A lot of people think creativity is only for people with free and chaotic minds who dedicate their whole lives to it. Routines are seen as the opposite of creativity. Structure, discipline and other constraints seem to destroy every bit of creativity. A lot of people see creativity as a kind of sudden inspiration, something you can’t predict that just happens when you’re not expecting it. Actually, by using creative habits, you can create the right conditions to bring more creativity into your life and be ready when it happens. 

I’m also one of those people who idealises creativity as a spontaneous act, like sitting by a lake in the Wicklow mountains and coming up with the greatest ideas of all time. It took me a while to realise that there’s more to creativity. 

In this post, I’ll explain what I learned about the connection of habits and routines and creativity and that these aren’t phases that cancel each other out but can lead to being creative regularly and even boost your creative output. You can apply these ideas to whatever creative project you’re working on, but I will stick to music when I talk about practical steps at the end.

This can be really helpful for people who struggle  to be creative and feel like they’re not making any progress. It helped me a lot to get over my creative block over the last couple of years. This might not be for everyone, though. So if you’re someone who thrives in chaos, then by all means, keep doing what you’re doing! But you might even find that you can apply some of these concepts to your own life. 

What Do Artists Think About Routines and Creative Habits?

“Many of us wish we were more creative. Many of us sense we are creative, but unable to effectively tap into that creativity. Our dreams elude us. Our lives feel somehow flat. Often, we have great ideas, wonderful dreams, but are unable to actualize them for ourselves. . . We hunger for what might be called creative living. . . “ – Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

While studies show that routines can boost creativity, we still tend to think of “real” artists as these chaotic, outgoing and sometimes spiritually orientated people who are everything but disciplined.

Well, actually, that’s not entirely accurate. Even in two of the most famous books on creativity and becoming more creative in life, which are definitely on the spiritually oriented side, the concepts of habits and routines are used to foster creativity. While Julia Cameron’s “The Artists Way” is all about writing every day, Morning Pages and having a regular Artist Date with yourself, Rick Rubin’s “The Creative Act” is more about how important it is to put in the effort regularly and intentionally to help you be creative. It also talks about how important it is to break your habits.

My Personal Experience With Creative Habits

Here’s what works for me:  If you want to keep on creating and stay passionate about what you do, you need to make sure to have a daily routine that includes creating and refining your work as often as you can. 

Why Boundaries Can Help You Stay Creative

There’s one myth I want to tackle with this and that is: Boundaries get in the way of creativity. 

I’ve got two examples from my own experience that I think help to explain what I mean. When I’m writing songs, I often set myself some strict boundaries to keep my creativity alive. I often feel a bit overwhelmed by all the instruments you have access to on your computer these days. I’ve found that setting a boundary to only use certain instruments really helps me. 

From a civil engineer’s perspective, there’s another thing to consider. When it comes to designing and calculating things, we’re often pretty restricted by loads of standards and legal stuff. Sometimes you have to get really creative to meet design expectations within the legal framework. I wouldn’t have thought of some of the solutions I’ve come up with without these restrictions.

If you’ve got too many options to choose from, it  can lead to something called ‘decision fatigue’. Every decision you make uses up your brainpower. So, if you’ve got fewer decisions to make, you’ll have more mental energy to focus on the important stuff.

This goes for setting boundaries, as well as setting habits and routines. If you know what to expect from your day and set aside a specific time and space for your creative work, you won’t have to spend all your mental energy deciding when to use time for creative work. You can see this in big companies too, where employees have streamlined processes and clear expectations for routine tasks. This helps them to free up their mind and gives them some psychological safety. This means they can focus on working together, coming up with new ideas and perspectives.

Consistency Matters More Than Perfection

If you show up every day, you’re way more likely to come up with something amazing. It will also help you to become more resilient to mistakes and you’ll learn to embrace them. Perfection is the result of lots of trial and error. You can’t make something perfect without making mistakes first. 

Plus, consistency gives you that feeling of making progress and winning every day. If you write 100 words a day, you’ll end up with chapters, and even a whole book. This is better than sporadic bursts of inspiration, followed by long  periods of inactivity where you can question your own creativity every day. 

Discipline and Habits Fuel Creativity

The more frequently you create something the easier it becomes to overcome creative blocks. Habits create neural pathways that strengthen with repetition. Your mind becomes conditioned to engage with your creative act and creates a self-sustaining momentum that can even increase the chance to a flow state (a state where you are at the peak of concentration, creativity and productivity). 

Showing up every day with discipline gives you a mindset of accountability and lets you treat your creative work as a priority. This will reduce distractions and procrastination. Creativity requires commitment, not just inspiration. Creative ideas can take time and patience and you may not be rewarded for weeks. You can see the creative idea as a seed you have to water every day to grow. 

Leave Room for Chaos

I’m not saying you should live by boundaries, habits and routines without question. The key is to find a balance between being a slave to your routine and being a slave to our restless minds and self-sabotaging behaviours. It’s a good idea to make time in your schedule for creative exploration and chaos.

The idea is to find a framework that helps you make progress and be more creative. Routines can eventually turn into habits that you don’t even think about anymore. This gives you room to try new ideas or mix things up to keep your creative spark alive. And don’t forget to regularly evaluate your routine and creative output. Don’t be afraid to try different things and see what works best for you. 

The Confidence You Build by Showing Up

Being creative makes you inherently vulnerable in that moment. Even the most talented people can find it hard to move forward when they’re facing fear of failure, imposter syndrome or self-doubts. You can get over these mental barriers by establishing habits. Every session, no matter how short, will make you feel like you’ve done something and give your confidence a boost. This creates a positive feedback loop. The more you create, the more capable and inspired you feel, which then makes you want to create more. 

6 Tips on Creative Habits That Helped Me Through Writer’s Block

These tips helped me overcome imposter syndrome and my creative rut as a songwriter and music producer, so I thought I’d share them with you:

• Set a specific time and place. It’s not just about setting the time, but also picking a place where you feel comfortable. This will get your brain into the right mindset for creativity.
• Show up every day. Even if you’re not feeling it. You should at least try doing something that relates to your goal, like setting up your guitar. At some point, you have to start doing something when you show up every day.
• Start small. Like playing guitar for 10 minutes every day. You can always find 10 minutes in your day!
• Do it first thing in the morning. I’m not a fan of getting up early, but this really helped. I tried to juggle playing guitar, songwriting and music production with my day job. But I was so tired after work that I just couldn’t get motivated. Doing it first thing in the morning really helped. I had more energy for it, and it was a big achievement for the day compared to not doing it after work. 
• Embrace the routine. Make sure you’ve got a workplace that’ll inspire you. I like to keep my workspace tidy, with some plants and pictures I love. It’s also a good idea to treat yourself with a cup of coffee or chai tea or something else to get your engines going.
• Make it accessible. Make sure you’ve got everything you need to hand, like your instruments and recording equipment.

Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple and Start Showing Up

I started off by reading about Ernest Hemingway’s well-known morning routine, which had a pretty organised approach to his creative process. You don’t have to wake up at 5 a.m., and I didn’t either. But remember that creativity is like a muscle – you have to use it regularly to keep it in shape. When you get into a good habit of creativity, you can make an environment where it can really flourish. Being creative can be a bit random sometimes, but you can increase your chances. So just start small and try to show up every day – that will make the biggest difference.

References

• https://www.creativityatwork.com/the-surprising-connection-between-routine-and-creativity/
• https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/writing-hub/the-power-of-habits-for-creativity-and-writing-success/#:~:text=Habits%20provide%20structure%20to%20creativity,like%20a%20theme%20in%20music.
• https://medium.com/@marissamullen0/building-a-daily-routine-for-creativity-d30cb7ce9722
• https://blog.landr.com/songwriting-routine/