Creativity Toolkit: Take More Risks
Inspiration, Insights, and Practices from ArtBridge Executive Director and ArtStorming Host Lili Pierrepont
What have you found to be the most inspiring and/or transformative book, film, workshop, seminar, etc. about the arts or creative process?
Your Brain on Art; by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross; The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron; Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert; Beyond Anxiety by Martha Beck; my list is long...
What’s your favorite museum, artist (of any genre), or other source of inspiration?
I love any museum because it creates a context that allows me to slow down and focus on just looking at whatever art is presented. I love big museums for the quality of reverence they create and little ones for the intimacy.
What does your typical creative process look like? Are there any rituals or routines you follow?
Since I am not a practicing artist, this question is interesting because it has me thinking about my creative approach to anything.
I tend to be someone who works with what I’ve got. If I'm making a meal, I work with the ingredients on hand. There is a lot of improvising and winging it in my approach. I rarely start a project with all the materials needed at hand, when it comes to making things. When it comes to ideas, for writing, or for work, I rarely set out to "do" something. Usually, an idea or a thought comes to me and won’t leave me alone until I capture it somehow. These "downloads" usually happen in the middle of the night or other random and inconvenient times, but I've learned to pay attention and give them a voice.
Then, of course, there are my treasured conversations with other creatives. Those are the most fruitful and inspirational practices I have. Probably why I started this podcast project. It's a great excuse to have those conversations on a regular basis.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self just starting out in your creative field?
The advice I would give a younger self, and which I have given to younger creatives, is to feel free to use/"waste" materials! Don't be stingy with your supplies, words, notes, whatever your medium, go ahead waste, waste, waste, because it's not a waste; it's an exploration. I wish someone had given me permission to work bigger, use more product, take more risks.
How do you overcome creative blocks or moments of self-doubt?
Haha. I usually just have to wait for it to pass. Take a nap. Switch gears, focus on something else. Arguing with self-doubt can be a futile exercise. Luckily, like most bullies, the negative self-talk eventually gets bored, or exhausts itself, and sometimes, it just moves on. I'm getting better at identifying which side of my brain is functioning.
Luckily, I am no longer required to be creative on demand. So there I days I just give in to the left brain and give it tasks to accomplish like folding sweaters in my closet.
How do you see your art connecting with the world or your audience? What message or feeling do you hope to evoke?
OK, so while I don't have an art form per se, I do have an intention for the ArtBridge organization. I want it to activate, awaken, and support that creative potential that we all have, which is our birthright and our brilliance.
I have experienced firsthand and witnessed [in others] the freedom that comes from unlocking the parts of ourselves that got muffled along the way. The journey from surviving to thriving happens when we reconnect to the mystery and to wonder. Solutions to all kinds of challenges we face, whether at the macro or micro levels, become available when we become more nimble in shifting our focus and see things from a new perspective. Connecting with our imaginations is a pathway to pure possibility. And then who knows what could come of it?
Could you share a practice that feeds your creativity?
Initiate a conversation with someone you admire about their creative process—even if it's intimidating. Most creatives are happy to share about their process, and if you approach with genuine curiosity, you'll be amazed and inspired by what unfolds.
Bonus: Share your insights as a comment in our Substack or even a social media post.
Visit artbridgenm.org to learn more about Lili, ArtBridge, and its initiatives, including the ArtStorming Podcast.
Images courtesy of Lili Pierrepont
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