5 useful things to be creative, and 5 things you don’t need

March 29, 2026 • Art • Creativity

Creativity is about doing, first and foremost.

There’s some things that can absolutely help with creativity, and there’s some things which you might think you need, but in reality, you really don't.

Here are a list of 5 very useful things to be creative:

Days without plans - I know it's become a bit of a cliche, that artists need time to " do nothing", but it's pretty valid to be honest. I can't stress how important it is to be bored. To read, and wander. To let ideas formulate, marinate. To play around with ideas, words... And finally, to pick up a pencil, or a paintbrush.
Being alone - to connect with yourself, it’s good to be with one self.
Airplane mode - take time away to create without distractions can be extremely important for your creativity
The ability to see inspiration in the mundane - if you can find the things around you interesting then will never be bored. House plants, bowls of fruit, flowers in a vase, a friendly dog, a blue sky, food, the people around you, the landscapes, the seasons… It all can be a source of inspiration. It’s good to work on how you see rather than what you see.
A breakup (haha), or some pain - leaning into your dark, embarrassing, unpleasant, painful feelings and moments not only makes for juicy art, but it's also very cathartic. Expressing yourself, all part of yourself, is what art is all about.

And contrary to maybe what many think, below are 5 things you actually don’t need to be a creative. All which probably don’t need too much explanation.

A big beautiful fancy studio
Followers or likes
Expensive materials
An Art degree from Uni
A trendy creative job title

Let this mini blog post be a reminder to myself, and to you, that creativity starts when you pick up a pen and put it to paper (metaphorically or not).

That act and the idea to express yourself is the goal. Or at least, it should be.

If you’ve ever felt creatively stuck, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s talk about the messy process of making things.

Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram :)