How Do You Know If You Are Creatively Successful?

I had a conversation with some friends recently that’s been lingering.
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The gist? What does success look like for creativity? What if you get to the end of your life and you’ve never “made it”?

According to a 2012 Adobe study, 25% of people believe they are living up to their creative potential. No wonder that question stings a bit.

I remember that when I was younger, I just wanted to create, and get paid for it. That’s it. Enjoy the work I do and get paid for it.

I went to art school and graduated with a degree in graphic design, and upon graduation hit the pavement seeking employment.
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I never stopped to think about what success looked like (beyond employment) or what I really wanted. The resulting years were one of seeking someone else to define those things for me, and a frustration that would rear its ugly head every few years resulting in a job change.

Creativity is a muscle, and a tool. But we still have to tie it to goals, desires and dreams.
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But here’s a hard truth…

Creative success will remain elusive as long as we’ve left what success looks like undefined. Or maybe worse, we’ll attain it to find out it was the wrong success.
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Do you know what creative success (beyond projects) looks like for you? ​
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• Maybe you’ve defined it as “making a living from your creativity”.

• Or having a regular creative practice just for yourself.

• Or developing a body of work in a certain creative discipline.

• Or becoming a famous artist. ​
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While there are no wrong answers, I would challenge you with this: be as specific as possible.

Want to make money from your creativity? Great. How much? Put a number to it so you can measure, and if need be, adjust or change tactics.

If things are vague or a constant moving target, we’ll never know if we’re on track. We might just get discouraged and quit, while an examination of our expectations is in order.

Both Seth Godin and James Clear have mentioned falling in love with the process more than the outcome. The process keeps us in the game. The process is easier to detach from our identity. That’s what “Daily Creative Habit” is, a process you apply to your own creative modalities.

James says:

“When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running. And a system can be successful in many different forms, not just the one you first envision.”​
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And under all the work, chasing opportunities and accolades, isn’t that what we really really want? To be …happy?

Creativity and success is a life long pursuit. The definition you have of success today may change tomorrow. And that’s ok. Just know what it is.

Know how to keep yourself in the game. And in such a way that you don’t attach and identify yourself with someone only the struggle.

That’s why I talk about celebrating your wins and making fun a habit. It’s creating new biases and neural pathways that reach for positivity rather than negativity.
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And while it’s cliche at this point, creative success is really about the journey, not the destination.
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So can I ask you?
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What does creative success look like for you? If there was one part of this I could help you with, what would it be?

Art Happens... Here

I stumbled upon this really inspirational show called "Art Happens Here with John Lithgow" (Check out the trailer here).

Picture this: John Lithgow (yeah, the dude from 3rd Rock From the Sun and a gazillion other things) willingly subjects himself to the horrors and joys of going back to school.

And what's the catch? He's there to prove a point about the magic of arts education. From dance to ceramics, silk-screen printing to vocal jazz ensemble, Lithgow dives headfirst into it all, showcasing how creativity can be the ultimate life hack

In his own words, Lithgow states:

"The arts give young people all sorts of tools to move on in life, even in the other areas of academia...They teach them discipline and hard work and patience and collaboration and cooperation and civility. They give young people an early sense of empathy....Hi everybody I'm John Lithgow. Come along and watch me go back to school. Printmaking, ceramics, vocal jazz ensemble, and dance. And celebrate arts in education with a bunch of incredible kids. It's called Art Happens Here."

Now, let's talk about you…

You are never too old to learn or grow. (and I'm not just saying that because I keep getting older...)

It's easy to get stagnant. Complacent. Comfortable.

When was the last time you tried something new? Perhaps something you really suck at? (we don't like that part. We want to be immediately great out of the gate!)

But hey, that's where the magic happens. It's about breaking through those self-imposed ceilings and embracing the chaos of learning something new. (yes, messy)

So, here's the challenge: sign up for a class in a completely alien (yes, a nice call back to 3rd Rock show.. wink, wink) creative discipline. Watch how it shakes up your world, how it breathes new life into your tired routine. And if you're feeling a bit lonely on this journey, fear not! Join us at the Daily Creative Habit Membership for some much-needed company.

In the end, just remember: age is just a number, and learning is a lifelong adventure.

Whatever you do, just be sure to never stop learning and growing. Your creativity depends on it!

What does Nine Consecutive Years of Daily Art Look Like?

Every year since I have embarked on this 365 day art making journey, I mark the passing of another year with a college of images, all created from that year.

If you’re not familiar with my story on how I came back to my art after a ten year absence and depression, you can catch up here.

Creating and sharing these images are a way for me to track my daily creative habit, and celebrate my wins.

I’ve also recorded a Creative Chats podcast episode of nine insights I have gained through my nine years of daily art making. You can take a listen here.

If you’re interested in establishing your own creative consistency, I’d love to have you join us in our free facebook group Daily Creative Habit!

And now…. Here’s what all 9 years together looks like!

I’ve been sharing my art for free everyday for the past 9 years and will continue to do so. If you’ve been enjoying it and feel like tossing in a few coins in the ol’ tip jar, you can do so below :)