These 5 Tiny Habits Can Make A Big Impact On Your Creative Life

Bees make honey, silkworms secrete silk. We have creative callings that are natural, unshakable in our heart.

When we start off, it’s easy to be motivated, excited, and enticed by that butterfly feeling. But experience tell us that the initial enthusiasm can fade soon.

Almost every wild spirit at some point comes with this realisation: just following passion is not enough. We need solid habits to nurture our dreams into reality.

I’ve got clients who were inspired by their creative energy at first, but then constantly felt overwhelmed, sometimes even taken over by anxiety.

I’ve talked to friends who kept procrastinating until the “mood is right” and that mood actually never came.

I myself can totally relate.

I’ve lost count of how many times I stare at a blank page and don’t know what to write; or turn the camera on but the words just won’t come out; or stand in the studio with a frozen body that just cannot move…

Yet, despite all of that, something inside nudges us to keep digging and making things that make our heart sing.  

That nudge sometimes comes from our quiet inner-voice; while other times it is yielded subconsciously due to a good habit.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Ultimately what we do daily makes us who we are eventually. What’s miraculous is that what bring us the best results in the long run actually does not need to be a grand act for today or tomorrow.

Here are five simple, tiny habits that I have tested and loved and they are highly recommended. Used right, they can totally transform the landscape of your creative journey.

The following tried and tested tools are all small and very easy to implement, yet over time, they can solidify your foundation, feed you inspiration, and above all, make you simply create regularly by taking away any shadow effect from overwhelm or perfectionism.

{Please note that while meditation can also be an effective habit to get ourselves into the creative mode, I didn’t have a separate heading for meditation, that is because all of the below are meditations if we do it mindfully.}

Ready? Let’s go!

1) In your heart of hearts, know that you have stories to tell and something valuable to share.

Yes it is true that everything worth saying has been said before, by someone who is more charismatic than us, prettier than us, smarter than us, harder-working than us, fitter than us or wiser than us.

Yet everything has not been said in your voice or mine to a specific problem our audience face.

Human struggles evolve. The pain that we are enduring in our age at this moment right now has its unique flavour.

Our ancestors did not have to deal with any forms of digital overwhelm, processed food, living far away from their original family and tribes, or modern politicians  – we do!

We have stories to tell. Our most authentic voice wants to reach out, to connect and heal, to empower and inspire. We need to give ourselves permission.

Remind this to yourself as often as possible, until it becomes your second nature.

2. Grow a morning routine that works for you.

We all know that the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day, however until we develop a routine that we can stick to, chaos and overwhelm can easily creep in.

Getting organised beforehand will help your morning routine to establish itself better and more smoothly.

For example, if it involves going to the gym, then pack everything you need the night before, including your gym gear, spare clothes to change, breakfast, packed lunch, locate your water bottle so that in the morning you don’t have to go through all your cupboards to find it all over again.

Or if writing is part of your morning routine. Know in advance of what type of drink can help you sit down and concentrate, make sure you’ll never run out of them in your kitchen.

Put your phone far away from your desk. Have a few printouts that are inspirational and relevant to the topics that you are writing right now so that you won’t worry about being stuck for too long…

As for myself, the morning routine consists of gardening, a walk and stretch in the park, grocery shopping and a drop of poetry.

Nothing too much, nothing too little. It helps me to connect with my home, my neighborhood and my Self.

Somehow the abundance of fresh fruits, food, flowers, happy dogs and smiling people in my local market and park sparks my creativity in a very grounded way.

Ideally you’ll want a morning routine that consists of some simple acts that open you up and gently put you in the flow, which sets you free from anxiety.

“Will people like my art? Does my writing today read well at all? How’s my numbers and matrix doing today?”…You know what I mean, those little voices in your head can take up so much mental space, you need a morning routine to help you detach.

It might take a little while to find what really makes you tick, but once you do, it is extremely rewarding.

If sticking to a habit is extra challenging for you, then I recommend making no exception for the weekends – this will help your body physiologically.

3. Develop an evening routine to unplug and make your morning routine stick.

Research shows that people are less interested in an evening routine than a morning routine. However, your evening routine, or lack of it, can make or break your morning routine.

I learnt this one the very hard way.

When I started my online creative business, we also just bought our now home. I had no idea how much renovation was involved. I had little understanding in terms of how I could best manage my energy working in a chaotic environment.

My sleeping pattern was all over the place especially when I was launching new products and services.

Over the time, my nerve system was compromised (this problem seems to be passed down from my maternal family – the other side of the coin of being a highly sensitive person…).

In short, I struggled to switch off.

Then I made a firm decision of strictly no work in the evenings. Instead, I was looking for ways to wind down: Acupuncture learning, reading a new book, watching a film, playing my Chinese harp, or playing a board game with hubby.

I spent a lot of time to explore what works the best for me, through which I understand that in the evenings I need to mostly do nothing, so that I can rest well, and that when I am switched on again, I can be highly effective.

Currently, my evening routine is simply folding the clothes (Marie Kondo method – see the video below), laying out the outfits for tomorrow, making lunches, packing snacks for the next gym trip. Followed by some deep relaxation of a foot spa.

That’s it. This routine makes me tap into contentment and gratitude in a short 30 minutes.

An evening routine is a nice wrap up for your day, what’s more, it is the foundation for your successful morning routine the next day.

I know this well from experience that unless my evening routine works and I have sufficient sleep at night, I’d break my morning routine and feel cranky for the rest of the day.

Ideally your evening routine has two goals: unplugging and clear obstacles for your morning routine of the next day. Try not make it too long, otherwise it is too easy to slip then you risk beating yourself up.

What do you feel inclined to do? Could it be:

Have a quick look at your to-do list and know your priority? (I think it’s too late to leave it until the next morning)

Evening Yoga with your fur babies in the garden?

Heart-to-heart connection with your spouse?

10 minutes journalling to reflect your day?

Visioning your ideal day before bed?

Bonding with your children by teaching them a specific skill that you enjoy?

10 pages reading of a well written novel?

Use your intuition to help you to decide what you need the most.

4. Quit the all-or-nothing pattern.

Don’t get me wrong, when you embark on your creative venture, it is necessary to be all in. This means you are fully committed and give your project the best chance to flourish.

However, being all-in is different from “all or nothing at all” pattern.

The latter creates many symptoms which are not beneficial for our creativity, such as: depression, bipolar, anxiety, or even panic attack.

Here are some traits of all-or-nothing that you might not even realise:

For instance, if you decide to start blogging, but you flop for a few weeks, instead of forgiving yourself and picking up where you left, you criticise yourself and go extreme, “I can’t get anything right at all, so why bother at all?!” Then you find yourself give it up all together.

Take another example, say you are a photographer, and you are given a spot in a cool exhibition. You received compliments and praise of your work but no one has bought any pictures yet – based on this solely, you didn’t give yourself any credit for your dedication, progress and hardwork. Despite all your achievements, you decided that the past 6 months has been a complete waste of time.

If our self-talk consists of the following, then or-all-nothing is negatively influences our life:

“I can have it all or I am a complete failure.”

“I believe in a higher power or I don’t.”

“She is the best friend I’ve ever had! Or she is such a terrible person.”

…You get the idea.

The cause for all-or-nothing thinking is up to debate. But it is suggested that perfectionism can be a big contributor to it.

Most of the time, all-or-nothing is self-defeating.

This black-and-white mindset is not healthy as it does not reflect real life. It is not a wholesome way to channel or develop our precious creative energy.

One effective way to change this pattern is to reward your action.

Yes, measure and reward ourselves in terms of actions that we take, not an arbitrary result that we now believe it is everything to our success but in 10 years time when we look back it actually means nothing to our life purpose.

Remember the tortoise and hare race story from childhood? What makes a drastic difference in the long term is not from intense activities you do in a short period, but regular and consistent practice.

Instead of launching a new business, having some quick wins for fun then forgetting about it completely, we are far better off dedicating 20 minutes each day from our busy schedule to commit to something that we can continually commit ourselves to, then build it up day by day from there.

This way, we are less likely to be addicted to a project initially but soon gets bored and feels empty inside then abandons it all.

“A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.”

– Anthony Trollope

Too many people give up their dream before it even has a chance to take off. We owe our dreams a fair chance. Break down your big vision and work on tiny projects one at a time. Tiny projects are a big deal.

5. Only look for guarantees in the right place.

Fame does not necessarily guarantee you a lifelong satisfaction.

Fame is not even a reliable source for on going motivation, because fame is highly influenced by external factors. Just look at how many young stars became lost and confused and stopped their craft all together in adulthood.

While checking stats once in a while can be very helpful for your progress, if you feel like it causes you self-doubt and anxiety over clarity, then hiding stats temporarily might be an ultra smart move. So that you will not get distracted by something that is out of your control on a daily basis.

Fame, stats, or validations from people who we admire – none of these can give you the type of guarantee you are looking for.

The greatest joy lies in the act of creating itself. The pure expression from the divine, it is our human nature to make things. Making things out of inspiration into this physical plane is deeply sensual, soulful and experiential. 

It is ourselves that who can guarantee our right to create.

Every word, every picture, every paint, every video clip, every choreography that was directly from your or my heart, it can heal and empower another Heart.

No, your creation doesn’t have to take the entire globe by storm immediately (that’s too much pressure for anyone anyway).

It just needs to be honest. People are craving for your honest work.

Honesty is refreshing and healing. It mends Souls.

Start small, something can be easily managed by you today.

Line by line,

Brush by brush,

Step by step,

You can record your truth, right here. Aim to do just that today.

Then improve a bit tomorrow.

And a little more the day after.

Instead of perpetually waiting for the mood, our habits can cultivate the right mentality and emotions required for us to forge ahead.

So, where do you see your creative life in three/five/ten years time? Then what daily habits must you cultivate to get there?

Do you find this article helpful? If so, please feel free to share – I’d really appreciate that! <3

What would you like to add in the comment? Or if you have any questions, you can reach out to me individually via email yiye@yourlifeexpression.com – I reply to every well-intentioned email. 🙂

Thanks for being here!

Yiye