View daily choices, from career decisions to parenting, to how you treat strangers, as creative acts, making considered choices rather than just checking off a list, as creativity is a birthright for everyone.
Strive for raw honesty and authenticity in your creations and interactions, rather than aiming for sincerity, which can become hollow or saccharine if forced or aimed at directly.
When faced with doubt, direct it towards the work itself (’this song isn’t good enough, how can I improve it?’) rather than personal self-doubt (‘I’m no good, I can’t write songs’), as the former is healthy and allows for improvement.
Establish a clear boundary between yourself and your creative work, viewing the work as an external entity that can be criticized, torn apart, and improved without personal offense or hurt feelings.
Recognize self-doubt as ‘papuncha’ (a Pali word for proliferating thoughts or monkey mind) and label it as external chatter, not truly ‘you,’ to prevent it from undermining your efforts.
Combat self-doubt by giving yourself pep talks; envisioning the struggle happening to a close friend and speaking encouraging words aloud to yourself, as you would to them.
During creative work, consciously acknowledge and postpone non-relevant thoughts (like marketing concerns or commercial success) by telling them they can be addressed later, but not during the creation phase.
Follow your intuition when making significant career or creative decisions, even if it contradicts seemingly rational advice from friends, family, or experienced people, as only you can truly know what’s right for you.
Learn and practice meditation, specifically concentration-based practices, to reduce internal chatter, see past the surface of situations, and tune into deeper meanings in interactions and art.
Practice meditation to become more familiar with your own internal chaos and cacophony, which can foster empathy for others and make it harder to hold grudges when people act out their pain.
Engage in meditation to refine your senses, which helps you become more in tune with yourself and inspiration, allowing you to tap into a depth that works its way into your creations.
Experiment with different types of meditation practices (e.g., Vipassana, breathing, chanting) as each can offer unique benefits, and you may find a default or a blend that suits you best.
Engage in practices that require persistence and discipline, such as meditation or physical exercise (like ice tubs), to build tenacity and grit that transfers to creative work, helping you work through difficult times.
Cultivate healthy, sustainable habits to ensure a long and productive creative life, avoiding shortcut methods (e.g., getting high) which often aren’t sustainable long-term for consistent good work.
Establish ‘office hours’ for your creative work, committing to a consistent time each day (e.g., 20 minutes to 3 hours) to show up, whether you feel inspired or not, as something happens when you show up.
Fill your ‘vessel’ (conscious and unconscious experience) with great works that have stood the test of time (e.g., classic books, movies, music, art) rather than focusing on fleeting popular trends, to set a high standard for your own creations.
Tweak your ‘filter’ (how you see things) through practices like meditation, being in nature, and awareness exercises to become more attuned to what’s going on around you.
Open your awareness to the ordinary and mundane, actively observing details like where shadows are falling, elements of a plant, or subtle stories of life, as there’s usually something really interesting happening underneath.
If feeling stuck in a creative endeavor, alter your environment or routine by changing context (e.g., turn off lights, light a candle, go for a walk, work in a new place, sit in a coffee shop) to stimulate new perspectives.
When trying to solve a creative problem, temporarily disengage by immersing yourself in a completely unrelated activity (like swimming or watching a movie) to allow your subconscious mind to work on solutions.
Understand that true improvement from practice (e.g., piano, weightlifting) happens during recovery periods, not immediately after the active practice itself, so allow for integration time.
Approach creative projects with a flexible, open-ended schedule, prioritizing the natural flow and readiness of the work over imposing strict deadlines, to ensure the best possible outcome.
Avoid associating long hours with productivity or quality; instead, work only the amount of time necessary to get the best outcome, typically focusing on a few highly focused hours in the afternoon.
Dedicate mornings to personal well-being and self-care, engaging in activities like slow waking, long walks (e.g., beach walks), listening to audiobooks/podcasts, meditation, Tai Chi, or coherent breathing.
Make important decisions and tackle crucial tasks when you feel most present and at your best, postponing them if you’re not feeling good to ensure higher quality output and better judgment.
Prioritize self-care as a fundamental component of your creative process, understanding that your ability to produce good work is directly linked to your personal well-being and capacity to be of use.
Adjust your sleep schedule to wake with the sun and go to sleep not long after dark, aligning with natural planetary rhythms to potentially infuse your work with a different, beneficial energy.
Accept that creativity has magical and mysterious aspects beyond personal ego, recognizing that great outcomes are often due to forces beyond individual control and that we are merely witnessing them.
Allow seemingly ‘delusional’ or dark thoughts and aggressive impulses to inform your artistic expression, as this can be a powerful way to sublimate negative energy into beautiful or meaningful creative works.
Be aware that substances altering your state are often shortcuts to experiences your body can achieve naturally by tapping into the right energy, suggesting a focus on natural methods for profound states.
Focus on developing and expressing your unique ‘point of view’ in your creative work, as this is a fundamental human contribution that artificial intelligence, despite vast data, cannot replicate.
If you’ve meditated before and stopped, consider making a conscious decision to re-engage with the practice, as it can feel familiar and like reconnecting with a beneficial part of your life.