Planning for Creativity

Planning for creativity sounds like an oxymoron. How can you plan (something structured) for creativity (something unstructured and without boundaries)? It sounds impossible. But what I’m referring to is not as complicated as you might think.

You’re not planning creativity itself. You’re planning FOR creativity.

Planning for creativity isn’t rocket science. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 45610390 Copyright: racorn)

Here are 5 ways to keep creativity flowing:

1. Keep your drawing table free from distractions.

Now this one is relative to the artist. Some people work best with a minimalist setting, clean and sparse. Personally, I like a small amount of organized clutter. My table is full of pens and pencils and a small stack of reference photos for projects I’m currently working on. What I do try to keep off of my creative space is my cell phone and laptop (unless my reference photo is being displayed on it).

It would be prudent for you to figure out what your optimal setting is for your creative space whether it’s the dining room table or an actual studio. What degree of clutter do you do well in? This may also include putting your phone on silent or just leaving it in another room.

2. Mind your mindset.

Before you even sit down to create, have a clear goal of what you hope to achieve. Planning for creativity requires positive thinking. It’s common sense, really. How creative do you think you’d be if you went in thinking you weren’t going to accomplish anything? Even if all you have planned is a silly doodle, make it a clear goal. I’m going to do a 10 minute doodle! Your mind will accept that as fact and it will be cemented when you actually do it.

Hanging out with other artists is also great for your own mindset. Being in community with other artists is inspiring. It’s nearly impossible to not have that creative energy rub off on you. My favorite place to be in art school (besides the classroom) was the cafeteria where every person there had sketchbooks out while they were eating. That energy was palpable. Talk about priming the pump for creativity!

3. Planning for creativity should include exercise.

I don’t necessarily mean an hour and a half at the gym. But creativity requires energy. Sometimes, when working on a project for hours on end, your energy level and concentration may start to lag. Plan for what you’ll do when that happens. Will you take a short walk around the block? Or maybe you’ll unroll the ol’ yoga mat and do a brief session to get the blood flowing.

4. Make sure you have everything you need before you start.

Nothing is more distracting than having to get up repeatedly to get what you need. Are all the materials you’ll need within arm’s reach? They should be! This should include your beverage of choice. And let’s not forget your favorite playlist!

5. Have a contingency plan.

What if you’ve done all of the above and creativity still doesn’t flow? Plan for it! Have a list of things you can do or resources you can rely on. Keep a folder of bookmarks of your favorite word prompt sites. Inktober is always a good one, but you can always do a Google search for daily prompts. You can also search Pinterest for daily or weekly prompts. Or you can always create your own idea generator for a constant stream of prompts.

It doesn’t take much to keep creativity flowing and planning for creativity doesn’t have to be a huge chore. You just have to take positive action. Plan for creativity and you will be creative.