What is a Creative Practice: Building an Unstoppable Way of Making Art
From a young age, I learned very quickly that there were so many ways to look at creativity. And so many of those ways came down to individualism. That is the way you perceive the world and the way you process the world. Yet, the subject of creativity is so vast. And it can be just as expansive to identify a way of working - a creative practice - that doesn’t hinder your originality but instead elevates it.
What is a Creative Practice?
I firmly believe that your creative practice is much more than the artwork you create. I also believe your creative practice is a lot more than practicing your art. A creative practice defined is how you intentionally approach your work. It’s your unique way of working that supports your creative identity while also creating room for expression.
A creative practice is…
The way you learn about your artwork
Get inspired for your artwork
Ideate around your artwork
Build skills in your artwork
Make and do your artwork
Rest in your artwork
Think and reflect on your artwork
Problem-solve and research your artwork
Talk and share your artwork
It’s also your personality, habits, and natural tendencies
Since you are the center of bringing your artwork to life, your creative practice should always guide you back to yourself. You should structure it in a way that lets you root within your own identity, values, and ideas. If your creative practice definition is successful, it will remind you that your creative voice matters most, resulting in lasting trust and confidence in yourself.
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a podcast that explores different concepts, themes, ideas, and subjects of my creative practice
Why Does Your Creative Practice Matter?
There could be hundreds of reasons why your creative practice matters. For the sake of brevity, I am going to focus on two primary reasons why you should consider how you approach your work.
Reason 1: It gives you a playing field.
You might forget what game you are playing without a place (or rules) to play. Or, you might lose things like intention, clarity, and direction without an established way to approach your art. Your decisions might become misguided, leading to an outpour of questions. Alternatively, You might find yourself in someone else’s field, only to realize your purposes, hopes, and goals aren't realized.
Your field will be the ground you play on, helping to keep your approach grounded. It will offer you a place to root in yourself. Your creative practice will be the place you can come home to time and time again.
Reason 2: It offers you both support and guidance.
Once you identify your playing field, the space is yours to truly construct how you need. It will help you find answers, move through hard times, and make sure decisions. This in turn will build trust and confidence in your approach. It will illuminate your path, helping you create art from a genuine place.
Considering your creative practice is, unfortunately, one of the most overlooked tools for artists. It can often feel more productive to jump into setting goals for where you think you should go. But that disregards what you might be thinking and feeling. Your creative practice is a home that can help you make decisions and move in directions that most intentionally align and bring purpose to you.
Where Do You Start? 3 Simple parts to a Creative Practice
The above works towards a definition of creative practice, but I also firmly believe that a creative practice should ebb and flow in and out of different parts. Or what I sometimes refer to as seasons. Meaning, that there should be three parts that make up your creative practice pie. This is so you can experience a creative practice that is intentional, balanced, focused, more spacious, and joyful, too.
Appoint a Foundation for Your Creative Practice
A foundation should be front and center in every creative practice definition. Your creative foundation is the part of your practice that the work (literal and hypothetical) you do sits on. It will not only help you ground yourself but also rank what to focus on and how to take steps forward that will actually work for you.
When I consider my creative foundation, one of my largest pillars is reverence. Reverence is something I often find in nature - and comes from spending copious time outside. When I begin to feel uninspired, lack motivation, or have general misdirection, I offer myself plenty of time to come back to this pillar.
The time you spend in this part of your creative practice will be dictated by you. But, you should revisit your creative practice’s foundation often. This will ensure your approach to your creative practice - and the external influences you choose to bring into it - feel purposeful and aligned.
Appointing a creative foundation to your creative practice will give you a place to come home to. It will show you the support to move through things like limiting beliefs, guiding you towards what is honest and genuine. Use it as a space to find rest and rejuvenation.
Create Your Artwork In Your Creative Practice
While it may seem obvious, the next part of your creative practice should involve creating your artwork. If you recall, this doesn’t just mean the physical act of creating. It could mean how you think about your art, how you research your art, or how you problem-solve through your art. How you go about creating your artwork is wholly up to you.
In addition to your processes, you should also consider this an opportunity to build your skills. Many artists are quick to jump over skill building but I encourage you to never think of it as lost time. It’s an opportunity to refine your skills and build experience.
Then, think about what will get your creatively energized. Identifying how you like to work will help you not only stay inspired but also understand what type of work feels most aligned. Using intention, you might consider if you like working in collections or on individual pieces. There are many ways you can approach creating artwork. The most important takeaway is that you are creating in a way that makes sense for you.
Intentionally considering how you will create art within your creative practice can help you overcome creative blocks and personal criticism. It will help you form ways to approach your work in a way that feels most accessible to you.
Share the Message of Your Creative Practice
Whether you want to work with art galleries, sell your artwork directly to your collectors, or simply create for yourself, there should be space in your creative practice to discover your message, reflect, and share your artwork. And this doesn’t have to be anything you don’t want it to be. Your creative foundation intends to be a tool you can use in your creative practice to help you decide what feels purposeful and aligned. Use it when you experience this part of your creative practice to help guide your choices.
Use this part of your creative practice to reflect on the work you created. Consider what new insights you have. These connections could help you in several ways—you might want more clarity about your artistic voice, or you may want to bring people into your creative practice. This time to reflect will help you communicate - whether to yourself or others - what you are striving to express.
Thinking about the message behind your work can help bring more clarity into your creating sessions. It can help inform your processes and how you choose to approach your work.
Define Your Creative Practice
Now, you get to decide how you want to bring all these pieces together - and which parts are going to be more prominent than others. Strongly consider what ways of working are most important to you. How can your creative practice reflect how you want to intentionally approach your work?
Your thoughts on your creative practice don’t have to be static either. I can confidently say I’ve continued to redefine my creative practice over the last 9 years. Each time I check in with myself, I learn something new. As I continue to work, I build more clarity in my creative foundation, or current circumstances encourage a new direction. Having a secure creative practice definition has helped me build an unstoppable way of making art - one that I fully trust and believe in.
The best creative practice is one that doesn’t feel extra. It should feel entirely like you. And when it does, it should support and guide your path creating an intentional approach to your work.
What comes next?
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If we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting - I’m Lauren Sauder, a visual artist and creative mentor. If you enjoyed this post, here are a few more ways you can connect with me:
The Artist Mixtape—a mix of books, playlists, and residencies to provide inspiration and company in the studio.
Listen to Viewfinder—a podcast that explores different concepts, themes, ideas, and subjects of my creative practice.
Receive letters from me—bi-weekly letters from me about what I’m working through in my creative practice and life.
Enlist me as your mentor—if you are interested in unlimited support and guidance to grow your creative practice.
Get in touch with me directly—send an email to laurensauderstudio@gmail.com.
