Balancing Creativity and Productivity in the Artistic Process
When I was accepted to my first ceramics residency program, I was anxious and eager to make the most of a month of dedicated studio time. My natural inclination was to prepare with productivity: getting to work practicing skills or testing concepts in the studio. Luckily, my sister gave me some amazing advice to the contrary. Winsor told me it would be beneficial to stay out of the studio while preparing for my residency, and instead focus on cultivating creativity and accumulating ideas. With that in mind, I took time to sketch, glean inspiration, and narrow down the possibilities of what I could make. Later, when I finally had the luxury of uninterrupted time with clay, I shifted from creativity to productivity. I had enough creative ideas generated from my preparation that I could focus on production, bringing those ideas to life.
My residency taught me the value in differentiating time to be creative and time to be productive. Though the two are closely related, in an artistic context I now find it helpful to separate them so that both can get the time and space they deserve. Creative time is when I allow impulse to guide a project, and embrace a lack of plans. The goal is to explore and generate something novel, whether that be in my notebook, in my head, or in the studio. There often is no physical output in this stage. Productivity applies to the practical matter of executing specific creative ideas through to the finish line. Productivity has a measurable output and pushes an idea forward.
If you are like me, you can feel torn between wanting to embrace creative fluidity and needing to get things done. On an emotional level, without enough productivity, we can feel as artists that we aren’t doing enough since being creative doesn’t always result in a finished product. On the other side of the coin, if our artistic process lacks creativity, our work can feel like it is lacking inspiration or meaning. All artistic endeavors require a balance of creativity and productivity. Creativity can produce moments of genius, but productivity ensures the discipline to get through the tedium of an ambitious project. The creative and expansive initial phase of a project will yield both good ideas and bad, whereas production mode discerns what to spend time on, as it takes valuable time to get ideas to the finish line.
Most artists tend to slip into one mode as a default, either creativity or productivity. Ideas or action. I tend to default to productivity rather than creativity. I like the certainty of checking things off my list. I like making something in the studio that I have made before, knowing it will turn out well. I have to remind myself to set aside time in the studio to simply play and explore, to start a project and not know where it is headed, or to make art outside my primary medium. Other people may fall more naturally into the creativity headspace. They have an endless supply of beautiful concepts, but can’t find the time to bring them all to completion. There is nothing wrong with either of these artistic archetypes, but having an awareness of how you operate can help you find balance. With some conscious effort, an artist can find joy in all parts of the artistic process and avoid relying on one mode too abundantly.
I have learned what works for me when I need a creative boost: a walk, journaling, sketching, or looking at other artists' work to get inspired. I also know what supports my productivity: having an exciting deadline like making pots for a market, or setting up my studio with some great music and a clean workspace. You likely also have your favorite ways to spark ideas and motivate, whether you have defined it in this framework or not. Having those go-to ways to support yourself can help maintain your momentum artistically and ground you in your process.
I want to emphasize that both creativity and productivity are critical and wonderful parts of the artistic process which should not feel in opposition to each other, but rather as cyclical parts of a greater whole. In my experience, a conscious cultivation of both my creativity and productivity as separate pieces of the puzzle has helped me find a more balanced and complete artistic process. I hope that sharing this will spark curiosity for your own artistic journey. I have included some reflection prompts that can guide you if you want to dig deeper into what works best for you:
Which is your artistic default mode: productivity or creativity? What helps you get out of a creative rut? Is there a particular activity that helps you generate novel ideas? What motivates you to be productive artistically? What kind of environment do you need for focused productive time? When you think about a project you are proud of, how did both creativity and productivity fit into its development?
