Written by: January 28, 2024
Creativity is no mystery. It’s a skill you can learn. 3 steps to unleash your million-dollar ideas:
Principle-First
“Just be creative.”
“Trust the process.”
“Good things come to those who wait.”
Some of the worst advice I’ve ever heard.
These platitudes might give you a hit of cheap dopamine, but they don’t improve your skills or bring you any closer to your goals.
I started writing online about systems because I was tired of such woo-woo, non-actionable life advice.
My take: It’s a bad idea to “trust the process” if you don’t have a process.
So today, I’ll cover 3 actionable steps to be more creative.
SUPERHUMAN SCORING
In every edition of System Sunday, I assess the featured system across three superhuman dimensions: impact, setup, and maintenance.
Unlike your typical review, I focus on factors that influence personal growth. Get to know the evaluation system.
Impact (9.5/10)
Creativity is often viewed as an elusive gift, but it's more akin to a muscle.
The more you train it, the stronger it becomes.
Adopting a systematic approach empowers you to be creative on demand rather than waiting for inspiration to strike.
Whether you want to thrive in a “creative industry” or simply bring innovative ideas to ANY industry—today’s newsletter is here to help.
Let’s get started.
Setup (7.0/10)
Set up your creativity system with three key elements: mindset, environment, and routine.
1. Mindset
The #1 factor that influences creative success?
Volume produced.
Change your mindset with the 70-20-10 Rule (H/T Jonathan Mann):
- 70% of your work will be mediocre
- 20% will suck
- 10% will be amazing
If you’re avoiding failure, you’re avoiding success.
2. Environment
Craft a physical space that makes it easy to be productive.
It doesn't have to be a fancy studio; a corner of your room will do.
The goal is to associate that space with deep, creative work.
To get into that deep work, block out distractions:
- Hide your phone or turn on Do Not Disturb Mode.
- Use noise-canceling headphones (I love Sony’s XM4)
- Create a pre-made music playlist and loop it (kudos to Michael Lewis). Selecting songs mid-work destroys your focus. The songs should be familiar and non-distracting. Remember: the aim is flow. The best song for productivity is the one you never hear. (I’ve been starting my morning with Classical Bangers or Lo-Fi Beats.)
3. Routine
“I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp.”
―W. Somerset Maugham
The difference between amateurs and professionals?
Professionals show up even when they don’t feel like it.
It’s helpful to create a daily routine—a step-by-step recipe—that puts you in a creative state of mind.
Ideas:
- Get quality sleep; a well-rested mind is a creative powerhouse.
- Stay hydrated for cognitive performance.
- Timeblock your creative work to align with your highest state of energy. Learn more about sleep chronotypes.
Your job is to show up consistently. In the words of legendary football coach Bill Walsh, “The score takes care of itself.”
Maintenance (7.5/10)
It’s essential to stoke your creative fire.
This quote hit me hard:
“In order for art to imitate life, you have to have a life… For me, art was imitating art because all I was doing was working.”
—Whitney Cummings
What’s the best remedy for uninspired work?
Author Julia Cameron recommends ‘dates with creativity.’
Appreciate beauty in any form, whether natural or human-created:
Natural
- Take in a sunrise or sunset
- Go for a walk in nature
Human-created
- Visit a museum or art festival
- Engage with inspiring music, books, documentaries, etc.
My date with creativity last week was skiing in Killington, Vermont. 🙌
BRINGING IT HOME
Want to dive deeper into creativity? My favorite books on the topic:
Creativity isn't just a burst of inspiration; it's a practice, a habit, a way of life.
Your ideas, big or small, have the power to shape your world.
All systems go,
2 MORE WAYS I CAN HELP YOU
Creator Method [Digital Course]: This is the system I used to grow an audience of 1M+ in under one year. Join 1,200+ students in this 5-star rated course.
1:1 Coaching:
