things might take different amounts of time to finish.
I have control over how often I do something though. So circling back to the first tip, plan something easy.
An irregular basis is better than nothing.
I’m not an expert, I’m just an explorer. So my final, kind of vague tip would be to just consider and explore yourself to see what gets you going. These things work for me right now, they might or might not for you. I don’t know if there’s one set of ideas that fit everyone.
That's all for now.
