Inspiring Creativity - The Guide

People often ask me if I ever get creative block or run out of ideas… the answer is a resounding NO! I am overwhelmed with creative ideas and one of my biggest struggles, a blessing really, is which amazing creative adventure to pursue next! This was not always the case and this took conscious, consistent effort… conscious effort that every single person is capable of :)

I will be very transparent, there is no instant, magic pill and true noticeable change will take time. To create an overwhelming abundance of Creativity takes effort and lifestyle changes. Inspiring Creativity within oneself is a lifelong journey of personal, positive growth that I assure you is worthy of your time.

Here is a quick guide to inspiring Creativity. I have condense information in this guide and each one of these topics is worthy of an entire book. I am in process of writing a “Inspiring Creativity - Complete Guide” and when it is ready to share, you will be the first to know :)

(I am not affiliated with any other person/business/product I mention below… I encourage you to further research information that resonates with you)

The Quick Guide to Inspiring Creativity

1. Health is Wealth: 1. Exercise daily 2. Eat good, natural foods 3. Get great, ample sleep. Healthy body equals healthy mind… healthy mind equals healthy Creativity. I cannot over emphasize the importance of taking care of your physical body and mind and how this cultivates into healthy, sustained Creativity. Start with very small changes with the goal that they become habits… these habits ultimately become your lifestyle.
   
   *** Tips for Health is Wealth:
   - Any movement, including walking, is good… especially first thing in the morning.
   - If your grandma would not recognize the ingredient, do not eat it.
   - 8 hours of sleep is a great goal.
   - DO NOT bring your phone into bed or, even better, bedroom… keep your phone out of reach from where you sleep.

2. Breathwork: The mind is the master of your body, and the breath is the master of your mind. Start with 5 continuous minutes of daily, intentional, deep breathing…. this is creative jet fuel! A few great resources to research are Wim Hof Method, Box Breathing and the book “Breathe: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor. Breathwork is a great catalyst into a meditative mindset AND, what I consider, creative jet fuel!
   
   *** Tips for Breathwork:
   - Important for safety reasons to do all breathwork sitting or laying down.
   - Inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose or mouth.
   - Box Breathing: 4 second inahle through nose, 4 second hold, 4 second exhale throught nose or mouth, 4 second hold. Repeat for 5 minuters or longer.
   - Wim Hof-ish Method: 30 deep and rapid breathes… complete inhales and exhales. On the final breath, expel as much air as you can and hold your breathe for as long as you can. Set a timer to monitor progress if desired. During the breath hold is a great time to practice mediation/mindfulness (tips in next section). Repeat exercise 3 times.

3. Mindfulness and Meditation: Just like we take time to physically exercise our body, we must take time to mentally exercise our mind/spirit/soul. I have always said that the masters in art, and in life, are not the ones who have mastered the technical skills but rather the ones who have mastered their minds. Here are 3 great teachers to research: Joe Dispenza, Napoleon Hill, and Neville Goddard. I can guarantee you that the most fulfilled people in the World all have a mindfulness practice and when you focus some of your mindfulness practice on Creativity, magic happens ;)
   
   *** Tips for Mindfullness and Meditation:
   - Remove all distractions… put you phone on airplane mode and find a quiet place you will not be disturbed.
   - The practice of mindfullness/meditation can be done in an almost infinite number of ways… there is no right or wrong, as long as the practice is benefiting you (e.g. reducing anxiety, increasing confidences, giving you more gratitude, calming your body, clearing your head, creatively inspiring you, manifesting great things into your life, etc…).
   - Consistency is much more important than intensity. Mindfullness/meditation may not feel like much for the first few months however after habitually practicing this, you will start to notice small subtle positive changes that will begin the exponentially grow the more you practice!
   - Practices I do daily: 1. Every morning I write one page in my Thankful Journal about things I have gratitude for, big and small; things I want to manifest/bring into my life… think and believe BIG!; and positve affirmations about myself… I brag about myself to myself! 2. Afternoon breathwork and I generally allow my mind to drift to whatever thoughts come in that moment… as long as they are positive and empowering me. If my thoughts go towards something negative, I calmly redirect them towards something positive. 3. I constantly and consistently monitor my thoughts and feelings throughout the day and always striving to habitually have positive, empowering thoughts and feelings. There is a positive or lesson in every situation in life.

4. Stop Scrolling: The social media algorithm is not designed to inspire and connect you, it is designed to make you become addicted… the main stream media is not designed to inform you and keep you safe, it is designed to instill fear and hate within you… you know it, I know it, we all know it… so stop allowing it into your consciousness! One of the single greatest enhancements I made to my happiness and Creativity was when I completely stopped allowing any news into my existences… I avoid it like the plague and intentionally rid it out of all aspects of my life. Virtually 100% of the time, what is portrayed on the news has absolutely NO effect on you or your family and friends. By avoiding all of this mental garbage, I have freed up, what feels like, infinite space in my consciousness for Creativity… I would suggest doing the same ;)

5. non AI: In my view, Creativity is in everything and in regards to the creative act, I would strongly suggest tapping into your true Human power: Creativity. The use of AI, even a little bit, is robbing you of the opportunity to creatively grow and withering your creative muscles. The reason I am able to create the art I do, and constantly evolve, is because I honor and daily strengthen my Human Creative Spirit. Your Human Creativity and Imagination is exponentially more powerful and sacred than any AI now and any AI in the future. As AI becomes more pervasive in our society, the value of true Human Creativity is going to sky rocket!… Human Creativity is capital! Humans do not want more AI generated things… Humans want beautifully made Human things, with beautiful Human stories and beautiful Human Soul.

6. Trust the Process: Ask any lifelong creative and they will all say you must trust the creative process. Creating is not always rainbows and unicorns… sometimes it is a difficult struggle however, you must trust that what you are doing, in that moment, is the right thing and as long as you do not give up, the blessings of Creativity will reward you and the World you exist in :) There are no failures in art, only lessons to be learned and taken into your next creation.

7. Just Start Creating: The fastest way to find Creativity is to just start!… one brush stroke, one sentence, one note… start creating and Creativity will find you… it is often that simple.
   
   *** Tips to Just Start Creating:
   - Commit yourself to the lowest effort daily creative task such as… “I will make just one brushstroke on a painting”, “I will make one pencil mark on a sketch pad”, “I will write one sentence to my story”, “I will play an instrument for ten seconds”, etc… More often than not, once you start a creative task, it is very easy to get lost in the creative process… the good kind of lost ;)

8. Break the “Rules”: Realize this very important truth about Creativity… there are NO rules! The more you embrace this, the more your Creativity will flourish. The only constant you will experience in Creativity, and life itself, is change. A life of positive change and growth will make for an amazing, fulfilled life! As Albert Einstein said, “The real measurement of intelligence is the ability to change”. One last point, always be aware of the habitual, creative processes you go through when creating… these subconsciously become self-proclaimed, dogmatic “rules” and over time can be very limiting to your creative growth… even your “rules”, in time, are meant to be broken.

9. Create Uncomfortably: Out of all of these, this is my real superpower as an artist! When referring to the act of creating, the most visceral indication that you are positively growing as an artist is the feeling of uncomfortability (I know this is not an actual word but I like it). Learn to love this feeling and rewire your thought process to be thankful and appreciate this feeling because great things are on the other side of it! All great artists spend lifetimes going through this… if you are afraid and unwilling to embrace this, your Creativity will become dull and stagnant.

   *** Tips to Create Uncomfortably:
   - Pick a subject (e.g. portraits, dogs, still life, Nature, or mix it up) and create simple black and white pen or pencil drawings on a small sketch pad (around 6”x 8”) and set a strict 5 minute timer for each one. The short time period will feel uncomfortable at first however it will force you to create without over thinking. I did this daily for 1 year and it exponentially increased my creative confidence and skill!
   - Learn and get in the habit of recognizing when you are feeling uncomfortable during the creative process and remind oneself that this is a positive feeling that means creative growth is on the other side… keep going! I still have to remind myself of this at time :)

10. Enjoy the Journey: Learn to appreciate and be thankful for the MOMENT and the present act of creating… this takes a lot of conscious effort, especially at the beginning. Thinking in the future or past will only cause Creativity to go elsewhere. When truly creating in the present moment, you realize that each brushstroke is an opportunity of positive creation and change. Living in-the-moment (presently) is an art in itself and one of the sure paths towards this is through gratitude/thankfulness. Brainwash yourself daily with positivity… train your mind to always find the positive in situations. Daily “Thankful Journaling” (write down 3 things you are thankful for each day) is one way to begin to change your mindset to subconsciously always think in the positive. I must reiterate, this is not a quick fix and this practice takes time and consistent effort before you begin to consciously experience the fruits of your effort. Again, these are 3 great teachers to look into: Joe Dispenza, Napoleon Hill, and Neville Goddard… myself and my wife, Dr Tara, still listen to them daily.

11. Become Your Favorite Artist: The art world’s idealization of the self loathing, depressed, financially struggling, troubled artist is a pathetic view. No matter your accolades, your financial success or praise from others, if you do not love your art, and most importantly yourself, you will internally live a life of misery. Learn to love your Creativity, your artistic process, and your art… it is one of the most worthy endeavors you will ever take in life and is a direct signal to your Creativity to flourish and blossom! Gratitude/thankfulness is your path towards love… love for yourself, love for others and love for your Creativity. Learning to think and speak positively of your art and creative process is a magnet for others, and Creativity. More and more people will want to be associated with you and your art AND… the real benefit, Creativity/the Universe/positive energy/God will begin to manifest more creative abundance into your life… I cannot prove this, but why not give it a try ;)

    “Success does not create happiness… Happiness is success!”

    
    *** Tips to Becoming Your Favorite Artist:
    - Write, type or voice record a story/description of a particular painting and only focus on the positive attributes… be Extra boastful about your art! This is a great skill to have as an artist because this will help you immensely when talking to others, maybe even collectors, about your art… nobody actually likes a self loathing artist.
    - Become very aware of your day to day thoughts and anytime that little voice in your head talks negative to you/about you, redirect your thoughts towards a positive, empowering thought. This practice takes time and repetition, possibly many months, before you get in the habit of always thinking of the positives in any situation and life.

12. Create for Yourself: Many well intentioned people throughout your life: teachers, artists, gallerists, friends, family, loved ones will innocuously suggest what they think you should create… take note of what they say, however learn to not let it dictate your creative process. First, foremost, and always, create what YOU want in the way YOU want to create! Whether, at this moment, you can viscerally/emotionally feel this or not, You are a unique and special Creator and there are Infinite creative possibilities for you to explore… so go and create! :)

Create for Yourself

I am writing this segment for 2 different audiences… the artists and all the beneficiaries of Creativity (the World).

An amazing book for any creative, or anybody interested in the creative mind and/or process, is Rick Rubin’s book, “The Creative Act: A Way of Being”. One of the most “controversial” things he says in this book is, “the audience comes last”. What he is referring to is that the artist must always, first and foremost, create the things they want to create… create for yourself, no one else!…much easier said than done.

When an artist enters a creative career, business and the need to generate income becomes a powerful and, often, persuasive force. Admittedly, I am a people pleaser and I too was not immune to being motivated, to varying degrees, by what others wanted and what my business financially required at the time. Personally speaking, I am very fortunate because my Creative soul has a Very loud voice and my art has always been mostly guided by this voice :)

Now, I am not advocating abandoning all thoughts and motivation to generating income, but rather to focus on and appreciate the real wealth of being an artist: creative freedom!

As a young artist and building an art career, creating things you think the public will like and purchase and, conversely, creating things your Creative soul is guiding you towards is one of the most difficult mental battles you will go through. If I could magically instill a belief into another artist, it would be to Always create for yourself. By creating for yourself, you are in fact creating the absolute best things… this is the greatest gift you can give to yourself, and your audience. When you truly start to create for yourself, wealth and abundance will follow right behind… creative sincerity is a magnet for wealth and abundance.

No matter the financial gains or accolades you would get by creating what others “like”, if you do not fully enjoy the creative process and results, you will never be fully happy. I can assure you that when you truly create for yourself you will succeed in life… the success you will find is true success: happiness!

My hope is that this message empowers artists to follow their true creative souls and that the beneficiaries understand and support artists pursuing sincere Creativity. The more the World supports sincere, genuine Creativity, the more masterpieces the World will receive. Following your Creative soul is the greatest gift you can give to this World :)

Human Created and Human Inspired… non AI

I am often asked, “Where do I get my creative inspiration?” and the answer is humanistically simple: I tap into the same creative spirit/energy/muse/God every person here in this life has access to.

The reason I am able to create the art I do, and constantly evolve, is because I honor and daily strengthen my Human Creative Spirit. Your Human Creativity and Imagination is exponentially more powerful and sacred than any AI now and any AI in the future. I say this with complete conviction because, what is more important than the humanism we share within ourselves, with the people of this World? Creativity makes us Human and Creativity makes for a very beautiful Human life :)

As an artist and, more importantly, as a Human I consciously, for all intents and purpose, do not use AI. I do not use AI to “inspire” ideas to paint, I do not use AI to write, I do not consume AI generated “art”, I do not use AI for any creative related activity. The “creative” use of AI will wither your creative muscles and ultimately dehumanize you… albeit slowly, but very much surely. Do not let AI rob you of the opportunity to creatively grow!

I believe we have been mislead about the true potential of the power we hold within and Creativity is one of the channels in which this power comes to us. With that said, I encourage artist, and everyone, to embrace the pursuit of exploring pure Human Creativity… you will grow beyond and more valuable than any AI system ever will… you will become a force for positive good within this World and inspire others… most importantly yourself :)

To artists and creatives of all kinds, again, if you are using AI in any aspect of your creative practice I would strongly encourage you to stop. The real power you possess is that in which you already hold and are connected to: the beautiful power of the creative force, the creative muse, creative positive energy, God, whatever you want to call it and/or identify with.

Do you want to elevate and grow as a creative!?… start nurturing and strengthening your relationship with true Human Creativity.

Creativity is not Easy

I had a friend ask me recently if art (Creativity) gets any easier the more you do it and my reactive answer was “no”… which surprised her and myself!

I have been creating virtually every single day of my life since 2009 and I can still remember thinking that this should get easier and easier however, it has not… but do not let that scare you, let that excite you!

As I progress in my art career, and in life, I have realized one big personal truth: life is about growth and pushing the boundaries in what you once thought was your limits… I can promise you that will lead to a fulfilling life. With that said, as a creative, and more specifically as a creative whose hands are directly creating my art, realizing that their is absolutely No limits to the infinite possibilities of Creativity can be a very daunting realization. Within that knowledge is the the true blessing of Creativity, and ultimately life: anything and everything is possible. Learn to love the idea of endless positive possibilities.

Growth, no matter the size, is an uncomfortable process however, this is where life and Creativity becomes Very exciting! Learning to embrace the process of growth will lead you to an infinite number of magnificence breakthroughs in both life and art… the only question is, are you willing to trade momentary discomfort for lifelong fulfillment?

“Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do.” ~Edgar Degas

Human Creativity is Capital

The next Renaissance is coming and human creativity is the capital!

The idea of AI growing and replacing more and more jobs is a bit of a concerning notion however, one thing I know for certain is that the appreciation for human created things will Never go out of style and our desire for great experiences in life is limitless. Human made art, movies, music, poetry, dining experiences, clothing, novels, comedy, podcasts, and so much more, will forever be appreciated and sought out.

With that said, if you have a creative impulse, follow and nurture it… money if often the side effect of doing this however, the real gift is the creative process itself.

The understanding and appreciation for the magic of creativity is what will lead to the next Renaissance… and it is already happening :)