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In this monthly newsletter: the importance of making your own rules, community art & upcoming events
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I help people work through a lot of creative barriers: time, focus, prioritization, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, the list goes on. But turns out one of the biggest barriers I see is the tendency to play by other people’s rules. This makes sense since in most other areas of life we do not make the rules. But in your creative life you get to make the rules you’ll stick to and that reflect who you are. We’ve all been there. You read a book, see a post, hear about an approach someone swears by, or assume someone must do things a certain way. And then lose motivation, quit, or never start if those rules don’t work for you. When working on his novels, writer Haruki Murakami apparently wakes up at 4am everyday, writes for five to six hours hours, and then runs a 10k, swims 1,500 meters, or both. Impressive! You probably don’t need to do that in order to have a fulfilling creative life. As you’re finding routines that work for you, it’s important to remember: A professional artist making a living off their art will different rules than a hobbyist/side hustler. Some focus best in the mornings, some late at night, some in between. Some thrive in cities, some in nature, some in both. Some like music on while they work, some need silence. Some reset with the seasons (hey Autumn), some don’t experience much of a change. Some like predictability, some prefer spontaneity. Some have one singular focus, some are multi-passionate. Some honor blocked calendar time, some laugh at that. For some, caretaking and paid work must come first so finding the time and energy is extra challenging.
Your unique set of circumstances will be in constant flux and even the most accomplished artists have ebbs and flows in their practice. Maybe even Murakami. I love this transparent and hilarious post by Amie McNee dispelling the myths of the optimal creative schedule, ending with: “Success demands you be brave and bold and honour your weird creative ways.” I also appreciate this framing by Yumi Sakugawa:
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And as I say in the opening of my workbook: “Don’t believe anyone who says “X always works.” Your creative process is a personal journey with a lot of experimentation. I’m providing you with ideas that I’ve seen work for people, and you’ll decide what works for you.”
I’d love to hear from you. What are some routines that work for you? What are some that don’t? What’s a rule you can let go of today? Share your insights in this anonymous form. If you’d like support figuring this out, my offerings reflect a range of preferences: Some of you will feel most comfortable in 1:1 sessions with me. Some thrive as part of a small workshop cohort. Some prefer solitude and self-guided time with my workbook. Some find spark and focus at the more public-feeling Creative Sundays. Some love the adventure of an Adult Field Trip to unlock creative ideas. For some, it’s a combination of many above.
Reach out and we’ll find what works for you!
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My full range of services
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Prioritize your personal creativity For anyone craving support, inspiration, community or accountability with their creative passion projects and practices. Formats: 1:1 sessions, workshops, events, digital workbook
Elevate your career Improve your team dynamics For Leaders and Organizations seeking more strategic, efficient, creative, connected, inspired teams. Formats: 1:1 sessions, off-sites, consulting, larger scale consulting with Blum
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Community + art at the inaugural Uptown Stroll
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I had the pleasure of bringing my signature art station to the inaugural Uptown Stroll on September 18th (think street fair meets open house for small businesses) and wow, COMMUNITY + ART WINS. It was amazing being there alongside several other vendors and DJs in support of Oakland. I brought supplies and prompts about Uptown and people ranging in age from three to 80 drew, painted, wrote, typed, chatted, and concentrated quietly while making things with their hands. We put all the creations up on the side of a building for everyone to enjoy too. (As of writing this, it’s still there.) The next Uptown Crawl will be the evening of Thursday, October 16th. We hope to see you there (19th between Telegraph and Broadway)!
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We have a couple spots left for tomorrow’s (Sept 21st) Creative Sunday—RSVP here! Creative Sundays are for anyone who wants to make time for creativity—from creative professionals craving a change of scenery to the creative-curious wanting to play with the array of creativity boosting materials I provide and see where it leads. All in a beautiful, inspiring space surrounded by creative, friendly people. Give yourself the gift of time to draw, read, write, journal, or daydream. September 21st also includes portraits by Charlotte Buchen Khadra! Charlotte is a visual artist and video maker who loves the challenge of drawing people. By day, Charlotte is a video producer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Al Jazeera, and PBS. We have five 20-minute portrait spots open! DM me to sign up or decide day-of. A suggested donation can be paid directly to Charlotte on Sunday.
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We have a couple spots left for our private tour of the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park—the oldest operating public Japanese Garden in North America. Come learn about this beautiful, serene space, its complex history, sip some tea, and clear your mind. Plus you’re in Golden Gate Park during San Francisco “Summer.” Date/time: Thursday, September 25th @ 10:30-11:30am (official tour + optional time before/after) Cost: $49 ($30 for SF residents); includes general admission ticket + tour Reserve your spot here!
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For the Creative Ops people here, I hope you'll join me and other senior creative leaders on November 13th for the Creative Operations Los Angeles Summit. With speakers from NASA, Publicis, Fox Entertainment, Nordstrom, Google, Coinbase, and many more, this one-day summit explores how to balance speed, scale, and AI with the need to protect creativity. I’ll be moderating the panel Between Metrics and Magic: How Creative Teams Thrive Between Process and Possibility where we’ll explore: How to protect creative integrity in a world driven by metrics and machine learning What an empowered creative team looks like when frameworks and freedom coexist How technology can enable more human-centric creative processes rather than replace them
See the full agenda here and, for a limited time, register here with my speaker code (KATESULLIVAN200) and save $200.
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That’s it for this monthly newsletter! Since you got this far, please help me grow by: Forwarding this newsletter to your creative friends, family and colleagues and asking them to sign up here. Following me on Instagram and/or LinkedIn for some news and inspiration that doesn’t always make it in here. I don’t overdo it, promise.
Thank you! Kate
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