The hottest Creative Process Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Art & Illustration Topics

The Writer as Chimera (and Where Substack Fits In)

Counter Craft • 632 implied HN points • 03 Jun 25
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. Being a writer today often means you need to juggle multiple roles, like teaching, freelancing, or using platforms like Substack to support your literary career.
  2. Substack is changing the way writers connect with readers, but it may not completely replace traditional publishing methods. It's a more supportive environment where readers appreciate the creative process.
  3. Writers should look to integrate their various roles and projects, because what you do in one area can help boost another, like turning Substack work into a book deal.

The bliss of the invisible thread

The Pamplet • 7 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. I keep physical notes and objects to connect my past and future selves, and I try to really listen to what’s coming through and let go of old identities.
  2. Eviction and gentrification have repeatedly threatened my artist community, and I’m determined not to let displacement happen again.
  3. I use writing and reflection to figure out cryptic messages from my past self and to stay present with whatever emerges.

Sawdust and aluminum shavings

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 79 implied HN points • 26 Jun 24
🪑 Design Creative Process
  1. Thinking about tradeoffs helps us deal with uncertainty better. It's like understanding that we have to choose between different options when faced with unknowns.
  2. Clarifying tradeoffs allows us to adapt more easily. When we know what we're giving up or gaining, we can make better choices in changing situations.
  3. Expressing tradeoffs can lead to better shared goals. It helps everyone understand what matters most, leading to more effective teamwork.

How I Lost 100,000 Followers in One Year, and It Made Me a Better Writer

OK Doomer • 360 implied HN points • 19 Jul 25
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. Breaking the rules can lead to better writing. Following strict guidelines might limit creativity, but stepping outside those boundaries can help a writer express themselves more freely.
  2. Having a real audience is more important than the number of followers. It's better to connect with readers who appreciate your message rather than just chasing clicks and fame.
  3. Writers face many challenges, especially when their views go against popular opinions. Despite the difficulties, persistence in writing can be rewarding, even if it means losing some followers along the way.
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Write Every Day... Or Don't!

The Fairest Writer • 259 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. Writing every day can help you stay connected to your projects, but it's not always practical for everyone. Finding a balance that works for you is key.
  2. It's important to listen to your own creative energy and not force yourself to write when you don't feel inspired. Taking breaks can actually help renew your motivation.
  3. Setting rigid goals like daily word counts can hurt your creativity. It's better to focus on nurturing your ideas rather than feeling pressured by deadlines.

A Simple Rule for Using AI in Art

Counter Craft • 421 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. Using AI in art can be great if it's done thoughtfully. It's important to be open about how AI is used and ensure it enhances rather than replaces creativity.
  2. There are successful examples of authors using AI to help craft dialogue or ideas, but they are intentional and clear about their AI use. This distinction separates meaningful art from low-quality outputs.
  3. For artistic integrity, it's best to be honest about your use of AI, especially if it generates a lot of the work. Just like with plagiarism, taking someone else's work, including AI-generated text, without credit is not acceptable.

Flying Elephants

Story Club with George Saunders • 58 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. Protect your art by honestly figuring out the hours, conditions, and habits you need to create, and design a life—including a steady job if necessary—that lets you write consistently.
  2. When the world feels surreal, move past disbelief and treat strange events as material to investigate; ask why they happened and note the small, telling details you can use in fiction.
  3. Accept that fiction often works on a long arc and may not directly argue a political point; aim to write stories that show care, complexity, and human qualities that quietly console and change readers.

Maturity and enthusiasm

Alberto Cairo's The Art of Insight • 239 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🪑 Design Creative Process
  1. Maturity in a profession can bring new insights and clarity. It's a journey that includes both personal growth and the evolution of skills and knowledge.
  2. Learning how to design information helps us communicate and think better. It's a valuable skill that can benefit anyone, not just designers.
  3. This newsletter will share personal experiences, analysis, and recommendations about data visualization. It's an exploration of the craft and the joy of learning together.

The Lone Toad - Ribbiting Adventures Issue 1

The Lone Toad - Croaker RPGs Newsletter • 219 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. Castle Grief prefers analog creation over digital, finding the tactile experience more engaging and personal.
  2. The world of Tarvannion was inspired by historical events and the desire for a long-form solo RPG campaign, showcasing a blend of rich storytelling and exploration.
  3. Solo RPG play offers a unique creative freedom, helping to enhance storytelling skills and provide a peaceful, meditative experience for Castle Grief.

Drawing at the skate park

Austin Kleon • 1698 implied HN points • 11 Nov 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. Spending one-on-one time with kids is really important. It helps you create special memories and strengthen your bond with them.
  2. Reading can offer unique insights into relationships and creativity. Books like Ada Calhoun’s memoir can inspire thought about family dynamics and artistry.
  3. Music and art have a lasting impact. Remembering and exploring the work of musicians and artists who have passed can help keep their legacy alive.

Notes on Memoir Structure

The Fairest Writer • 259 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. Start writing by keeping a memory journal. Write down significant moments to help you remember what to include in your memoir.
  2. Listen to your material while writing. The best structure for your story often comes from how you feel about your experiences, so be flexible and adjust as needed.
  3. During revisions, be willing to cut parts that don't fit. Always ask if you can make it better, instead of just wanting to be done with it.

My 1500th Published Story - 10 Kickass Medium Writing and Monetization Tips

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 859 implied HN points • 29 Apr 23
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. Online writing requires mastering the craft to improve your skills. Practice makes perfect, so writing regularly is important.
  2. Monetizing your writing can be achieved through different strategies. Finding the right approach will help turn your passion into income.
  3. Engagement with your audience is key to success. Building a strong connection can lead to more readers and better reach.

The creative tensions

Austin Kleon • 1878 implied HN points • 30 Aug 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. Creative work has opposing forces that create tensions, and we should embrace these instead of avoiding them. They can actually help us create better art.
  2. Finding the right balance in these tensions is important, just like tuning a guitar string; too loose or too tight won't produce good music.
  3. Understanding and accepting paradoxes in creativity can help us work through challenges, and thinking in terms of both/and instead of either/or is key to problem-solving.

How I make color brush pens

Austin Kleon • 2218 implied HN points • 19 Apr 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. You can make your own colored brush pens by refilling exhausted cartridges with different ink colors. It's cheaper and creates less waste than buying new pens.
  2. Mixing inks in the cartridges allows for unique colors and adds fun to the creative process. This can help you explore and discover new ideas through play.
  3. Using colored tape to identify different ink colors is a simple hack that makes the creative process easier and more organized.

Collage problems

Austin Kleon • 1518 implied HN points • 28 Jun 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. Collaging can be a fun and calming way to process thoughts. Just gluing random things together can help find new ideas.
  2. Using technology like a photocopier can make collage work easier and more efficient. It's a simple way to create many copies of an image you like.
  3. The most important aspect of collaging is to have fun and not take it too seriously. Sometimes, just playing around can lead to great creative outcomes.

Overjoyed to Let You Know That...

Story Club with George Saunders • 175 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. A new novel titled 'Vigil' will be released on January 27, 2026, focusing on a fictional oil company head confronting his past actions on climate change during his last night alive.
  2. Writing can be challenging, and moments of doubt or frustration are common, but these struggles can lead to personal growth and new insights in the writing process.
  3. It's important to let go of perfectionism and focus on simply writing, even if it means producing something that feels less than perfect at first.

Writing Hack: Write It Just Like That

psychotechnology • 186 implied HN points • 13 Jun 25
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. Starting to write can be the hardest part; don't overthink it, just begin with what comes to mind. Writing like you're talking to a friend can make your words flow more naturally.
  2. Honesty in writing is key; sharing your feelings, doubts, and experiences helps create more engaging and relatable content. Don't be afraid to show your vulnerabilities.
  3. Practice makes perfect; the more you allow yourself to write openly and quickly, the easier it becomes. Embrace your thoughts and let them shape your writing.

How to Write a Story

Nice Try • 299 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. Drafting a story is important. You often start with something rough and improve it step by step until it feels right.
  2. Titles can change a lot during the writing process. It's normal to go through several names before settling on one that fits your story.
  3. Writing takes experimenting with ideas. You can mix genres and characters, and even make changes that seem silly until you find what works best.

58. Mystery

The Line Between • 275 implied HN points • 04 Oct 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. Ideas come in small fragments, like puzzle pieces coming together one at a time.
  2. Creativity involves listening to signals, experimenting with different styles, and being open to change.
  3. The creative process is about making time, capturing signals, and trusting that the pieces will come together.

From "Shadow Artist" to Artist

Working Theorys • 174 implied HN points • 12 Jun 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. Many creative people hide in jobs that don't let them express their art, sometimes called 'shadow artists.' It takes courage to pursue your true passion and make that leap into the arts.
  2. Art isn't just about skill; it's about sharing your unique human experience. What makes art special is that it reflects personal truths and emotions.
  3. Transitioning to a full-time creative career is challenging but rewarding. It's important to find joy in art and not let financial pressures ruin your passion.

The Guild of St. Luke

Cybernetic Forests • 99 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. Artists historically learned how to create art through hands-on practice and not just by observing art - a concept often misunderstood.
  2. The concept of learning from masters in art, as compared to how AI learns from training data, reveals interesting differences in approach and outcomes.
  3. The discussion around AI, art, and copyright brings up important points about data rights, labor values, and the need to support human artists in the digital age.

In search of collaboration...

Development Hell • 256 implied HN points • 04 Jun 23
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. The post discusses the importance of writers in the creative process and encourages them to advocate for themselves in collaborations with producers.
  2. The author highlights the value that writers bring to the development process and emphasizes the need for them to understand their crucial role.
  3. There is a mention of a free trial for readers to access full post archives and continue reading content on the topic of collaboration between writers and development executives.

Notes from what I guess counts as the bleeding edge of artistic possibility these days

RUINS • 137 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. AI art generators are advancing rapidly, with the ability to interpret text prompts and produce diverse imagery.
  2. There is a contrast between AI-generated art and human art in terms of process, risks, and meaning.
  3. The role of AI in art creation is debated, questioning whether it should supplement or replace human creativity.

Index Cards

Nice Try • 2 HN points • 14 Sep 24
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. To improve your novel, read it all the way through first. This helps you see what you have written and decide what changes to make next.
  2. Using index cards to summarize each chapter is a great way to organize your thoughts. You can easily see where new ideas might fit or what's missing.
  3. Set aside time to focus on your writing, but also take breaks. This space can help clear your mind and give you fresh ideas when you return.

In pursuit of a masterpiece

The Novelleist • 901 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. The author values creating a masterpiece in their writing, taking time to explore and research different elements.
  2. The author emphasizes the importance of incorporating personal experiences and uniqueness into artistic work to differentiate it from others.
  3. The author recognizes the need to slow down the creative process to pursue a masterpiece, allowing for deeper exploration and refinement.

Comic Lab’s ‘20 Comic Commandments’

Pizza Party • 112 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
💥 Comics Creative Process
  1. Making a good comic is the most important thing. If you don’t focus on that, nothing else will matter.
  2. Your work is valuable, so own it and control it. Execution is what makes your ideas special.
  3. Building a career takes time and effort. Expect it to be a marathon, not a quick race to success.

Another AI Art Contest

Bet On It • 90 implied HN points • 12 Aug 25
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. There's a contest for AI artists to create unique game chips. If you impress with your work, you could win up to $500.
  2. The challenge is to beat a specific set of art created by a human artist named Savane, who is known for high-quality work.
  3. Artists need to submit their artwork by September 15, and the winner will be decided by personal preference, so it's a tough competition.

how are those design studies going?

vrk loves paper • 219 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🪑 Design Creative Process
  1. Recognizing a fear of judgment is important when learning something new, like fashion or design. It's okay to need time to learn and grow without worrying about how you look to others.
  2. Instead of focusing solely on perfection in design, aim to create joyfully and embrace mistakes. It's about the process, not just the final product.
  3. Learning takes time and comes with feelings of being behind, but having supportive friends and a clear vision of your goals can help you stay motivated.

My Novels

David Friedman’s Substack • 116 implied HN points • 11 Jul 25
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. Creating a fictional world often feels like discovering its story rather than just inventing everything from scratch. As you write, new ideas and connections about the world can unfold naturally.
  2. It's important for characters in a story to have different voices and personalities. Otherwise, they might all end up sounding too much alike, which can confuse readers.
  3. Characters can take unexpected paths that change the original story you planned. Their actions and decisions may lead to new conflicts and relationships you never anticipated.

Thirty-One: A Year-Long Project

lettersonbeing • 216 implied HN points • 04 May 23
📚 Literature Creative Process
  1. The author is challenging themselves to write something new every day for a year.
  2. The goal is to write daily without expecting each piece to be amazing.
  3. Sharing the project helps with accountability and can inspire others to start their own year-long project.

The Work of Dead Stories

Oliver Bateman Does the Work • 157 implied HN points • 06 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. The author is aiming to increase paid subscriptions for their publication to ensure its longevity.
  2. The author faces challenges in producing fresh content after years of writing and needs to adapt to keep readers engaged.
  3. Despite past successes, the author is uncertain about the future of their creative career and feels a sense of pressure to continue producing meaningful work.

How to Learn Like Humans Do

Cybernetic Forests • 199 implied HN points • 06 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creative Process
  1. AI is designed to learn and make art the way humans do, as AI models are replicas of the human brain.
  2. The process of creating art historically involved specific, defined steps that have been automated by AI, making art production more efficient and accessible.
  3. AI has streamlined the traditional artistic process, removing inefficiencies and making art creation more uniform and universally accessible.

the first one's the bad one!

vrk loves paper • 199 implied HN points • 05 Oct 23
🪑 Design Creative Process
  1. When working on goals, it's better to focus on whether the problems that come with them are interesting and fulfilling for you. Every goal has challenges, so choose the ones you want to tackle.
  2. In design, it's important to sketch many different ideas, even if they seem odd or wrong at first. Your first attempt is usually not your best, so keep exploring different options.
  3. Using references that resonate with you can make the design process easier and more enjoyable. It's fine to start with things you're familiar with before branching out to more complex inspirations.