5 habits of effective creators
Everyday actions for success
Hey there —
What do you think it takes to be a successful creator?
As great as it would be if you could get a million subscribers within 24 hours of launching your YouTube channel or land a Fortune 500 company as your first graphic design client…creative success takes time.
It’s not just about coming up with a big idea, crossing your fingers, and hoping you’ll go viral (even if it feels like that’s how it works some days).
To be an effective creator, you have to focus on the long-term, honing strategies and mindsets that will help you craft compelling content and maintain your creativity and motivation.
Here are 5 habits that effective creators embrace to do just that:
💬 Don’t hide from negative feedback. The best creators know feedback is a tool for growth and innovation, helping them lean into content that’s working — and pivot away from what’s not. Just remember that opinions are like podcasts: everyone’s got one, but not all of them are worth listening to. Pay attention to what seems to resonate with your audience and what doesn’t, but don’t waste your energy on trolls.
🏋️ Focus on the work, not the reward. Successful creators realize internet algorithms are fickle, the approval of others is fleeting, and results will vary for each video or post. But how often you show up, put in the work, and apply what you’ve learned — that’s within your control. Learn to enjoy the process and feel accomplished by simply finishing a project (no matter how many likes or views it gets).
😴 Make rest a priority. Too often we treat creativity as a commodity — something that can be manufactured. Instead, it’s more like a coffee cup that needs to be refilled. You can’t create from an empty cup, so take consistent breaks and set cutoff times for your workday. And don’t worry about losing your flow by clocking out — according to experts, it’s way easier to pick up a project where you left off than to start from a blank page.
⭐️ Do your most important work first. You don’t have to be an early bird to make the most of your time. Whether you wake up at 6 a.m. or noon, learn to “eat the frog” and tackle your most challenging and important work first — before the demands of the day drain your energy. Added bonus: with your top priority accomplished, your day will be a win no matter what happens later.
🔁 Treat content creation like a habit. As French painter Henri Matisse is quoted as saying: "Don't wait for inspiration. It comes while one is working." Pick an attainable daily target (even if it’s as small as “write a single paragraph”) and make creating a non-negotiable part of your everyday routine.
There’s a lot about crafting and sharing creative content that’s out of your control, which is why it’s so important to focus on what is, and implement habits that can help you reach your goals.
Because ultimately, success isn’t just about getting lucky — it’s about the consistent, small steps you take each and every day. 📆
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Stop waiting for creative inspiration and manufacture it instead
by Art Markman
Just because you can’t wait around for a breakthrough insight doesn’t mean you have to drag yourself to your desk to try and create something with zero spark. Instead, look for ways to seek out inspiration.
To help, author and professor Art Markman shares three things he does to coax creative inspiration out of nothingness through deliberate effort.
Give them a try and you might become your own muse. ✨
New words drop!
by dictionary.com
Do you know what a mountweazel is?
Neither did we until we checked out dictionary.com’s list of new word additions for fall 2023. (Sadly, a mountweazel is not a newly discovered species of wild ferret.)
Check it out to discover more words, phrases, and definitions that have recently entered our collective consciousness. You might even find some content inspiration — 30 days of shower oranges or coffee naps, anyone? 🍊
WindowSwap
By Sonali Ranjit & Vaishnav Balasubramaniam
According to their website, WindowSwap is here to help us travel without moving and “fill that deep void in our wanderlust hearts.”
With a click of a button, view the world through someone else’s window. 🪟
📻 Spotify’s Feel-Good Indie playlist is a great go-to soundtrack for anything from the school drop-off commute to a chill evening in.
👻 A ghostwriter who can see ghosts opens the door of her family’s mortuary to find the specter of her new editor on the porch, sparks fly. That’s the plot of The Dead Romantics, and it’s the perfect cozy read for rom-com fans.
🕯️Missing your home state or want to relive that one amazing vacation? Homesick candles are here to take you back to the places you love.
🤓 Whether you’re a word nerd or just like learning new things, artist, writer and “pseudo-intellectual online entertainer” Abraham Piper’s Instagram account is worth the follow. Come along for thoughtful discussions on a variety of topics + wacky and fascinating facts about the English language.
Written by Ashley Martin
Edited by Matt D'Avella