Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times & Bad by Blinkist reveals powerful insights for maintaining motivation, mental agility, and creative output—even amidst chaos and change. Key learnings include:
• Identify the big picture to stay focused on your long-term goals and break them down into achievable steps.
• Turn barriers into stepping-stones by looking for creative solutions to roadblocks.
• Develop a practice of resilience to bounce back from adversity and stress.
• Reimagine failure and use it as a source of learning and growth.
As a UX designer, this book is particularly relevant and applicable to your profession in order to help build mental agility, creativity and resilience. If you like this book, other related titles that you may find interesting include range from Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, to Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant.
🎀 Highlights
make sure you show up for your work, regardless of how creative you’re feeling.
You can promote the ups and mitigate the downs, but your creativity is still going to ebb and flow. You can influence it, but you can’t control it.
can control is whether you show up for your work, ready to receive the current of creativity that comes your way, regardless of its strength.
can control is whether you show up for your work, ready to receive the current of creativity that comes your way, regardless of its strength. It could turn out to be a mighty rush or a pathetic trickle, but either way, you have to be there in order to harness it as best you can.
can control is whether you show up for your work, ready to receive the current of creativity that comes your way, regardless of its strength. It could turn out to be a mighty rush or a pathetic trickle, but either way, you have to be there in order to harness it as best you can. And you have to keep doing that day after
What you can control is whether you show up for your work, ready to receive the current of creativity that comes your way, regardless of its strength. It could turn out to be a mighty rush or a pathetic trickle, but either way, you have to be there in order to harness it as best you can.
To make sure you show up for your work, there’s a time-tested solution that’s been the key to many creative people’s success: establishing a daily routine.
Goethe smelled rotten apples to get his juices flowing. Hey, whatever
Goethe smelled rotten apples to get his juices flowing.
Goethe smelled rotten apples to get his juices flowing. Hey, whatever floats your boat!
it’s your boat you need to float. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here. Your routine needs to be tailored to your specific needs,
Are you a night owl or an early bird? What gets you in the mood?
the point of a routine isn’t to take your freedom away. To the contrary, it’s to give you the freedom to pursue your creative passions.
Disconnect from intrusions to give yourself the time and space to do your creative work.
To escape the chaos of modern life, you can follow the lead of writer and literary scholar Joseph Campbell, and build what he called a Bliss Station. In its most tangible form, a Bliss Station is a silent and secluded place where you go to do your work – perhaps a special room or a garage.
but as a state of being.
embrace airplane mode – not just as an option on your smartphone, but as a state of being.
whether you’re sitting on a train or in a waiting room, you can recreate the same effect by popping in some earplugs and putting your phone on airplane
While you’re in airplane mode, you’ll be blissfully unaware of all the horrible headlines that fill the news these days.
harness the power of making lists, tidying and sleeping.
There’s the classic to-do list, but there are many other possibilities. The visual artist David Shrigley keeps a list of things he wants to
There’s the classic to-do list, but there are many other possibilities. The visual artist David Shrigley keeps a list of things he wants to draw; that way, when it’s time to work, he’s never at a loss for ideas of
some messiness in your workspace is okay. In fact, it can even be helpful.
By leaving your work materials randomly strewn all over the place, you might end up with some inspiring juxtapositions.
tidy up slowly and reflectively, contemplating each item you come across. Finally, don’t just tidy up your workspace; also tidy
tidy up slowly and reflectively, contemplating each item you come across.
To protect your creativity, avoid monetizing it entirely or becoming too obsessed with popularity.
turning your passion into your main source of income is one of the easiest ways of turning it into something you hate.
if you post your work on social media, wait a week before checking how many likes or comments you receive.
gifting. Every once in a while, do something creative just for the sake of giving a gift to someone else – whether it’s a friend, family member or online follower. For example,
gifting. Every once in a while, do something creative just for the sake of giving a gift to someone else – whether it’s a friend, family member or online follower.
let go of the idea of “arriving.”
Focus less on being a creative person and more on doing creative things, and let go of the idea of “arriving.”
reignite your creativity, reconnect with a sense of playfulness.
gift can end up spreading across the world. A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking and J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit all began as stories the authors created for their children.
Imagine if you could magically make your life ten times cooler than it currently is. Your neighborhood, your home,
Wherever you find yourself, there’s magic if you look for it – but, by the same token, you have to actually look for it in order to find it. And that means paying close attention to the world around you. That’s how you can notice the special little details that people would normally overlook.
Unfortunately, modern life encourages us to spend most of our time rushing around, practically oblivious to our surroundings.
The art critic Peter Clothier advocates spending an entire hour just looking at your subject, before spending another hour drawing it.
The art critic Peter Clothier advocates spending an entire hour just looking at your subject, before spending another hour drawing it. You don’t have to go quite that far, but the point is to really slow down. And don’t worry if you’re not any “good” at drawing. This exercise is for anyone. After all, the objective isn’t to create a beautiful picture; it’s simply to practice your observation skills.
If your creative work is making you or other people miserable, it might be time to step away.
According to this myth, if you produce great art, it somehow compensates, excuses or even necessitates unhappiness.
Indeed, the darkness in your life can even be a good thing for your creativity; it gives you some demons to wrestle with.
creative work. Ultimately, the point of that work is to make our lives better. After all, if it’s not increasing the total of happiness in our lives, what’s the point of doing it?
Remember: you don’t have to do creative work. From volunteering at a soup kitchen to tutoring kids in math, there are many other worthwhile things you could do with your life. If it’s become a source of misery, maybe you should step away from your work and try out one of these alternatives, at least for a spell.
The central message of these blinks notwithstanding, you shouldn’t “keep going” if where you’re going is down a hole – especially if you’re dragging other people down with you.
Now, if you’re just struggling through a rough patch and your creative work is usually a source of joy, then, yes, by all means, please keep going.
Take care of yourself and the people around you, and keep going toward the light, wherever it might be.
popularity, and reconnecting with a sense of playfulness can help us remember the ultimate purpose of creativity, which is to make our lives better.
gifting our work, avoiding fixations on money and popularity, and reconnecting with a sense of playfulness can help us remember the ultimate purpose of creativity, which is to make our lives better.
Even if your mind is troubled and the headlines are terrible, the birds are still singing and the clouds are still rolling overhead. While enjoying their company, you’ll be following the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau, Friedrich Nietzsche, Wallace Stevens Charles Dickens, Ludvig van Beethoven, Bob Dylan and many other creative thinkers and artists who have known and praised the value of a nice walk.
Steal Like an Artist, by Austin Kleon
make sure you show up for your work, regardless of how creative you’re feeling.
You can promote the ups and mitigate the downs, but your creativity is still going to ebb and flow. You can influence it, but you can’t control it.
can control is whether you show up for your work, ready to receive the current of creativity that comes your way, regardless of its strength.
can control is whether you show up for your work, ready to receive the current of creativity that comes your way, regardless of its strength. It could turn out to be a mighty rush or a pathetic trickle, but either way, you have to be there in order to harness it as best you can.
can control is whether you show up for your work, ready to receive the current of creativity that comes your way, regardless of its strength. It could turn out to be a mighty rush or a pathetic trickle, but either way, you have to be there in order to harness it as best you can. And you have to keep doing that day after
What you can control is whether you show up for your work, ready to receive the current of creativity that comes your way, regardless of its strength. It could turn out to be a mighty rush or a pathetic trickle, but either way, you have to be there in order to harness it as best you can.
To make sure you show up for your work, there’s a time-tested solution that’s been the key to many creative people’s success: establishing a daily routine.
Goethe smelled rotten apples to get his juices flowing. Hey, whatever
Goethe smelled rotten apples to get his juices flowing.
Goethe smelled rotten apples to get his juices flowing. Hey, whatever floats your boat!
it’s your boat you need to float. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here. Your routine needs to be tailored to your specific needs,
Are you a night owl or an early bird? What gets you in the mood?
the point of a routine isn’t to take your freedom away. To the contrary, it’s to give you the freedom to pursue your creative passions.
Disconnect from intrusions to give yourself the time and space to do your creative work.
To escape the chaos of modern life, you can follow the lead of writer and literary scholar Joseph Campbell, and build what he called a Bliss Station. In its most tangible form, a Bliss Station is a silent and secluded place where you go to do your work – perhaps a special room or a garage.
but as a state of being.
embrace airplane mode – not just as an option on your smartphone, but as a state of being.
whether you’re sitting on a train or in a waiting room, you can recreate the same effect by popping in some earplugs and putting your phone on airplane
While you’re in airplane mode, you’ll be blissfully unaware of all the horrible headlines that fill the news these days.
harness the power of making lists, tidying and sleeping.
There’s the classic to-do list, but there are many other possibilities. The visual artist David Shrigley keeps a list of things he wants to
There’s the classic to-do list, but there are many other possibilities. The visual artist David Shrigley keeps a list of things he wants to draw; that way, when it’s time to work, he’s never at a loss for ideas of
some messiness in your workspace is okay. In fact, it can even be helpful.
By leaving your work materials randomly strewn all over the place, you might end up with some inspiring juxtapositions.
tidy up slowly and reflectively, contemplating each item you come across. Finally, don’t just tidy up your workspace; also tidy
tidy up slowly and reflectively, contemplating each item you come across.
To protect your creativity, avoid monetizing it entirely or becoming too obsessed with popularity.
turning your passion into your main source of income is one of the easiest ways of turning it into something you hate.
if you post your work on social media, wait a week before checking how many likes or comments you receive.
gifting. Every once in a while, do something creative just for the sake of giving a gift to someone else – whether it’s a friend, family member or online follower. For example,
gifting. Every once in a while, do something creative just for the sake of giving a gift to someone else – whether it’s a friend, family member or online follower.
let go of the idea of “arriving.”
Focus less on being a creative person and more on doing creative things, and let go of the idea of “arriving.”
reignite your creativity, reconnect with a sense of playfulness.
gift can end up spreading across the world. A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking and J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit all began as stories the authors created for their children.
Imagine if you could magically make your life ten times cooler than it currently is. Your neighborhood, your home,
Wherever you find yourself, there’s magic if you look for it – but, by the same token, you have to actually look for it in order to find it. And that means paying close attention to the world around you. That’s how you can notice the special little details that people would normally overlook.
Unfortunately, modern life encourages us to spend most of our time rushing around, practically oblivious to our surroundings.
The art critic Peter Clothier advocates spending an entire hour just looking at your subject, before spending another hour drawing it.
The art critic Peter Clothier advocates spending an entire hour just looking at your subject, before spending another hour drawing it. You don’t have to go quite that far, but the point is to really slow down. And don’t worry if you’re not any “good” at drawing. This exercise is for anyone. After all, the objective isn’t to create a beautiful picture; it’s simply to practice your observation skills.
If your creative work is making you or other people miserable, it might be time to step away.
According to this myth, if you produce great art, it somehow compensates, excuses or even necessitates unhappiness.
Indeed, the darkness in your life can even be a good thing for your creativity; it gives you some demons to wrestle with.
creative work. Ultimately, the point of that work is to make our lives better. After all, if it’s not increasing the total of happiness in our lives, what’s the point of doing it?
Remember: you don’t have to do creative work. From volunteering at a soup kitchen to tutoring kids in math, there are many other worthwhile things you could do with your life. If it’s become a source of misery, maybe you should step away from your work and try out one of these alternatives, at least for a spell.
The central message of these blinks notwithstanding, you shouldn’t “keep going” if where you’re going is down a hole – especially if you’re dragging other people down with you.
Now, if you’re just struggling through a rough patch and your creative work is usually a source of joy, then, yes, by all means, please keep going.
Take care of yourself and the people around you, and keep going toward the light, wherever it might be.
popularity, and reconnecting with a sense of playfulness can help us remember the ultimate purpose of creativity, which is to make our lives better.
gifting our work, avoiding fixations on money and popularity, and reconnecting with a sense of playfulness can help us remember the ultimate purpose of creativity, which is to make our lives better.
Even if your mind is troubled and the headlines are terrible, the birds are still singing and the clouds are still rolling overhead. While enjoying their company, you’ll be following the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau, Friedrich Nietzsche, Wallace Stevens Charles Dickens, Ludvig van Beethoven, Bob Dylan and many other creative thinkers and artists who have known and praised the value of a nice walk.
