A guide to have the most creative year of your life
10 practical tips you can implement today to make more space for art
Dear reader,
Last week, I hosted the first in-person apartamento 710 meet-up in Vancouver. We met to see Wild at Heart by David Lynch at one of my favorite independent theaters in the city. After the film, we discussed the movie over fries and chocolate milkshakes. New connections were made, Letterboxd handles were shared, and I, for one, left feeling energized and inspired to keep making space for more intentional connections. It was the best first meet-up a girl could have ever asked for. I am still in disbelief at how this community shows up. Thank you for being here!
And as adults, it gets harder to make space for play. Life gets busy, and dedicating time to making art can feel like a waste of time in a society that prioritizes 'productive' activities. This is a compilation of the things I have implemented in my life to prioritize living a creative life, particularly in the busiest seasons of life. Today’s letter is a friendly reminder that making space to cultivate creativity is not only key to our overall well-being; it is also a tool for survival.
10 strategies to add play and creativity in your day-to-day
Start small: This is key as you build momentum. I asked apartamento 710 readers how this looks like for them and got some great insights: “I wanted to get back into the flow of playwriting so I set a 2 hour date each week to write a 10 minute script. It helped me stay very well rounded!”. Another great tool, shared by a different reader: “I just read about the Pomodoro technique to do things 25 minutes at a time, then break for 5. I want to apply that to my novel writing”. As my girl Olivia Dean would say, ba-ba-ba-baby steps.
Use what you have: It’s exciting to start a new hobby or practice and get all the new supplies/equipment but trust me, you won’t regret being resourceful as you start a new hobby! Leverage the supplies you already own, borrow or thrift them.
Claim a physical space: I dream of having my own studio one day, but for now, I’ve claimed a lil corner of my apartment. In terms of storage, open shelving really works for me, and seeing the materials encourages me to play. Whether it’s a whole room, a small desk, or a drawer, giving your art a physical home validates your practice.
How I like to operate: walls full of references, cut-outs from magazines, art from friends, bad and good art I make, my supplies everywhere I can see them, wanting to be held. Image: Yoshimoto Nara’s studio. Leverage the “in-between” moments: I like to carry a mini sketchbook and use it to jot down stuff or do quick sketches while waiting for friends to arrive to dates, or during my train ride to work. This has been a game-changer for my creativity, and unintentionally reduced my time doomscrolling.
Find an encouraging community: Making time to go to in-person workshops and events can be a great way to get energized by new creatives and mediums. Having an accountability partner has also been so important to me. Shoutout to my friend Valeria, who always replies to my very long audios asking her about the best paper to print on, the best tips to scan illustration work at the public library, etc. Go find yourself an accountability buddy!
Experiment (and be okay with being bad): Easier said than done in my case but so necessary when you are starting something new. Give yourself permission to make bad art. The only way to get to the good stuff is by doing the work dozens of times.
Re-share your previous work: There’s a lot of pressure to constantly come out with new stuff, which is exhausting and not always sustainable. Revisit previous projects and think of ways they can inform your current reality. How can things from your archive take novel shapes? This could look like a compilation of work that you haven’t really shared or promoted in the form of a zine, or maybe a more mature, second edition of your poetry book that can reach new audiences.
Collaborate with other creatives: Creating together sparks ideas you’d never find alone and helps distribute the project so it feels more approachable. Your next great collaboration is just one cold email away.
Keep a “running” idea list: Sometimes the best ideas land in our brains in the most random moments. At the sauna, while making a cup of tea, in downward dog pose. I try to jot them down in a journal or your Notes app as soon as I can. You might not have time to execute the ideas in the moment, but you don’t have to let them slip away!
Schedule time to find inspiration: Treat inspiration like any other commitment and put it on the calendar. Have a creative date once a month. Go to a museum, visit a new gallery, or take a “color walk” around your neighborhood.
Remember, the most important thing is to give yourself grace and show up as much as you can, with the best of your ability :-)
What else would you add to the list? Please let me know in the comments!!!!!!
Check out the community chat for more tips and tricks shared by other readers. Thanks to Kathy, Aiyasia, and Katy for sharing your tips with me!
In the spirit of sharing the love and also keeping us in track to have the moooostttt creative year of our lives, I made a printable calendar and punch card for us to print or use digitally <3 You can download these for free!
Hanging my calendar on the wall each month, making doodles and adding stickers to it as I fill it with all my goals and to-do’s is one of my favorite ways to begin a new month 😋 I am also excited to use the punch card to gamify things as I try new stuff in the new year. Enjoy, and let me know if these are helpful!
If you love apartamento 710, please share this post with a friend or loved one. If you have the means, you can also upgrade to a paid subscription and help keep the work for free for the community. For collabs email me at florenciaornelas.f@gmail.com.
Until the next one!
Florencia
Whoa I think allowing yourself to make bad art is such a great tip to continue the flow of creativity
I really love and appreciate this because it's so important for us to make time for creativity, even if we don't think it's necessary. Often I have to remind myself to be intentional and carve space for creating, even if it's only a few minutes a day. When I gave myself space to experiment and be in the moment rather than focusing on perfection, it can really turn a mood around and nurture inspiration elsewhere!