How to Create Rituals that Nourish Your Creativity

Photo by Annie Spratt

There’s a lot of talk in the wellness and personal development worlds about morning routines. It seems like everybody has some opinions about the first five things you need to do in the morning to be successful. 

While I don’t think there’s any one routine that works for everyone, I do think there is a lot of value in creating rituals that we can come back to each day. This is one way you can set up structure around your creativity — and even though artist-types like ourselves tend to resist it, structure can really help us be more creative. If you’re having a hard time focusing on your creative work, I encourage you to try incorporating a new creative ritual or habit into your day. If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few things that have worked for me: 

Start your mornings mindfully.

One of my nonnegotiable morning rituals is — forgive the cliché — making the bed. Maybe you didn’t expect that to show up in a post about rituals for creativity…but it really makes a big difference for me. Why? First, it makes me feel like a more put-together human, which makes it easier for me to show up in my life in the way that I want to. I’m a very visual person (for those of you who are visual artists, you probably are too!) and reducing the amount of visual clutter in my space makes me feel much more prepared to take on the day. If I’m distracted by an unmade bed, dirty dishes in the sink, or piles of laundry on the floor, it’s way harder to focus on anything else, especially the creative projects that might not require my most urgent attention. 

Also, I think making the bed is a great example of a creativity-supporting habit because it’s actually a really beautiful metaphor for creativity itself. If you’re not in favor of making the bed, I’m guessing you might argue that it’s pointless because it’s just going to get unmade again every night. It is true that you’re not really producing a result, because you’re doing something that keeps getting undone. However, I would argue that the magic of making the bed, as well as the magic of a creative practice, is not in the result that is produced, but rather in the process. A creative practice is not just about what you make, but in how you show up for your creativity. Sure, the end result of making art is great, but if that’s all you’re focused on, I think you’ve missed out on a lot of what creativity has to offer. 

Set the scene for creativity.

Another way to create ritual around your creativity is by setting up a creative workspace. (If you want more guidance on how to do this, I have a free workshop inside the Secret Garden of Creativity.) Sitting down in a space that you’ve cultivated specifically for your art can be such a helpful way to shift your brain into creativity mode, especially if you have a tendency to get distracted by other projects along the way (guilty).

Once you’re in your creative workspace, you can also set the mood by focusing on your senses. This could be a cup of tea that you prepare before you sit down to write, a playlist you turn on as you’re painting, or even a candle that keeps you company as you’re brainstorming your next creative project. I find that these things can help me tap into my body, which helps me stay in the present moment…which in turn is great for creativity. Recently, I’ve been listening to meditative music on the Insight app while I draw in the mornings, and it’s been quite lovely. 

Create a closing ritual.

I also find it helpful to have some sort of closing ritual when you’re done with your creative time for the day. I always put all of my art supplies or my writing notebook away, which helps my brain understand that I’m about to move on to other tasks. Your closing ritual could look very different: it could be taking a quick stretch break, listening to your favorite song, blowing out a candle, or whatever resonates with you. 

I hope these ideas spark some new creative rituals for you! If you’re still feeling a bit stuck or if you need some extra accountability and encouragement, I invite you to book an Awaken Your Artist call or apply for one-on-one creativity coaching with me.