5 Tips For Better Creative Flow

As I am sitting here, putting together the last phases of my Creativity Course, I thought I could share some helpful tips. No doubt these have helped me out over the years to constantly and consistently create new work. Because what a lot of people won’t tell you is that thinking up new images and ideas all the time can be challenging, and it can weigh down on you if you don’t have some helpful tools to keep you going. It is easy to burn out. Since it is one of the things I get asked about the most, I decided to put something together so it can be of use to more people.

If you would like to be notified when the Creativity Course is released in October, feel free to sign up below!

Now on to those helpful tips I was talking about ;)

1. Visualization session

Put your timer on for 3-10 min (more if you can, but the timer is there to allow yourself to dive deep without worrying about losing track of time or getting carried away). Then, put your phone on airplane mode to avoid interrupting notifications.

Close your eyes, put on some music if you wish (or soundscapes, rain, waves, etc.), and visualize yourself somewhere.

A beach or sitting on top of a mountain. It can be somewhere you enjoy going to, or somewhere you just make up. Imagine your senses. Imagine the sounds, what your skin feels like on the sand, the way the cold wind bites the tip of your nose, or the feel of the sun on your skin.

The point is to visualize yourself there.

Then, as you get better, you can start imagining performing actions, like working on a painting on the beach, creating a floating image on the edge of a cliff, assorting stars in a way that resembles something. You can get as creative as you would like, or you can just sit there on your imaginary beach and watch the water. This is a great way to let your imagination take full reign and explore even the impossible. This exercises what I like to call “your creativity muscles”. The stronger they become, the easier it gets to develop different ideas when you feel stuck.

2. Doodling session

This can be a little harder than you initially think because the sole purpose of this exercise is to try and not make anything in particular.

You just want to create marks and follow the instinct of flow. You want to make each mark a reaction to the last, not something preconceived or anything that you try to make too perfect.

The one thing you have to try to do, though, is not to touch any of the old marks; you should make each mark separate from the last. If you lift the pen, brush, or pencil, you then start a new mark line.

It can be short marks, long marks, or both. As long as each new line doesn’t touch the others. It becomes a sort of puzzle. Sometimes I like to make a whole page covered in these doodles, coming back to fill it out during breaks throughout the day or week. It helps shift the mind to an easy creative problem-solving task without stressing it out too much.

This is actually a great thing to do when you are stressed and need to relax. Sometimes these doodles come out looking really cool too.

Below is one of mine:

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3. Exercise

Whether it be a walk down the street, a full-on run, light swim, putting some headphones on and dancing (a favorite of mine), or a yoga sequence. Exercise helps stimulate your brain, get the blood flowing, and reduce anxiety, which can be a massive killer of creativity.

4. Paint the Town

Or draw it. Get your pocket notebook/ sketchbook. (If you know me, I always say this is a must for everyone, even if you don’t consider yourself a visual artist.)

This is great for writers, musicians, scientists, mathematicians, and everyone in between. Have a pen and/or pencil and a sketchbook that is easily accessible for those moments of thought.

Why not just put it in a phone, you ask?

Because the act of your handwriting/drawing helps activate different parts of your brain. AND filling out something like a sketchbook over time enables you to recognize patterns, inspirations that develop in your own interests and curiosities.

Sometimes, when looking for a new idea, I just go back to look through some sketches that I have previously done.

It doesn’t have to be just for drawing; it can be full of writing, crappy doodles, collaged clippings, or all of the above. It is there for you to play in and to record. To get those mundane and exciting ideas, phrases, sketches of things you find exciting or attention-grabbing.

This is an excellent aid for an artist trying to discover their “voice” or visual language or someone discovering their next best song, epiphany, or invention. I CAN NOT STRESS ENOUGH how important carrying around a sketchbook is, particularly for visual artists. So get something small that is easy to throw in the bag or carry around but not too tiny to write or draw in. And of course, your pencil or pen of choice.

5. Try something new

Whether it is a new material, a new process, or a technique, trying something new lights up your brain with activity, and it also releases a beautiful little hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is a happy hormone, and when your brain is happy, creativity flows better.

Other ways to try something new is to try a new route to work… or try using your less dominant hand instead of your dominant hand. For example, my right hand is my dominant hand, so sometimes I will try and do little tasks with my left hand or even practice drawing or writing with it.

Another great one is to try dipping into a new language ( A GREAT stimulation for new ideas). Trying something that pushes you outside of your box a little helps get your mindset back into the right gear for creating. If you have ever studied or spoken more than 1 language, you understand that there are plenty of words and phrases with no direct translation in English. Those pockets of language barriers can serve as a fun exploration for an artist, visual or other.

* Try language apps like “Duolingo”. They make learning fun, and they have great free features. They also break the learning down into small sessions so you can do a quick one if you only have a few minutes, or you can stay on and continue for a streak :)*

Learning a new language has actually been proven to help with neuroplasticity as well, and that is always useful when you are trying to improve your creative thinking/problem-solving.

BONUS TIP

Put your phone down when you are bored or stuck. Too often, we revert to social media to help us think up ideas or entertain ourselves. We risk getting lazy, allowing the social media world to dictate our direction of thought. So much that I actually believe it is affecting the growth of many artists today. Too many people create things that they see work for someone else, making something similar, not taking time to discover their own interests or voice.

With that said, I think every artist should research other artists, get inspired by other creatives, and be up to date with their contemporaries… even play with other artists’ processes and techniques and styles. BUT there can be a point where the journey in discovering your voice can be hijacked by chasing an “Instagram aesthetic”.

Next time you are waiting in line, keep that phone in your purse or pocket. Instead, become an observer, take in the scene in front of you. Look for things that are a bit quirky or something that the average person may just look past. Don’t only open up your visual sense but all the others. Take in the scent, sound, temperature. Just take it allllll in. Doing this helps your brain get out of that fog we tend to get into when we are just going through our daily motions.

AND Keep Going!

Creativity is like a muscle. It can atrophy. You can strengthen it or tire it out. I don’t believe that some people are creative and some aren’t. Creativity is seen in so many other ways than just on a canvas or in a song.

Problem-solving is a type of creativity, planning is a type of creativity, picking out an outfit for the day, etc. So when we are more comfortable in our creative mind, it really does positively affect other aspects of our life.

I hope these tips help you as they have helped me keep the flow of ideas coming for years. August 31, 2021, my Creative Course opens. In there, I dive deeper into the importance of creativity and how to access your most creative self. To get the first notifications when it goes live, sign up here! Keep Calm and Get Creative!

X Jill

The Next Surge of Projects: Newsletter May 2021 →

After focusing so much time on the new studio, I am eager to get back to creating more artwork. The ideas have been coming in this entire time, and I haven't given myself time to get them out or organize myself enough to feel productive.

Since finally moving in and getting situated, I have had a couple of commissions that I am finishing up, and I have also started up my studio challenges again! (A couple of these new studio challenges will be up for purchase next week). It is finally starting to feel like I am getting back into the groove and finding my pace.

The Next BIG Projects

1. The first project is my first "Big" piece in the new studio. I felt like I needed a large, immersive project to break in the new wall. I have a watercolor paper prepped and ready. I want to play off of the last charcoal and ink piece I worked on “Finding Form in Chaos” (which will be going up for sale this month). A piece inspired by the intensity and power of space, capturing the chaos that takes place in our reality on and off planet, the seemingly destructive power that ultimately creates form, a result. I wanted to express space and how it reflects the basic consistency of life without being particular about its “stage” … destruction, apparent chaos, creation.

However, I am trying to decide whether or not to repaint (again) the big, main wall in the studio because the white paint I repainted the wall with has a semi-gloss finish, which is already giving me problems with my tape on much smaller pieces.

Le sigh.

I have to admit. It is my fault that I thought it would be acceptable to use the one we already had instead of going out and getting the paint the wall needed.

So, once I finish this current commission. I am going to take the morning to repaint the wall (insert rolling eyes). BUT I am sure I will be MUCH happier when it is done... even though this will be the 2nd time I have repainted it.

Once that is finished, I can start on the big piece!

2. The other big project that is coming is the new Skillshare Course I have been working on. Gathering my accumulated resources and first-hand experience in creating artwork and creative projects has sort of been an ongoing thing. But, I have started to write down things I can share with people pursuing a more creative life, whether for a hobby or career, while developing a structure that is easy to digest, helpful, and inspiring.

The more I work on it, the more excited I get. I have never been fond of speaking on camera so creating something like this has been pushed aside for a long time despite so many people reaching out about tips, feedback, questions.

I was nervous and kept having that "imposter syndrome". I didn't see how I could be of service to others in that way. It wasn't until I started seriously writing things down for tutorial ideas when I realized I could share quite a bit in skill development and conceptual development.

After majoring in Art during college, a Masters, ten years of actively selling my artwork and working on design projects, thousands of hours of drawing and painting, and the last 5+ years of really dedicating time to navigating the sharing/selling of work online... I think there is some information that other creative pursuers may find helpful. Not only that, but since finishing post grad (end of 2014), I have spent money and time learning whenever I could. Reading books, subscribing and following people/things in the creative industry, taking online courses to learn, refine or upkeep skills, going to figure drawing meet-ups, attending webinars and discussions, sketching whenever I could, spending time experimenting, etc.

So, I can't wait to share more on it, finally film the modules and get them out there for people!

3. Last but not least! I am starting virtual Paint and Sips! I had wanted to do the first one back in April, but with everything going on, it was a very optimistic goal haha

The first one will be June 5th, 2021, so stay tuned for more information on signing up because spots for the first one will be limited!

Hope this post found you in good spirits, and if not, I hope it left you in good spirits! Cheers for tuning in and have a good rest of your day/evening... whenever it is that you read this !

Detail from New Studio Challenge going up next week!

"Restoration"

This series developed while working on the previous series, "The Escape”.

I wanted to create a mini series that featured large shifting landscapes on a smaller scale while playing with shapes and colors. So I stretched a few canvases, applied a few layers of clear gesso, and let them sit on the shelf in my studio.

After many sketches of various compositions and color trials, I was ready to apply my first ink layers to the canvas. The ink was mixed to my desired tones, opacities, etc, then applied through swift, practiced, and intentional brush marks. By choosing a calming, meditative process, subject matter, and color palette, I created these pieces to induce a quiet moment of relief and restoration.

Creating this work allowed me to slow down and react to the marks as they were applied to the canvas. While still remembering my desired outcome, like a choreographed ritual captured in one final performance on the canvas. Letting my muscle memory take over and quieting my mind.

In fast times we often forget to slow down and breathe, to step outside ourselves. This work is a reaction to chaotic times rather than an example of the times. A necessary grounding aid to the constant shifting and evolving that is always taking place.

Series available to subscribers Wednesday, March 1st 2021 and to the public Thursday, March 2nd 2021.