5 Secrets to a Creative Life

This week, we are exploring 5 secrets to a creative life by sharing wisdom from great artists, designers, writers, and musicians throughout time.

If you're stuck in a creative rut, or just want to bring more joy, play, and freedom into your everyday life — this post is for you.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

- Maya Angelou

Our first secret comes to us from the brilliant poet, actress, singer, dancer, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.

Sometimes we worry that when we have a good idea we won’t have another, or if we have a burst of creative energy, we should use it on something “important” instead of what is right in front of us.

Maya’s quote is a great reminder that creativity is actually more like an engine — converting fuel into ideas — than a tank of gas that gets emptied.

So if you feel the creative urge, lean into it, and don’t worry: your best ideas are ahead of you, not behind. 

Here’s what we really believe: if you stay curious about the world around you, you’ll never run out of ideas!

“There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard.”

- Sun Tzu

Our next bit of wisdom comes to us from Sun Tzu, a Chinese philosopher and strategist who lived around 500 BC.

At the heart of this quote is the idea that even with just a few simple ingredients, the potential for creating unique and creative combinations is virtually limitless. 

Constraints, or restrictions, can often be really good for creativity — even if it seems counterintuitive. 

When we are forced to make something new within certain boundaries, we tend to come up with ideas that are different from what we would otherwise imagine.

Limited choices can also force us to make decisions more quickly, instead of getting caught up in an endless possibility field, or getting hung up on what would be a so-called “perfect” creative choice.

P.S. If you are used to thinking of music in terms of 12 notes instead of 5 notes — Sun Tzu is likely referring the Chinese pentatonic scale, a foundation of traditional Chinese music which contains five notes in a sequence of perfect fifths.

“My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life.”

- Miles Davis

Our third piece of wisdom comes to us from the great Miles Davis, one of the most influential American jazz musicians of the last century.

His career spanned over five decades, and he is known for the constant evolution of his sound, coming from his willingness and enthusiasm to experiment with different styles. 

We love this quote, because it combines the inherent freshness and newness of each day with the idea that a creative life is within reach for all of us — it only requires the decision to make creativity a habit, even in small ways. 

This is also why we love our Wake-Up Calls here at focused space — we hope that every day you start your morning with us, we can be a place for you to lean into your creativity 😎

“All profound distraction opens certain doors. You have to allow yourself to be distracted when you are unable to concentrate.”

- Julio Cortázar

This quote comes to us from Julio Cortázar, a novelist and poet from Argentina who became popular in the 1960s.

He is known for bucking the trends of literature at the time, challenging traditional linear narrative structures and blending elements of “magical realism” with everyday life.

You might be surprised to hear us share this quote, though!

Aren’t we supposed to be against distraction here at focused space?!

We think the key to this quote is in the word “profound.”

We can all become distracted by all sorts of things — social media and phone notifications to name a couple — but getting distracted by a falling leaf, a deep conversation with a friend, or a really juicy apple… now that’s where inspiration comes from.

When we’re unable to concentrate, sometimes we just need to give our brains something beautiful to chew on for a while before we return to our tasks.

“Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time… The wait is simply too long.”

- Leonard Bernstein

Our final quote is by Leonard Bernstein, a conductor, composer, and civil rights activist who wrote the score for the musical West Side Story, among many others.

We love this quote because it is at the heart of what we are all about here at focused space: creating intentional space, and a reliable ritual to help you get in the flow whenever you need it.

We often think of inspiration as something that “strikes” like lightning — which it certainly does! — but, all creative professionals know that showing up every day, even when you might not feel like it, is the real secret…

Some days might be a dud: you’ll carve out the time to move something forward, and nothing will feel like it gets done — but that’s just part of the bigger picture.

Waiting for inspiration to happen to you doesn’t put you in the driver’s seat — sometimes you have to chase after it, day after day. 

All the more reason to figure out how to enjoy the process along the way!

We hope that focused space can keep providing you that space to find joy in your work, whenever you need an extra boost 😎

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We hope you enjoyed this week's dose of inspiration to help you live a more creative life!

P.S. If you could use help accomplishing your goals, busting through procrastination, or getting motivated — please join us at one of our live guided work sessions, or morning planning sessions! Our entire community is waiting for you.

Take care,

— Alexis and the focused space team