Five Rules For Artists and Other Creatives

Think big. Stay fresh. Be you.

Being a professional creative can be a challenge — particularly when it comes to avoiding being stuck in a rut or not finding inspiration or motivation. Sometimes the problem is a seeming inability to stay fresh and current.

Sometimes artists suffer from simple isolation.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are some simple, actionable ways to stay on top of your creative game.

Don’t fall victim to types

In short, don’t let anyone else define or stereotype you.

It’s a common myth that all writers are drunks. All musicians use drugs. All visual artists are a bit nutsy and off-the-wall.

Ugh.

Look, I know a lot of artists, and I can say these stereotypes are absolute bullshit. Easily half the writers I know (including myself) don’t drink alcohol at all. Those that do only do so moderately. Similarly, I know tons of musicians ranging from bluegrass to punk rock who don’t touch drugs of any kind. Sure, a few may smoke pot from time to time, but most got all that out of their system when they were younger.

And I’d rather hang out with visual artists than most politicians any day of the week. I’d even let them watch my kid.

The truth is, no rule says you have to be somewhat messed up to be a creative person. You don’t even have to be kooky.

All you have to be is yourself.

That’s how you flourish.

Tune out for a while

While inspiration may be all around us — like a storm sometimes — it’s the quiet times that allow us to nurture and develop an idea.

Freeing yourself from distraction and noise will allow you, as a creative person, to more easily access and hear those thoughts in your head that want to develop your inspiration into something actionable.

Seek a quiet room. Choose a quiet time of the day. It’s okay to be alone for moments like these.

Feel free to shut the world out while you develop your creations, be they stories, paints, songs, or t-shirt designs.

Expand your interests

Every musician I know listens to music. Every writer I know reads.

To their disadvantage, many of these writers don’t listen to a wide range of music, nor are the musicians very well-read. There are plenty of exceptions to this, but it seems like most creative types I know stick to a pretty closed circle of outside interests.

What you should be doing as an artist, however, is exploring and opening yourself up to as much creative input as you can stand.

Dare to the painter or sculptor who listened to every kind of music. Dare to be a writer with a love of Renaissance art. Be the guitar impresario with a broad range of reading habits.

All of this is fodder for your own art, and expanding your horizons makes you a more interesting person overall.

Be a part of the creative community

If there is one thing the internet has given us that has consistent value is the ability to form communities. Artists and creatives no longer need to confine themselves to a tiny bubble of limited experiences and perspectives. There are hundreds of thousands of places online where creatives can gather to share work, feedback, advice, and more.

There are also online spaces where one can network with others, find work, or get advice on finding work or marketing creative endeavors.

Even offline, in meatspace (as it were), there could be many places near you where artists, writers, and the like gather. These include coffee shops, artist collectives, practice spaces, public parks, libraries, churches, community centers, and sometimes peoples’ back yards.

These are great opportunities to make new friends, be exposed to new ideas, and learn more about the artistic community around you.

Keep your eyes and ears open. Seek out like-minded artists and discover how being part of a larger community of artists will help you grow personally and professionally.

Embrace feedback

This is where the line between amateur creative and professional creative resides.

If you’re an artist who is not interested in other people’s thoughts, opinions, or reactions to your work, then more power to you. You be you.

But if you’re planning to make a living at this, you need to know how others feel about your work and what you can do to make it better. That might mean pulling the ego back a little, but it’s for a good cause, right?

Use feedback as a resource to improve and grow professionally. While I’d caution anyone from leaning too much on outside opinions (you do need to be true to yourself), it’d be foolish not to hear what people have to say.

Use your judgment on how valuable feedback is. Not all criticism is equal, but you owe it to yourself to at least listen.

Prioritize your happiness

It’s difficult to measure success as an artist.

One way might be to see how much your work earns you, but this is about more than money, right?

Are you happy doing what you do?

Or are you at risk of burning out?

If you can make a living from your creative endeavors, that’s great! Not everyone can. But if you don’t enjoy your work, maybe you should consider finding something you actually do enjoy.

Or… don’t worry about art as your primary source of income. Find a straight job and pursue your art solely for yourself — not as a money-making venture.

It’s not giving up. Sometimes it’s just taking a break. You can always try again later when you have a clearer vision of what you want to do and how you want to go about it.

I’ve been at this for three decades now, and it’s only within the past few years that I feel I’m hitting my stride.

The journey was worth it.

Consider these tips, and grow.

And have fun.

Cheers!

About John Teehan

John lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2.

Do you like poetry, short fiction, and general oddities? Check out my new book, Life Among Psychopaths: an unexpected potpourri, now available on Amazon.