How Uncovering YOUR Brand of Creativity Can Change Everything
Did you start this year like me, thinking THIS is my year — the year it all comes together, the next big thing, the big dream, the year I finally get into a rhythm? And then the energy kind of... fizzled? Obviously, because our brains are wired to look for safety, which means familiar, which means more of the same. So how do we really make a change?
Instead of mapping out a big action plan or productivity overhaul, today I want to focus on the smallest mindset shift that cracks life wide open for me — when I remember to tune into it. It all comes back to creativity, and how we can channel it daily. And here's why that matters a lot more than it might sound.
Why Does This Even Matter?
I know — at first glance, pontificating about creativity sounds like a nice-to-have. You've got a lot on your plate — things to handle, people to take care of, a hundred decisions to make before lunch. Leaning into your creativity can feel indulgent. Maybe even a little irresponsible.
Or maybe you've got a perfectly decent routine going. Life is manageable. Nothing's on fire. Why shake things up?
Here's why: When you lose touch with your creative frequency, you lose touch with a part of yourself that nothing else can replace. Something real, at your core. Not a promotion. Not a cleaner house. Not finally getting to inbox zero. And research consistently shows that creative engagement — even in small doses — improves problem-solving, emotional regulation, and overall resilience. This isn't just feel-good fluff. Your brain actually works better when creativity is part of the equation.
The key is, your creativity matters far beyond making physical works of art. It’s how you do everything. Think about it like this: you go through your days noticing a unique combination of things, making your own connections, and solving problems based on your awareness and experience. This could come through in paintings or ceramic sculptures, but it can also look like an essay, a journal entry, a deep conversation with a friend, or a new way to fix the leak that keeps happening in your shower. Maybe your creative perspective leads you to a parenting breakthrough, or a great fundraising idea for the non-profit you work for.
So, Wait, What Exactly IS Creativity?
Let's start with what it's NOT: a hobby, a talent only some people are born with, or an A+ on an art project.
Creativity is more about the way you see the world, and how you reflect that perspective back for others to experience.
It's a frequency — one we're either tuned into or not in any given moment, but one that is always there. Think of it as an underground river of richness running beneath everything. It doesn't dry up. It doesn't disappear when you get busy or overwhelmed or haven't made anything in six months. It just flows, whether you're paying attention or not.
How we dial into that richness — and how we filter it and put it back out into the world — that part is entirely up to each of us. And that's actually the exciting part. That's what I mean by YOUR brand of creativity.
And the most important reason to tune into it is how it changes YOU, and your daily mental and emotional well-being.
Creativity is for everyone.
It just takes practice to tune into it, your way.
My Own Wake-Up Call
Finally making this mental shift about creativity is what changed my life. I say that with so much conviction that these words can't even do it justice. It woke me up and made me feel fully alive.
(The trick is, remembering to come back to this feeling when life gets…life-y. That’s why I write this blog).
When I applied for my studio at GoggleWorks, I started thinking differently. It had nothing to do with the studio itself — rather, a permission I finally gave myself. To take a deep breath, be present, and observe my world. To simply bear witness to the beauty and possibility around me. I began making connections, seeing everything as part of a bigger symphony — not just noise, but music.
I'm tossing out a lot of metaphors here, but I hope a little of my passion and urgency is coming through — because this is much more a mindset woven throughout your regular day than it is hours of quiet art time, and it’s a game-changer. It's for everyone.
You Are the Prism
Here's where it gets really good.
In The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin describes the self as a prism — one where a single beam of light enters and breaks into an array of colors. Neutral events come in, and they're transformed into a spectrum of feelings, thoughts, and sensations, processed distinctively by each of us, refracting life's light in its own unique way.
In other words: the same sunset, the same rainstorm, the same Tuesday afternoon hits every single person differently, pulling from their past experience, values, and unique observations. What you do with that — how you process it, respond to it, make something from it — that's your brand of creativity. Nobody else has your prism. Nobody else emits exactly your light.
And here's Rubin's quote about our creative work that brings tears to my eyes:
"We don’t have to know why something is good or wonder if it’s the “right” decision or if it reflects us accurately. It is simply the light our prism emits naturally at this moment in time."
Ohhhhh, man. Read that again! That's it. That's all your creative work, and your life, ever has to be. Not perfect. Not impressive. Not validated by anyone else. Just the light you emit, naturally, right now. If you know me, you know the hardest thing for me to do is make things easy — and reading that took a ton of weight off my shoulders. Removing the resistance of expectations, comparisons, overthinking. When I can believe that, I feel so free.
You are the prism.
You see and process the world in your own way. And it emits a beautiful light.
So Now What? How Do I Get Started?
Here are a few genuinely practical ways to start tuning into the frequency — no art degree required.
Pay attention to what stops you. What catches your eye mid-scroll? What makes you pause on a walk? What do you photograph even when you have no idea why? That's your prism doing its thing. Start noticing.
Think back to what you loved before anyone had opinions about it. Before you were told you weren't artistic, or that it wasn't practical, or that other people were better at it. What did you love to do just for the doing of it? What made you happy when you were five? That's data.
Try something with no outcome attached. Not to get good at it. Not to show anyone. Just to experience it. This is harder than it sounds, and also kind of revolutionary.
Make something small, right now. Arrange the objects on your desk. Doodle on the corner of a notepad. Write three sentences about something you saw today. You're not warming up for creativity. You are tapping into the flow.
Here's one more gut-punch from Rubin that I keep coming back to:
"When we miss it, it really does pass us by. Tomorrow presents another opportunity for awareness, but it's never an opportunity for the same awareness."
Oh, snap. Message received. Wake up! Your particular prism, on this particular day, seeing things exactly as you see them right now — that's a one-time thing. Worth paying attention to.
Your River Isn't Going Anywhere
The underground river is still there. It's always been there. It runs beneath the busy weeks and the hard seasons and the long stretches where you haven't made a single thing. You haven't lost your creativity. You've just stopped listening for it.
Uncovering your brand of creativity isn't about becoming an artist. It's about remembering how YOU see. Tuning into the good stuff — the sparks of awe, the beautiful, and even the tragic. And then, when you're ready, letting a little of that light back out to share with all of us, in the way only you can.
Your Turn
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Your Turn 〰️
Quick Win: Spend five minutes today writing down three things that caught your attention this week — something you noticed, something that surprised you, something that made you feel something. No analysis needed. Just notice what your prism is picking up. Can't think of anything? Get out for a walk and start from there.
Solid Solution: Pick up The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin. It reads less like an instruction manual and more like a conversation with someone who genuinely believes in your creative life. Highly HIGHLY recommended.
Treat Yourself: Come make something with your hands. Check out the current class schedule at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, or your local art center, and find something that sparks your curiosity — no experience necessary.
With Enthusiasm for Life + Art,