If there’s one thing this season has been teaching me, it’s that creativity grows in really unexpected ways when you show up for it every day — even if the art you make is ugly, messy, or not at all what you imagined. I’ve been slowly building a daily practice where I sketch, doodle, or paint something (anything!) in my journal. And honestly… it’s shifting my whole mindset.

For a long time, I waited for the “perfect moment” to create: the perfect setup, the perfect reference photo, the perfect burst of inspiration. But inspiration doesn’t always show up when we ask it to — which often left me doing nothing at all. This year, I’m choosing something different.
This year is about no fear.

Letting Go of Perfectionism

One of the biggest lessons I’m learning from a daily practice is that perfectionism loses its power when you keep showing up anyway. Every time I make something “ugly,” the world doesn’t end. Nobody judges me. The page still turns.

By drawing daily, even when I don’t feel creative, I’m giving myself permission to:

• experiment without overthinking

• make mistakes and move on

• sketch ideas before they vanish out of my head

• build confidence through consistency

Little by little, I’m realizing that creativity isn’t a switch you flip — it’s a muscle you strengthen. And the more I create, the braver I feel.

Learning to Create Without a Reference

I’ve been a self-taught artist for years, and references have always been my comfort zone. There’s nothing wrong with that — references are incredible tools. But lately, I’ve been craving a sense of freedom in my creativity. I want to make things pulled straight from my imagination without worrying whether they’re “accurate."

This mindset shift feels exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Drawing from imagination is forcing me to:

• sit with discomfort

• loosen my expectations

• trust my creative instincts

• let my inner kid play again

And wow… it feels good. Even when the results are wonky, it’s a different kind of joy. A joy that feels alive.

The Joy That Comes From Simply Showing Up

There’s something really beautiful about creating every day without expectations. Some days I make something I love. Some days I scribble like a goblin and close my sketchbook immediately. But every day, I learn something about myself.

What I’m learning most is this:

• Creativity grows when you nourish it

• A daily practice builds trust in yourself

• Your mindset shapes your art more than your skill

• You don’t need inspiration to start

• You just need to start

And honestly? It feels like reclaiming a piece of myself.

Why Waiting for Inspiration Was Holding Me Back

A friend recently reminded me of a quote from artist Chuck Close:

“Amateurs wait for inspiration. The rest of us just get up and go to work.”

 

Stephen King and Steven Pressfield share similar ideas: inspiration isn’t the start of the work — it’s the result of it. Hearing that hit me in the chest a little. Because the truth is, I don’t have any real excuse not to create. I have time. I have materials. I have ideas. What I didn’t have was the right mindset.

So I’m changing it — on purpose.

By building a daily practice, I’m slowly proving to myself that I don’t need to feel ready to begin. I just need to begin.

A New Perspective for the New Year

As I step into the new year, I’m carrying one intention with me: no fear — no fear of bad art, no fear of blank pages, no fear of trying something new just because it feels unfamiliar.

 This daily practice has been my way of nudging myself forward, gently but consistently, and it’s already shifting my mindset. If you’ve been feeling stuck, scared, or creatively blocked, maybe this is your reminder that you don’t have to wait for the “right” moment either. Your process can look completely different from mine — it should look different, because your creativity has its own rhythm — but I hope my experience encourages you to show up in whatever small way feels right for you.

So I’m curious: Do you feel more inspired when you create daily, or when you allow inspiration to find you in its own time? 💛