Creative
Companion
Companion
That’s it for today.
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Come back tomorrow for three more!
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Make your thing and resist the urge to explain yourself. Explanation is often just fear in a lab coat — a tidy excuse for why you didn’t trust your instincts.
You don’t owe anyone a TED Talk. Make your thing. If it’s honest, it’ll say more than your pitch ever could.
Name your resistance and make something lopsided anyway.
It’s alright to start something and abandon it. You can steal from it later.
Most of what I start is shit. But the ones I finish—I only got there by letting them be shit first.
Do amazing scary things. Especially the ones that don’t guarantee applause.
Make something that embarrasses the future version of you. That’s how you know it’s honest.
Tape a googly eye to your self-doubt. Now it’s a character. Now you can work.
Speak your idea out loud in a fake accent. If it survives that, it’s worth keeping.
Good creative work is like a message in a bottle—you might never see where it lands, but you send it anyway.
Do work that can walk on without you. That’s optimism at its bravest.
You already know what isn’t worth it. Now act like you know.
Failure is inevitable. Fear is optional. Only one will keep you from making the thing.
Work with people who give a shit but aren't shits.
Every time you make something, write down why it exists, what it’s saying, what it’s fighting against, what it could mean to someone.
The future belongs to creative direction over production, to curation over creation, to clarity over complexity.
Execution is table stakes. The new valuable skill is being the person who can connect the dots.
You don’t have to be a performance artist who bathes in lentils for 12 hours. But you do need something that’s unmistakably yours.
Making things IS the point.
Write your next idea backwards — not metaphorically. Literally. Start with the ending and unravel your way back to the start.
Reply to one boring work message in the tone of a pirate captain!
Narrate your day in the voice of David Attenborough.
It doesn't need to be useful, or scalable, or even good. It just needs to be honest. And alive.
What is your drive underneath the job title?
You’re not crazy for wanting to do this your own way.
How are things between you and... you these days?
Why don't you let the sun shine in?
If you don’t know what the rules are and you have a go you might be surprised with the results!
Go forth and create something that doesn’t make people roll their eyes.
What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to dive into, just for you? Start there.
Can you turn curiosity into play, play into practice, and practice into passion?
What would you pursue even without praise, money, or recognition?
Write all your emails and messages today in the style of a medieval poet.
If you want to believe in your creative ability → Create daily.
You're an experimenter. Every attempt refines your skills.
Can you see what’s in front of you and enthusiastically meet the challenge?
No one prospers without rendering benefit to others.
Can you notice the difference in your thinking based on where you are?
Have you noticed a difference in how creative you feel based on your physical environment?
What's the current space you're working in like? It isn’t just a backdrop—it’s an active part of your creative process.
Your environment is a creative tool. Can you tweak your perception of space to unlock creative thinking anywhere?
What environmental cues are influencing how you think?
Preparation → Incubation → Illumination → Execution
Move. Play. Do something silly. Trick your brain into action.
Don't overthink it.
There’s this expectation that creatives should be “passionate” enough to work late and accept the burnout. That mindset is outdated and toxic.
You don’t need permission to create. ✨ You don’t have to be perfect. ✨ You already have what you need—you just have to start.
Have you thought about your method for getting ideas?
Can you apply your creativity consciously? That's when it becomes really powerful.
Look for things you’d normally ignore. The forgotten, the unnoticed, the overlooked. What stories or designs are hiding in plain sight?
How would a chef solve your current biggest challenge?
Take a 5-minute break. No distractions, no music, no phone. Just pause. Let the space between thoughts guide your next idea.
How do you push yourself to see thing differently?
Are you protecting some creative activities where the only goal is the enjoyment of exploration?
Where in your work are you fixing obvious problems – whilst maybe missing the deeper ones?
Not everything you make will be great. Is it the cost of making anything at all?
What would it feel like to make something today - not for a deadline, not for an audience, not for approval - but just because you want to see what happens?
It’s really hard to create from an empty source. Are you choosing high quality inputs?
Are you being a good manager of your creative energy, diverse inputs and allowing space for ideas to breathe?
If creativity is tied too closely to your self-worth the pressure to always deliver can be stifling.
Have you envisioned the person you want to become?
Invite your inner critic for a cup of tea; listen to its concerns and let it know you’re going to create anyway. It can come along if it likes.
The next time you get to create, can you do it for the sake of exploration?
Want kind of impact do you want to make?
Well well well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions.
Poor quality in. Poor quality out. Ideas need high quality inputs. The more varied they are the more interesting the output.
Can you look into how you are cross-pollinating knowledge from different domains to shape new ideas?
Before deep work, maybe spend 5 minutes free-writing or sketching. It satisfies the our urge to explore before transitioning into focus mode.
Are you just going through the motions and is that how you want to spend your time?
Finishing is a skill—and like any skill, it can be cultivated. Completing your work, even when it’s imperfect, is how you build momentum, confidence, and creative growth.
You don’t need to be good at your hobbies to enjoy them!
The excuses for not living a big, full creative life will always be there. Over time they get heavier and heavier. They are the thing keeping you from moving forward.
This is really simple but sometimes we need a reminder. Spend less time with people who are pessimistic and poisonous. Do an audit!
Are you inventing things to do to avoid doing the important stuff. Be radically honest with yourself.
If you knew there was no way of failing, what would you do?
Curiosity is your creative compass. When inspiration fades, following what sparks your curiosity can guide you back to energy, excitement, and new ideas.
To unlock deeper insights and problem-solving, you need to toggle between focused and free thinking.
Am I creating the conditions where creativity can happen?
Are you practicing creativity, or just waiting for inspiration to strike?
What’s the investment you’re prepared to make to ensure you survive?
You can have a successful day today if you...
Stay with the discomfort. Uncertainty is where solutions often take shape.
Consistency beats intensity.
Can you make a little space for what matters by letting go of the things that don't.
Is it the work that's hard or is it your mindset?
There’s a pattern of thoughts and actions that lead to joy for you. When things feel off, it’s likely because part of that sequence is being overlooked.
Are you able to ask for what you want knowing that the answer might be no?
How about bringing the character you offer closer to the person you are.
Working for the desire of accolade is a mugs game.
If an outsider watched your life on mute, what would they think your priorities are?
Doing the same thing over and over could be the key to unlocking unexpected innovations, repetition can breed mastery and inspire fresh ideas.
Mateface, don’t be disappointed with the results you’re not getting for the work you aren’t doing.
Build mental robustness to push through for breakthroughs and develop resilience to bounce back from setbacks.
Taking action despite doubt is a real flex. It turns out you can do that!
If you think you are creative or you think you are not, you’re right. Create Boldly. Move with Purpose!
Eventually results will take care of themselves if you fully absorb yourself in the process of making.
Are you coming up with solutions to problems that really just don't matter?
Sustainable creativity requires mental robustness. You can't wilt when things get tough.
Creativity hates inspiration - Show up, do the work, and push through.
Do you want to spend your life only consuming the world around you - what would happen if you started creating it instead?
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