Creative Discipline: How to Make Inspiration Show Up Daily

When someone says creative discipline, I know exactly what they mean. Maybe not the first, but If you’re in the creative industry, you already know: inspiration can be slippery.

It doesn’t show up every day, yet, we’re expected to.

I’ve heard a lot of creators talk about having a “muse.” Mine? It shifts. Somedays it’s music. Some days it’s just changing my scenery. Other days it’s pure imagination, but what happens when you don’t feel like imagining?

DOWN IN THE DUMPS

Inspiration isn’t always magical—it can be a full-on trial and tribulation. I’ve said this before, and I’ll keep saying it: Mental health check-ins are crucial for creatives.

As a writer, your mind is your tool. You’re using it constantly. For dancers, it’s double duty, you use your body and your mind for a living.

And that pressure?

It adds up.

We creators are perfectionists. We care deeply. We’re giving you a product we poured our heart and soul into —we want it to be just right. That’s why it can take some of us years to release that book or album you’ve been waiting for.

THE SEEDS HAVE BEEN PLANTED, BUT WHERE’S THE GARDEN?

No one’s out there watering your garden of inspiration—so what happens when that creative garden produces nothing?

Imagine being a farmer with millions of customers, and nothing left to harvest. What do you give them when there’s nothing growing?

They start leaving—one by one— to find what they’re looking for with someone else. That’s a creative's worst nightmare. So let’s lay the truth out on the table: there’s no such thing as the word “stop” in this world.

DON’T FALL INTO THE TRAP

Now, before you start a riot—I’m not saying you have to run yourself into the ground. I’m saying if you want to stay creative, you have to prepare your mind for what’s ahead.

Creative work isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. It’s hard work. It’s drive. It’s late nights. It’s sometimes mental breakdowns.

That’s why mental health check-ins are a non-negotiable. We discussed it in my blog post From Breakdowns to Breakthroughs: How to Protect Your Creative Spark. I told you how to protect it—now I’m going to teach you how to recharge it.

WHAT GLITTERS CAN ACTUALLY BE GOLDEN

You may be tired of hearing this, but a critical resource is therapy. Everyone needs a check-in every once in a while, but a creative's line is going to see a specialist for their mental state.

Another helpful tool would be to actually change your scenery. Go for a walk. A drive. A hike. A coffee shop. A grocery store. Anything to shut your mind off just for a second.

You could just put pen to paper—write even if it’s not perfect. When you’re ready, you can revise it.

Truth is: art can take time, but with a little discipline, you can go far.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

I wouldn’t give you these tips if they didn’t help me. The tips are to help nourish yourself. We enjoy making art, and people like the art we make.

You’re an artist. What you do comes from within. That means you have to take care of your mind, body, and soul for you to function properly. Your fans don’t want to see you suffering, and you shouldn’t either—so don’t suffer in silence.