A Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Creative Practice
Your creativity doesn’t need more inspiration, it needs you to show up!
If you’ve been wanting to be more creative—but keep collecting ideas, saving recipes, or buying art supplies without actually making anything—this episode is for you.
Here’s the number one mistake most newbie creatives make:
chasing results instead of practicing.
Because before you can excel at a skill or turn it into something bigger, you need to build a relationship with your creativity first.
In this post, you’ll learn why starting small and creating often matters way more than waiting for the perfect idea.
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My Experience with Creative Practice
Today, we’re talking about something I’m deeply passionate about: developing a creative practice.
But before we go there, I want to share a little about my own experience and why I feel so passionate about this.
You see, I’ve been creating since I was young, but believe it or not, I didn’t have a steady practice until after college. Back then, even though I loved art and creativity, I believed I wasn’t talented enough. I’d look at other people’s work and think, “I don't have the gift.”
What I didn’t understand yet was that creativity thrives on practice. That it wasn’t about being naturally skilled, it was about showing up, experimenting, and yes, making a lot of “bad art” along the way.
When I started making time to sit at my desk, open my sketchbook, and just play, everything shifted. At first it felt indulgent, like I was living an unconventional lifestyle because I hadn’t grown up with this kind of example in my own life. My inner critic was loud and would say things like, “This is a waste of time. You should be doing something more productive.”
But over time, I learned to quiet that voice. I realized it was okay to create without pressure, to set up my space in a way that felt inviting, to warm up slowly, to make marks just because it felt good.
Now, a decade later, my creative practice feels as natural as brushing my teeth. It’s part of my routine and my favorite way to spend my time.
Not only have I improved technically, but I’ve discovered who I am as an artist: what inspires me, what brings me joy, and what I want to express. And, it continues to be an ongoing process.
That’s why I’m so passionate about helping other creatives like you to build their own creative habits. Because I know first hand that practicing is so fundamental to developing any creative skill and growing our confidence over time.
Plus, your ability to show up for yourself will always matter way more than any class, coach, or community that you’re a part of in the long run.
Why Creative Practice Matters
Now, let’s talk about why creative practice matters.
In short, creating regularly is the only way to see real results. No amount of tutorials, classes, tools, books are going to replace the experience of making things.
There are also other benefits that a creative practice provides, which usually go under appreciated but are just as beneficial.
For example, a practice offers you:
A safe space to explore your passions & curiosities.
A way to infuse joy into your daily routine.
A chance to slow down, tune into your intuition, and process your emotions (if you choose to).
The later one doesn’t happen automatically but when you approach your practice with that intention, it can add a deeper layer of meaning and growth to your sessions.
I also think it’s so important to approach your practice like building a relationship with your creativity instead of a chore you have to check off your to-do list. This is when it becomes a powerful container for growth, healing, and self-discovery.
Yet, even experienced creatives often forget this when they're stuck in the hamster wheel of constantly creating for an audience or algorithm. They forget to enjoy the process of making things and how important it is to make time to connect with their inner selves.
Practice, Habit, or Ritual?
Next, let’s talk about the difference between a creative practice, a habit, and a ritual.
Because when you start exploring the idea of a creative practice, you’ll notice that people use different words to describe basically the same thing.
Some might call it a practice, others a habit, and some even a ritual. While there are subtle differences across all these words, they all come back to the same core idea: showing up regularly for your creativity.
What really matters is not what you call it (pick whatever resonates with you), the most important thing is to show up and do it with intention.
And here’s something I love to remind my clients of: you already know how to build habits. You’ve done it in other areas of your life. That’s great news for you because it means you can do the same with your creativity!
So, I wanna invite you to reflect on the follow questions:
What’s a habit you’ve built successfully in the past? Maybe around your health, self-care, or even your work?
What helped you keep showing up for it?
Six Common Obstacles Newbie Creatives Make
By this point we have talked about why creative practice matters and different ways people refer to it.
Now, let’s talk about common obstacles & mindset shifts that you need to be aware of as a beginner and as you establish your new practice.
1) Not having enough time. You don’t need endless hours to devote to your creativity. You just need to be consistent and intentional with the time you do have. It’s not about length, it’s about frequency.
2) It feels boring. To be honest, creativity isn’t fun 100% of the time. This is normal and to be expected. When you know this going into your practice, it won’t be a shocker.
If this is something you struggle with, check out these related posts for a deeper dive:
How I Prioritize Creative Self-Care While Juggling Multiple Responsibilities
Creative Self-Care: Why It’s Not Always Fun at First (What To Do About It)
3) I don’t know what to do. This is by far the biggest struggle I had when I started. I left things up to chance. I thought I should be able to come up with genius ideas on the spot. But this just doesn’t work, it’s too much pressure and it’s unrealistic.
A better strategy is to have a menu of activities ready to work with.
For example:
Are you practicing art? Start with doodling.
Are you practicing writing? Start by journaling.
Or find or create a prompt list to respond to using the creative expression of your choice. This way you’re never starting from zero.
4) It’s not always rewarding. Some days you’ll make things you don’t love or nothing seems to click. But even when this is the case, showing up strengthens your commitment and keeps your practice alive. And in all honesty, you will learn the most from the days when things don’t seem to work. So, don’t get discouraged!
5) It feels selfish. This is common, especially when you’re not used to putting your needs first. Stick with it, and over time your practice will feel as natural as any other routine.
In the meantime, I encourage you to learn how to process difficult and challenging emotions creatively. Check out my free workbook, “Relaxing Your Way Into Creating” if you want to learn specific exercises to learn how to do this.
6) All or nothing mindset. This is where we want to do everything or nothing at all. Also a very common attitude amongst fellow recovering perfectionists but not a very helpful one. The truth is that you don’t have to do everything perfectly to grow as a creative person. Even small, imperfect attempts will move you forward and help you grow. So, go easy and be gentle with yourself.
Gentle Reminders for Creative Success
Since you’re now aware of the most common pitfalls amongst newbie creatives, here are some gentle reminders of what you can do instead for creative success:
✅ Take your time. Building a habit is a long game. Some experts say it takes 30 days, others say six months, but the truth is, it’s different for everyone. What matters is giving yourself the patience and space to let it unfold organically over time.
✅ Keep a flexible list of activities to work with. Base it on your energy and your schedule. Like I mentioned earlier, having ideas or projects ready and ahead of time makes practice time much easier. So, keep a list of ideas so you can sit down and create with ease.
✅ Remove barriers. Make your tools as accessible as possible. This way there's less friction when you’re ready to create.
For example:
Have your pencils and paper ready on your desk, so you can get to work right away.
Get art materials out of their boxes and into jars or plastic trays, to make your work space more creatively inviting.
Schedule time to work on your art, so you know when you’ll be busy and you can let others around you know.
Key Takeaways
Developing a creative practice takes time, months or even years, but the best time to start is today.
The goal shouldn’t just be achievement, it’s also about making space for yourself and your creativity.
A creative practice isn’t just for professional artists, it’s for anyone who wants to connect more deeply with themselves and their creativity.
The more personal and enjoyable you make it, the more natural and it’s easier it becomes to keep showing up.
So, have fun exploring and building your own unique creative practice and stay consistent!
Renata is a creativity coach empowering neurodivergent and multi-passionate women of color, to use creativity as a tool for self-discovery and healing, so they can let go of feeling inadequate and insecure and start experiencing more confidence and self-acceptance. She’s currently offering a free copy of her therapeutic art making workbook when you sign up for her email list. Sign up here to get your free copy.
