Is Your Creative Well Running Dry? Here's How to Fill It Back Up Today
In any creative endeavor, there's the exhilaration phase—where new ideas are sparking off left and right—and then there's the sit-down-and-do-the-work phase. Both are important! And we all want to settle into a style of work that is really "us," that reflects who we are as artists and what we want to say. It's exciting when we start making "our" art, when we get a process down.
But inevitably, we can hit a wall, feel a bit flat as we march through the steps over and over. Creative work can fall into the same ruts as any other work in life. We can move on autopilot, pay too much attention to lists, timelines, schedules… and forget the joy and magic and meaning of what we're creating in the first place.
Creativity needs sparks. And one of the fastest, most reliable ways to spark it? Pick up a completely different medium.
Watercolor? Modeling clay? Origami?
What might allow you to just be a beginner, no expectations?
Creativity Is About Making Connections
Steve Jobs described the creative process in a way that really stuck with me:
"Creativity is just connecting things… they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they've had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people."
YES. That. Because that's exactly what the "Fill the Well" pillar of creativity is all about: adding new experiences to our repertoire, to our unique creative well that we pull from when make something new. Sometimes this means walking through museums, gardens, and cities to gather visual images. But to get a little deeper into the experience aspect of filling your well - dive into a new way of working. And then reflect a bit about it, as Jobs said.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone (Just for a Minute)
If you're a painter, try a welding class. If you're a woodworker, take a drawing workshop. If you don't think you're creative at all, grab a stack of magazines and make a collage.
When you're working in your own medium or specialty, sometimes you feel like you have to carry a certain confidence—an air of expertise or assuredness. But really, we are all always beginners, exploring the next moment with fresh eyes. Keeping that energy brings a richness to life, a warmth, an excitement. And this certainly brings new life into your creative work.
Trying something new puts me back in beginner's mind—like a little kid in art class, with that wide-eyed readiness to just see what happens. Sometimes there's a direct influence on my work in clay after trying a new medium. But more often than not, it just gets me into a mindset of being delighted, intrigued, inspired. Right where I want to live!
Why I Never Stopped Painting (Even Though Clay Is My True Love)
This is one reason I haven't completely stopped painting and drawing, even though clay is my main love. It's helpful to go back and forth—to inspire different connections, to use the clay in new ways, to combine surface design with the building of the clay form.
It's also why I never miss a chance to try something completely new, like a woodworking class or a welding class. (Ok, by now you know I'll use any excuse to go to Longwood Gardens, so yes, I've also taken a plant styling class there and will still go on about it to anyone who asks! It was so inspiring!)
To pick a new medium -
Find something that feels easy, but that is new to you as an artform. You want to feel like a beginner, no pressure to make something good!
The Power of Collage
Can I just take a moment to talk about collage? It's a fantastic way to "connect the seemingly unconnected," as William Plomer once put it. I didn’t know this as a teenager, but I was constantly making collages in high school - and I still go back to it regularly. I used to cover a shoebox in magazine collage, and then store memories in there, like notes, letters, photos and tickets.
I still love paging through magazines and cutting out anything I'm drawn to, without a particular plan. I especially do this when I’m feeling resistance about starting a bigger project. I lay all the clippings across a large piece of paper or posterboard and just start placing things. What seems like it goes next to this beach scene? Where does this word fit? Messages start to clarify. Suddenly you see a purpose coming together—a voice, a statement.
And all you need is scissors and glue. Truly, this is one of the most accessible creative acts there is, and your brain will surprise you every time.
Ready to Try? Here's How to Get Started This Week
Your brain will light up with new imagery and techniques to use when you get back to your regular work. So fill your well this week! Here are a few ideas:
🎨 Solid Solution: Wander through Michael's and pick up something that speaks to you: modeling clay, colorful paints, even one of those art and craft kits for kids or teenagers if you want a little structure.
✨ Quick Win: Open-ended collage: Grab a stack of magazines (or treat yourself to a couple of new ones at Barnes & Noble or Target). Put on some music, start cutting out anything that resonates—images you like, colors that grab you, words that catch your eye. Lay them out and see what messages start coming out of the randomness.
⭐ Treat Yourself: Take a one-day workshop on watercolor, glass-blowing, terrarium-building—whatever catches your eye. Art centers, garden centers, and craft stores all offer these kinds of experiences. Journal a bit afterward: how did you feel? What surprised you?
The goal isn't to master a new medium. The goal is to wake your brain up—to add new dots for it to connect back to the work you love. Your well doesn't fill itself. Go grab a new bucket, and let me know what you try! I’m always looking for ideas.
With Enthusiasm for Life + Art,