How To Get Yourself Into a Creative Mindset

When you first get into a creative pursuit like music, the determination and willpower necessary to continue practicing and creating seem endless. However, getting into that creative mindset over enough time seems like more of a struggle as some of the initial magic wears off. Creativity doesn’t always come in bursts of inspiration; sometimes, you need to grind a little bit to get into the right headspace. Knowing how to get yourself into a creative mindset is its own skill, one that we want to help you develop.

Do Something Enjoyable Beforehand

If you try to go straight into being creative after dealing with something stressful or not enjoyable, you might find you have a hard time making the switch. Your brain will have a much smoother transition towards creativity if you start from a good place. Take some time before you start trying to be creative to do something less strenuous. You’ll find the juices flow better when you don’t start from a place of stress.

Carve Out a Dedicated Space

Not everyone will have the same amount of free space to dedicate to their creative pursuits, but the more you can separate your everyday areas from where you create music, the easier time you’ll have getting into the right mindset. Dedicated creative spaces help your brain understand that what it was concerned with before isn’t important when you spend time in that space – a home studio for example. The switch in attitude from normal to creative is smoother when you have a space dedicated to your craft.

Don’t Get Bogged Down in Details

It’s easy to let yourself get stuck in all the minutiae of setting yourself up for creative success. The problem with this is that you waste so much brainpower trying to make everything perfect that you don’t have anything left for the actual creative process. The most important thing to remember when you try to get yourself into a creative mindset is that you need to start. Don’t think about all the little issues you might run into; you just have to start.

Remove Possible Distractions

One of the best things you can do when working in a creative space is getting yourself in a flow: you aren’t thinking about what you create and do it almost subconsciously. This state of flow is important for creative work, but it’s a fragile state of mind. Even the smallest distractions can take you out of this flow, so it’s a good idea to remove as many distractions as possible before you start. Your phone, a television, even the people you live with who can distract you. The fewer distractions within your line of sight, the better you can focus.