Getting Creative: Developing Creative Habits that Work

by Drew Kimble

Plan. Fail. Repeat. How does anyone have the time and energy to work on their creative projects after coming home from work, catching up on chores, and putting the kids to bed? Do these people really have more self-discipline and motivation than the rest of us, or is this just a bunch of crap that we tell ourselves to make us feel better? Creativity is a habit like flossing your teeth—you either do it, or you just talk about doing it. Sure it would be great if we had all of the time and resources to do whatever we wanted, but that’s not the way life works, so we just have to do what we can with what we’ve got. In this book, you'll learn how to build real-world creative habits that work for you. You will also discover... * Why being motivated and having self-discipline isn’t enough * What habits can (and can’t) do for you * Why getting started is often the hardest part * How to find and use your creative triggers * Why setting big goals for yourself is often a mistake * How to successfully manage your creative environment * How to hold yourself accountable without beating yourself up Are you ready to get started?

96 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2016

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is targeted at those creative artists, (musicians, artists, authors etc) who are finding it difficult to start a project or maintain the energy or motivation to keep it going. He covers all bases - from the psychology of why we can't get started, even when we really want to, to practical tips for getting started, creating a routine and keeping up the momentum. He also makes the important point that setting goals (such as daily word counts) can set ourselves up for failure, and that it's important to aim to establish a regular creative practice rather than to set goals. I also like his emphasis on the psychological aspect of creativity, because in the end what we do or don't do is all down to our mindset.

The book is written in a clear and conversational manner and is easy to read. Even though as an indie author I have already established a regular writing practice, I had a couple of Aha! moments as I was reading the book and I still found plenty to motivate and inspire me. So though the book is aimed at beginners, creative artists of all levels of experience will find it useful - no matter how experienced you are, it's always useful to be reminded of things that you may already know, but have forgotten or ignored.