Whether or not you believe it, you are creative. Everyone is creative in some way. But, creativity doesn’t always come easy. And for those of us who depend on our creativity for our salaries, whether working for an agency or working for ourselves, it can feel even harder to “turn it on” when we need it most.

So when Brika (awesome site/shop that brings you well-crafted products and the artists behind them) launched their digital handbook on creativity—33 Habits of Highly Creative People—I was excited to dive in and discover creativity tips from the “pros”. Many of the points were expected, albeit good reminders, but there were a couple that really got me thinking about my creative habits, both the good and the bad, and how I apply them to my writing as well as to my creative crafting and diy-ing.

Waste materials. I have a really hard time with this. I know I need to waste materials in order to practice any sort of craft, especially when it comes to things like experimenting with my Silhouette Cameo and learning to sew. I want everything I do to have a resulting use and purpose. If I’m going to take the time to do it, I want to have something decent to show as a tangible result. But? This really isn’t practical. There need to be “oops” projects and a stash of practice materials.

Don’t push creativity into your free time. Make it a priority and schedule time for it. Oof, this one hits hard! I’ve been trying to schedule craft and blogging time in the evenings after I get home from work. But add in dog-walking, working out, cooking dinner, etc, and before I know it, it’s 10 p.m. and I’m scrambling to finish tomorrow’s post (ahem—that’s exactly what I’m doing now—ahem).

Don’t rush. This one is a direct result of the point above. And I am Oh. So. Guilty. I am constantly thinking of what comes next; check this task off the list so I can keep going, going, going. I am working on slowing down. But it doesn’t come as easy.

Try a different routine. I am an extreme creature of habit. I love schedules. I love to know what’s coming next. But I also know that changing things up can result in a new point of view. And I should make a more concerted effort to shake my usual routine and try something differently.

Relax and get out of your own head. Enough said here.

Create for yourself. Everything else will fall into place. Oh my golly, this is such a good mantra. Why do humans feel it necessarily to constantly compare themselves to others? I do a lot of self-comparing. Maybe not aloud (maybe just aloud to Tom), but definitely inside my own head. I need to shut that voice down.

Do. Not. Multi-task. This is by far the hardest habit to break! Modern technology makes it SO hard to focus for any period of time, whether it’s 15 minutes or 5 hours. I’m drawn to the idea of shutting down my phone for an afternoon and seeing where life takes me. Or maybe a whole weekend!

Can you relate to these habits, or lack thereof? What’s helped you get over some of your creative hurdles?

*I solemnly swear I am in no way affiliated with this site, nor was I paid to write this post. The opinions above are my own, about an awesome site/brand/product/artist that I want to share with you*

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