Artists, writers, musicians, and many other creators all have one thing in common, and that is they constantly create. Having a creative mindset or being creative requires work and commitment. It’s not every day that a Mozart is born, just like it’s not every day you come across a Picasso painting, or Malcolm X quotes. Things like these are a rare occurrence -true- but they are also a product of hard work. This is why if you want to get into the habit of creating, you have to be dedicated to creating as a career, not just a hobby. Creating for a hobby can be fun and harmless. You can do it in your free time with not a lot of dedication and sacrifice. But creativity as a career requires sacrifice and commitment. In order to be successful as a creative, you have to work on maintaining that creativity, and level of excellence.
It’s not easy, but at the same time, it’s not impossible either. If you’ve chosen to be a dedicated creative, then you’re going to have to sustain that mentality day in and day out. This article will help teach you how to do just that. Her are 5 ways you can maintain a creative mindset.
5- Keep A Swipe File
A swipe file is basically a creative journal or diary where you write down any creative idea that you get. The point of a swipe file is not to let that creative idea slip away before you’ve had the chance of expressing and exploring it. Writing your thoughts down is an ideal way for you to come back and visit them later. It’s also an insurance policy in case you forget what that thought was that you had during the morning. Sometimes our most creative ideas come to us when we least expect them, so have a swipe file app on your phone, or an actual journal on your person is a good way to keep track of those ideas for when they pop up.
4- Constantly Create
Creativity is like a train, it doesn’t stop at one stop, it keeps going. Creativity is not an easy thing to come by, that’s why once you have it, you have to keep at it. Continuing to create and keeping that mental muscle going is a great way to prolong that creativity, and maintain that creative mindset. Constantly churning out new ideas and designs, products, writings, and content has many benefits to it. First of all, you hone your craft and get better at it. Second, you test out what’s working, and what’s not. Third, you don’t rest on your laurels and make sure that you’re pushing yourself to create more quality content.
3- Keep A Portfolio
Keeping a portfolio of your work is not only a great way to showcase your talent, but also a great way for you to track your progress. With a portfolio, you can always go back and revisit past work, see areas where you can improve, and maybe even try to improve your work. A portfolio is a tool in your creativity, and every successful and accomplished creator has one. It will also serve as your business card to land you more job opportunities and clients. Make sure to finetune your portfolio and organize it in a way that anyone seeing it can see your progress and improvement. A good way to organize your portfolio is chronologically, from early projects to more recent ones. Another way to organize your portfolio is to highlight your most admired work while keeping out the ones less favorable.
2- Find Inspiration
Any creator will tell you it is hard to create without the proper inspiration to motivate you and guide you. Inspiration can come from anywhere and be anything. You can be inspired by spending a day in the park by yourself and with your thoughts. Or you can be inspired by a conversation you have with a friend. It’s important to find what inspires you can keep it close by for your times of need. Inspiration is an integral part of the creative process and being inspired is what will keep those creative juices inside of you flowing.
1- Put Your Work Out There
In the end, it’s hard to maintain creativity without having anything to show for it. Which is why publishing your work and making it public is important to help you maintain your creative processes. Without showing your work to the public, you will not receive feedback or even criticism. Both are important if you are serious about growing as a creator. Put your work out to the public and be open to any form of review or criticism. Take each one with a grain of salt and see how you can constantly improve your work, and maintain your creative mindset.
