The hottest Creative Process Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Art & Illustration Topics

Write Every Day... Or Don't!

The Fairest Writer • 259 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
📚 Literature Writing Tips Creative Process Literary Analysis Productivity Author insights
  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.

Maturity and enthusiasm

Alberto Cairo's The Art of Insight • 239 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🪑 Design Information Design Data Visualization Teaching Methods Creative Process Professional development
  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 RPGs Solo Play 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 Illustration Drawing Art events 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 Memoir Writing Non-fiction Creative Process Storytelling
  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.
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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 Writing Publishing Monetization Online Content 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 Visual Arts Art Theory Art Philosophy
  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.

In pursuit of a masterpiece

The Novelleist • 901 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
📚 Literature Writing Novels Art Creative Process Inspiration
  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.

How I make color brush pens

Austin Kleon • 2218 implied HN points • 19 Apr 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Drawing Painting Techniques 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.

On Titles

Story Club with George Saunders • 57 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
📚 Literature Writing Storytelling Authors Literary Analysis Creative Process
  1. Titles should be simple and not give too much away about the story. A good title can grab the reader’s attention without being too clever or obvious.
  2. Many titles come to the writer naturally while working on the story. They might pop into the writer's head without much effort.
  3. It's important for a title to resonate with the story after it's read, adding extra meaning while still not being overly complicated or distracting.

Collage problems

Austin Kleon • 1518 implied HN points • 28 Jun 22
🎨 Art & Illustration Collage Visual Arts Creative Process Mixed Media
  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.

How to Write a Story

Nice Try • 299 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
📚 Literature Writing Fiction Storytelling Drafting 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.

The Guild of St. Luke

Cybernetic Forests • 99 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Art history Digital Art Creative Process Copyright Law Art Education
  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 Collaboration Writers Development 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 AI Art Digital Art Fine Art Surrealism 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 Writing Tips Novel writing Creative Process Self-reflection
  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.

how are those design studies going?

vrk loves paper • 219 implied HN points • 06 Sep 23
🪑 Design Graphic design Fashion Art User Experience 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.

The Work of Dead Stories

Oliver Bateman Does the Work • 157 implied HN points • 06 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Writing Creative Process Freelancing Publication Creativity
  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.

Three Years Mimicking Eric Carle for a Parody Nobody Asked For

Pryor Questions • 186 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Parody Children's Books Humor Creative Process
  1. The author embarked on a challenging, multi-year journey to create a parody children's book mimicking a classic, venturing into a realm of satirical humor.
  2. Drawing from inspiration and striving for humor, the author faced hurdles in advertising due to the political nature of their content, highlighting the complexities of self-publishing.
  3. The process of creating a book presented unexpected challenges, from mimicking a famous art style to learning new tools like Photoshop, illustrating the perseverance and creative struggles involved in bringing art to life.

How to Learn Like Humans Do

Cybernetic Forests • 199 implied HN points • 06 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Artificial Intelligence Creative Process Automation
  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 Graphic design Product Design User Experience Illustration 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.

The Infinite Almanac of Writing Wisdom

Tigerfeathers! • 17 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
📚 Literature Writing Tips Creative Process Storytelling Audience Building
  1. Collect and organize writing tips and techniques to create a valuable resource. This helps writers find inspiration in one easy place.
  2. Writing is an experimental process where you learn by doing. It’s okay to have rough drafts as they can lead to better ideas during revisions.
  3. Engage your audience by being specific and personal in your writing. Sharing your own experiences makes your work relatable and engaging.

Filmmaker Kelly Reichardt on her creative process and long-term collaborations

Chance Operations • 257 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Filmmaking Collaborations Creative Process
  1. Kelly Reichardt emphasizes the importance of carving out space for creativity and avoiding distractions.
  2. She prefers a tactile approach to her writing process, using physical tools like note cards and legal pads.
  3. Collaboration and camaraderie are key to Reichardt's filmmaking, with a focus on refining work until the very end.

Resolve Now It’s Working

The False Consensus Effect • 78 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Paintings Creative Process Inspiration Imagination Art exhibition
  1. The author shares personal reflections on their art, daily routines, and anti-government sentiments. This includes details on their creative process, struggles, and aspirations.
  2. The post emphasizes the power of imagination and the importance of taking action towards one's ideals. The author encourages readers to make a difference, even in small ways.
  3. Financial accountability and planning are highlighted, with the author detailing expenses, savings goals, and reflections on contemporary societal issues. Rose, the author's partner, also plays a role in household finances.

Artist Lucy Raven on her creative process

Chance Operations • 277 implied HN points • 13 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Visual art Creative Process Technology Exhibitions
  1. Lucy Raven's work focuses on material transformation and technology, reflecting on globalization and the relationship between humans and the natural world.
  2. Her projects often stem from unanswered questions in previous works, leading to an organic progression in her creative process.
  3. Sustaining creative work involves a mix of exhibitions, commissions, residencies, teaching, and other opportunities, with grants playing a smaller role.

straight outta tartarus

visa's voltaic verses ⚡️ • 17 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Games Creative Process Philosophy Literature Narrative
  1. Losing is a natural part of the learning process. It's important to keep trying and learn from our experiences, just like in the game Hades where you often die but keep getting better.
  2. Your focus should be on the journey and process, not just the outcome. Celebrating small improvements, like getting better at a game or mastering a new skill, is key to building persistence.
  3. Finding deeper meaning in your creative efforts can lead to better results. Just like in a game, you have to be open to discovering hidden insights and emotions in your writing or projects.