“Creativity is not a talent, it’s a way of operating.” – John Cleese

Most things in this world that can be learned and/or practiced. Creativity is one of those things. People often have the misconception that being creative is inherent. The truth is, some people come to it easily, but everyone has the ability to harness it.

In my own life, I make time daily to sit and work on something creative. This substack and podcast are one of those things. I may not write or record every day, but I spend time cultivating ideas, finding quotes to share, and editing these words you’re reading and hearing.

With acting, I take time to practice a monologue, read scripts, and do auditions. I watch interviews from actors, filmmakers, and anyone else in the industry that is giving insight. I intentionally go to the movie theater to watch a movie so my focus is completely on screen. I watch cartoons in languages I don’t know well so I can practice identifying emotions in characters.

I do all of these things to keep my creative “muscles” active. I don’t wait for inspiration to hit me, I don’t even go find it. I make sure I’m doing things so that inspiration joins me on my journey.

I think people hit a rut or have a dry spell when they continue doing the same things over and over expecting creativity to find them. They may also run into issues when they simply stop working.

If you want to be creative, you have to do something. Hoping to be creative will keep you thinking that you aren’t creative.

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