The Offhours #30: Starting and Maintaining a Rule Based Practice
Drawings, Quotes, Lettering & Notes.
👋🏾 Hi, welcome to The Offhours, a share of illustrations, drawings, thoughts and links. Thanks for being here, you’re amazing, tell a friend.
Starting and maintaining a creative practice can be daunting. Like any new routine, it takes time to catch on and requires intentionality to keep going. The three things I always keep in mind are how the routine makes me feel, the goals I set for myself, and the growth I know will come in the long term.
Whatever your creative practice, many grounding elements apply. Below, outlined in 4 sections, is how I started and continue to maintain a rule-based practice.
1: Brain Fuel
What are you reading? What are you watching? What music are you listening to? Who do you have the best conversations with? When was the last time you went to the park? Or visited a museum?
You need to experience and process things to be inspired to create. Fill your vessel so you can pour it out. Feed your brain what it needs, and it will pay off tenfold.
I find simple things inspiring—the conversations I have, the shows I binge, the things I notice about everyday life. I have a collection of design books. I grab beautifully designed magazines when time allows. Reading and learning something new sparks many ideas. The links section in these write ups are all things that connect with me and grab my attention.
Let the things you love fill you up and inspire you. Allow your brain to marinate, ruminate, meditate, and form connections and ideas. Bookmark a website, fold a page in a book to come back to, save that favorite episode or movie, and add inspiring songs to a playlist.
2: Give Yourself Runway
Having a designated area to work can help set the tone for forming a routine. You build the association, so it becomes muscle memory over time.
Although I have a work area, what works for me in practice is having notebooks and sketchbooks handy. So, it’s not only about having a space but also having mechanisms that suit your lifestyle. As a parent, I rarely have the energy or concentrated blocks of time to sit at a desk. I fit time in when I can and get more done with sketchbooks by the couch, in the kitchen, and on my nightstand.
Draft a schedule to follow and set goals for what you are working toward. Everyone’s goals are unique, so make sure to define your own. Keep your "why" top of mind as you venture down this path. My goals are to keep my creative flow in motion, get ideas out, and dive into writing more. I accomplish this by setting aside time to pick at my different interest areas. It has changed multiple times over the years, and that's the flexibility and growth you will experience.
3: Takeoff
Here’s the thing. A practice is a long-term exercise. Start small and it will build up with consistency. Building momentum is hard, but this is a worthy journey.
One trick I've used, and seen many others utilize, is to give yourself a repeatable exercise. I had a weekly drawing challenge I did for over a year, where I would letter quotes, phrases, recap my weekend etc. Whatever I could challenge myself with that fit the exercise, and help me expand a skillset.
I've seen monthly group challenges, thematic challenges, you name it. Finding an exercise can help keep you motivated and take the pressure off figuring out what to do. With simple rules in place, you can get going until you develop your own.
4: Cruise
Process. Process. Process. Fine-tuning your process is one of the benefits of practice. As you build this habit, take a step back and examine how you are working and how you are feeling.
This should not be a drag; it should feel freeing to create and express ideas. Ask yourself if this is working for you and your health. With any self-motivated project, your inner critic speaks the loudest. Turn down the volume by thinking about your goals and remembering to have fun. Don’t let your inner critic have all the fun.
I've changed the nature of my practice many times based on how I'm feeling, what I'd like to learn or improve, and the time I have available. It's okay to make adjustments. It's not about how much you accomplish but that you are doing something—something that brings you joy.
📸 Linky Links
Listening: “Feel It” - Cupidon and Milaa - Popped up in a random shuffle and it’s been on my work play list since.
Reading: “Priscila, Queen of the Rideshare Mafia” - Buckle up for this long read.
Watching: Christina Quarles: In the Studio - Love the approach and exploration into identity and the human figure.
Stay Wonderful.