As a person who identifies as a creative at Stanford, I’ll admit that sometimes it’s hard to pursue what I am passionate about in an academic setting, or even for personal fulfillment. I think one of the main things that always gets in the way of my creativity is expectation, and thereby, the anxiety of creating. There’s a strong misconception that the greatest artists and creatives are “naturally talented” – as if Monet was born the most skilled impressionist artist of his time – and many times, this expectation clouds the actions and aspirations of people who just need to take the next step. While there are certainly people who naturally have a feel for creating inspiring content, there’s no rule that says if you’re not naturally good at something, you can’t improve.

These reminders are nothing novel, but they can easily be forgotten if you’re currently facing a creative roadblock, making your work sloppy and even more difficult to get back to. The bullets are obvious signposts that are meant for easy recollection, but hopefully my insight will be of help to you. This is for you: the person who may be facing obstacles in creativity, academics or really life in general – the person who needs to get back to the basics.

PRACTICE.

” … DO ONE THING FOR THE SKILL YOU WANT TO IMPROVE EVERY DAY, EVEN IF IT’S A SMALL THING.”

I know that if I haven’t been drawing for a few days and I sit down to try and draw out a concept, it takes me at least twice the amount of time just to warm up my hands and get the strokes right.  Do yourself a favor and practice so you’re ready when it’s time to execute your ideas!

Practice your craft every day, even if you’re having an off day (how to practice better). You can’t progress if you don’t put in the hours to grow and improve. Even if you’re not seeing groundbreaking improvements, it’s good to preserve what skills you have and be ready for the moment that inspiration strikes. If you’ve just started a new project, class, hobby, etc., the best thing I can advise is to do one thing for the skill you want to improve every day, even if it’s a small thing. Obviously, many of us would be thrilled to have unlimited time to work on our projects, but in reality, even if you can do something small towards accomplishing your goal, do it.

Additionally, when you practice, look for small ways you can bring your skills to the next level. A lot of the times, practicing doesn’t just mean doing the same thing over and over. It also means looking for ways you can do something differently and trying out those avenues as well.

 

SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY.

” … YOU CAN’T JUST DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR 10,000 HOURS TO IMPROVE.”

Dr. Erickson is famous for his 10,000 hours rule: the average amount of time it takes someone to become an expert at anything. While this rule has become famous over the years, it turns out you can’t just do the same thing over and over again for 10,000 hours to improve. You need to switch it up and do it in different ways. For instance – if you’re a painter, you can’t just use the same brush, or paint the same subject over and over. You have to push yourself and try painting in different light, with different tools and different mediums.

On a similar note, if you can do one thing to get to where you want to be, make it count. It’s easy to get sucked into small tasks that are disguised as productive, when they are actually distracting you from real productivity. For instance, checking your email. More often than not, reading your email will either provide you with useless information, or stress you out more than neccessary, so don’t check it until you’ve done at least one or two big things on your to-do list. Sometimes cleaning is classified in this category. Unless your mess is really hampering your productivity vibes, leave it alone and continue your work or relocate to a more organized space where you can finish your task first and then return to clean later.

 

GET ORGANIZED.

” … IF YOU WRITE IT DOWN, YOU’RE FORCED TO ADDRESS IT.”

Keep a journal and write down your ideas – preferably with ink and paper (handwriting trains the brain). There are tons of electronic organizational tools out there, but for the things that you really want to stick in your mind, I recommend simply writing it down in a notebook you’ll use often. It doesn’t even have to be a planner. Planners are great, but I personally like a blank, unlined sketchbook or moleskin, because you can do whatever you want with them. You can make your own calendars and timelines for special projects, jot down the skeleton for your latest idea or just scribble. It’s multipurpose.

I’ve gone between both systems of writing down my daily schedule and using Google calendar to mark it out, and continuously writing down what I need to get done is always more productive for me. Google calendar is great because it allows you to add items quickly, which is good if you’re pinched for time and just need to jot down a reminder. But it can also hurt you if you’re a really big procrastinator. With Google calendar, it can be tempting to shorten blocks of time or move them around in your schedule so that you never actually address that one big thing you really need to get done, whereas if you write it down, you’re forced to address it.

 

KNOW HOW YOU WORK.

” … WORKING WITH PEOPLE CAN ALSO REALLY HELP YOUR PRODUCTIVITY, JUST MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE AND READY TO WORK BEFORE YOU BEGIN.”

This is super basic. Know where you work best and where you don’t. If you can’t focus while you’re in bed, or in a space where there are tons of people talking and having fun, try something else. Go to a coffee shop, or go to a library. Some people work best with a little background noise, while other people need absolute silence. The only way to know which works for you is to try different things.

As a general rule of thumb, for high-pressure/high-priority tasks, you’re more than likely better off if you have few distractions. If you’re really struggling to get started on a task, start working in a space with absolute silence.

If you’re working with a medium that’s messy, you might be limited with your workspace options, but try a combination of working outside or in a studio space.

In my experience working with people can also really help your productivity, just make sure everyone is on the same page and ready to work before you begin. I, for one, sometimes find it impossible to sit for five hours in a row when I’ve already been working for long periods of time. Working with friends lightens the mood, and makes creating feel less like a death march and more like an enjoyable, engaging work session.

 

BE PATIENT AND KNOW YOUR VALUES.

” … PEOPLE WHO REMEMBER THEIR VALUES BEFORE HAVING THEIR SKILLS EVALUATED GENERALLY PERFORM BETTER AND WITH LESS ANXIETY.”

When you’re working or creating, you’ll experience moments where everything falls into place, and moments where nothing seems to click. Amy Cuddy, who gave the popular TED talk on body language, writes in her new book, Presence, about how her research shows that people who remember their values before having their skills evaluated generally perform better and with less anxiety. Rest appropriately, and try to persist. Write out a list of three reasons why what you’re working on is important to you. Thinking of the big picture is crucial in helping you get over the hiccups that will inevitably occur.

 

Five point takeaway:

 

PRACTICE

SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY

GET ORGANIZED

KNOW HOW YOU WORK

BE PATIENT AND KNOW YOUR VALUES

 

Contact Julia Espero at [email protected].