Tools to improve your creative process

Are you struggling with “writer’s or creative block“? Are you struggling with finding the time to create content regularly?

I might have a few tools that can help you overcome those challenges.

Create a system/blueprint/preset

Have a system or format for your content. It can help give you a structure and a foundation to work from.

Once the ball gets rolling you’ll begin to get into a creative flow – you want to make that process as easy as possible. That’s where all the fun and creative discovery happens.

When you have something to work off of you can begin to make changes to that system. As you learn new things and your creative tastes change, allow it to change and evolve with you.

Having a system doesn’t necessarily mean it will stunt your creativity. It merely serves as a starting block to get you going. Your work can still become something creative. You can still innovate and discover something new while you’re creating.

Below are two examples of how I use systems for my articles and photo editing.

Example one: Articles

I begin with an introduction which can consist of one or two short paragraphs, and usually a question. If you’re interested in finding that answer you’ll keep reading.

Then I have a layout of three headings

In those three headings, I usually have two to three paragraphs.

In the end, I have a brief conclusion that consists of a sentence or a paragraph.

It’s really that simple.

Example two: Photos

I use presets to edit my photos. My presets consist of specific settings and colours I’ve created in the past. When I edit photos I apply the preset to all of my photos and it serves as a foundation to work from. Then I begin to make adjustments to each photo. The presets also helps to keep a consistent theme that is authentic to me and my style of editing.

The presets are always evolving though. Very slowly. You might notice it after a few months when you compare some photos. Sometimes I’m changing certain colours, or the contrast, the exposure, etc, depending on how I’m feeling creatively.

Discovering

Although I have a base structure I’m working from, I’m always leaving room for the “creative unknown“.

I usually have a rough idea of what the article will be about, but as I’m creating it I’m also “discovering” it. Because when I see the ideas on the screen for the first time, my mind is taking that idea and creating new ideas around it.

Begin with an idea. Write a few words. Then the words become a sentence. A sentence becomes another sentence. Then you have a paragraph. Then you have another idea that’s born out of the first idea.

Then you begin a new paragraph with that idea, and the process starts all over again. Until you eventually run out of ideas. By that time, hopefully, you have enough to work with. You can begin to edit by either trimming some of the fluff or adding to the original ideas.

Draft to Final

After you’ve created a rough draft of all your work, now it can begin to take shape.

My favourite part is polishing an article. When it’s filled with information but has no shape or structure. Then I begin to create the article into a visual art piece of its own. I increase the size of the headings. I’m bolding certain words and separating sentences from paragraphs to emphasize them. I’m adding hyperlinks to other articles that might also pique your interest.

Then it’s beginning to take shape and become alive.

Keep in mind that these tools have worked for me, and might not necessarily work for you. You might have a different approach or system that works for you. I’m simply sharing the experiences and tools I use for my creative journey. There’s no holy grail. There’s no secret formula because it’s different for everyone. Find what works for you. Everything I share I’ve either learned by observing others or through experimenting on my own.