Creative Practice for Creative Professionals
There are many jobs and career options for people who want to make a living being creative, but many of these jobs require that someone else defines the outcome of your creative process. If you are making a living from your creative skills, you may want to develop your own personal art practice and outlet as well. Art for art’s sake, for your own personal satisfaction.
A personal art practice starts with a few easy steps.
Step 1: Inspiration
Pinterest, art blogs, museum websites, books, magazines. What is speaking to you? What ideas are being sparked in your heart & soul? Journal about what is being sparked and how you might explore those ideas. Projects you loved to do when you were a child. Something you always wanted to learn how to do.
Step 2: Research
Visit an art supply store just to look, dig deeper into specific projects on Pinterest, read up about online classes, talk to friends doing art, watch YouTube tutorials.
Once you decide what you’re going to create, you’re halfway there.
Step 3: Supplies
Keep to the basics - a few high-quality tools will make a difference in your experience of doing your chosen art form. Quality paint, brushes, and paper will make painting easier, but see if you can stick to just a few basic colors to start with. If you like to write with pen and paper get a couple different pens to try out, look for a journal of the right size or one that is particularly inspiring.
Step 4: Space
If you’re painting, collaging, drawing, sculpture, and other things with your hands you’ll need plenty of space and some furniture. Designate a corner or table that you can take over for a time. A space where set up and cleanup will not be too difficult, where you can move around. Where air flow and ventilation are good. Where natural light is plentiful – add task lighting if needed. If you’re writing or knitting, you won’t need as much space but might want to consider a private, quiet corner. If you’re doing photography or film, use this quiet corner for setting up your editing space.
Step 5: Schedule Time
Block a weekend, evenings after work, or take a vacation day. Maybe a drawing class in the middle of the day and then home practice on Sunday mornings. Schedule the time regularly and recurring. This is the most important AND the hardest part. If you don’t schedule this time and keep it as a priority, it won’t magically show up for you. Many people say they don’t have time for creative pursuits, but the truth is that they haven’t made and prioritized time for it or for themselves. Time for yourself, to do what you most want to do is the whole goal of developing your own creative practice.
Lastly, celebrate your art! In addition to creating, sharing your work is an important part of your personal artistic practice. Show your family and friends. Display your work on the wall behind you in video calls. Create a group at work for people to share their personal practice. Talk about what your art means to you, what you’re learning, what new things you want to try. Not only does this spread the joy of your creativity to other people, it helps encourage you to keep creating.
originally published on Psychology Today