The hottest Creativity Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Art & Illustration Topics

Sticking with it

Austin Kleon • 2617 implied HN points • 04 Jun 24
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. You need to really love your idea when creating something. It has to come from a personal place and excite you deeply, because it will take a lot of time and effort to bring it to life.
  2. While you can brush off mean critics, sometimes it's the well-meaning people that can hurt your project the most. Their opinions matter to you, so be careful how much you let them influence your passion.
  3. If your project becomes successful, you'll be talking about it for many years. So, it's important to choose something you truly enjoy and can stay excited about for a long time.

The Nine Best Movies on the Creative Life

The Honest Broker • 8743 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Movies can give us deep insights into the creative process and life of artists. They show us the struggles and breakthroughs that come with creating art.
  2. Films about writers, like 'The End of the Tour,' highlight the real challenges behind public perceptions of success. They remind us that success doesn’t always equal happiness.
  3. Authenticity in storytelling, as seen in movies like 'American Splendor,' connects with audiences because it shows the true, often messy, nature of life and creativity.

Novelty

Aether Pirates of the Matterium! • 16804 implied HN points • 12 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Creativity
  1. In the Matterium, currency is seen as 'novelty' which is highly valued.
  2. The Khazarian Mafia struggles to produce real novelty and is jealous of those who can.
  3. Creativity, the ability to create new ideas, is a trait that catches the attention of 'Other Minds' observing humans.

The Curious Case of the Pearl Jam Posters

Webworm with David Farrier • 10299 implied HN points • 05 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. An artist was asked to make posters for a Pearl Jam tour but was offered an unusual form of payment.
  2. There were mixed reactions from artists who had similar deals with bands like Pearl Jam, with some feeling undervalued.
  3. The case raises questions about fair compensation for artists and the value of their work, sparking a conversation about artist payment standards.

Working titles

Austin Kleon • 1718 implied HN points • 25 Jun 24
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Finding the right title for your work can be a tough job. It often involves trying different combinations of words until something feels right.
  2. There are different styles of titles, like poetic or descriptive, and each has its own appeal. Sometimes, getting the opinion of others can help you figure out what works best.
  3. Even great titles can face skepticism from others. Just because someone isn’t confident in a title doesn't mean it won't be successful.
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Meeting yourself again

Austin Kleon • 2118 implied HN points • 11 Jun 24
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Looking back at old memories can be joyful and inspire connection with others. Digging through old photos can bring back happy moments that you might have forgotten.
  2. Sometimes, what starts as a chore, like cleaning out photo storage, can turn into a fun trip down memory lane. You may find sentimental photos and reminders of good times.
  3. Revisiting past work or memories isn't just about nostalgia; it can spark new ideas for the future. Reflecting on what you've done can help guide where you want to go next.

100 things that made my year

Austin Kleon • 9152 implied HN points • 02 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Celebrating small joys can boost happiness, like watching nature unfold around you or enjoying simple meals with family.
  2. Connections with friends and family, whether through conversations or shared activities, are vital for a fulfilling life.
  3. Taking time for self-reflection and personal growth helps you appreciate the present and improves overall well-being.

let's talk about ai, baby

Both Are True • 145 implied HN points • 17 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Creativity
  1. AI can be a practical personal assistant that handles boring tasks, tracks deadlines and ideas, and helps you stay aligned with your values so you can focus on creative work.
  2. Relying on AI creates real ethical and authenticity questions — it can feel addictive or like cheating, so you need clear boundaries and rules about when and how you use it.
  3. People want to learn how to build these AI workflows, so teaching and productizing those setups creates community, income, and a way to spread useful practices.

AI Is Missing the Point

The Algorithmic Bridge • 796 implied HN points • 08 Jan 26
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Large language models are built to predict and complete text, so they naturally push toward closure instead of lingering or refusing to end.
  2. People use punctuation and sentence flow to control time, breath, and emotion, and sometimes deliberately refuse closure as an expressive or aesthetic choice.
  3. AI can mimic those patterns statistically but doesn’t feel breath, fatigue, or true agency, so its meandering is simulation rather than genuine expression, which raises questions about alignment and how writing will change.

A Time of Gifts

Patti Smith • 6387 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. The post is the final installment of a series called The New Jerusalem
  2. The author discusses responding to difficult times with art, music, poetry, theater, dance, and film
  3. Patti Smith expresses appreciation for the engagement and shares an image of a youth with birds

The Fermentation Principle

Anima Mundi • 412 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Some transformations—like ideas, relationships, and personal growth—need time, the right conditions, and living agents to change; they cannot be hurried without losing depth.
  2. Treating everything with factory-style speed and optimization flattens meaning and destroys the slow, living processes that create real value.
  3. To encourage fermentation you must provide boundaries, the right pace, starter influences, and practice active patience—set conditions and wait without trying to fully control the outcome.

@adlrocha - We are not scared of AI, we are scared of irrelevance

@adlrocha Weekly Newsletter • 194 implied HN points • 08 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Creativity
  1. The real fear around AI is becoming irrelevant rather than the technology itself. Learning first principles and developing taste helps you adapt and know when to trust or override AI.
  2. Relying on vibe-coding and AI agents can create shallow work and false progress, so don’t outsource all your thinking. Keep practicing deep problem-solving and creative thinking to stay useful.
  3. Software engineering is moving up the stack toward systems thinking and domain expertise, so context matters more than raw implementation skill. Become a generalist who reclaims time to think, cultivates taste, and keeps learning new foundations.

On quantity and quality

Austin Kleon • 3776 implied HN points • 02 Apr 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. Making lots of work can actually help you create better work in the long run. The more you create, the more you learn from your mistakes.
  2. Focusing too much on making everything perfect can hold you back. If you worry less about perfection, you might surprise yourself with something great.
  3. The idea is that practicing quantity helps improve quality. It's about taking action and experimenting instead of just thinking about what could be perfect.

Vermeer

Patti Smith • 11792 implied HN points • 08 Apr 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. Vermeer's exhibition featured 28 of his 37 known works in one space.
  2. Vermeer faced financial struggles and only sold two paintings a year.
  3. Vermeer's family, though not wealthy in their lifetime, are admired through his works today.

AI: A Reflection of You

Polymathic Being • 42 implied HN points • 08 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Creativity
  1. How you use AI acts like a mirror: people fall into archetypes who either hype it, fear it, pragmatically balance it, mindlessly dump content, or reject it outright.
  2. A pragmatic, human-centric approach wins — use AI to augment human creativity and judgment while leaning on curiosity, humility, and intentional reframing.
  3. Treat AI as a respectful, rigorous collaborator to get better results, but beware of over-optimizing too early and squeezing out exploration and discovery.

"Wait, What Did You Just Say to Me?"

Story Club with George Saunders • 90 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Watch out for fake social accounts; official communication will only come from the Story Club email and never from Instagram.
  2. The tour is over and, despite recent family and health scares, things turned out well; audience support helped counter the loneliness and fragility the road can bring.
  3. A blunt "change your life" admonition from a music teacher was a lightly shaming moment that prompted deep self-knowledge and shaped the approach to writing and teaching.

Understanding perfectionism

Austin Kleon • 2837 implied HN points • 23 Apr 24
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Perfectionism isn't just about wanting everything to be perfect. It's more about noticing the gap between what's ideal and what's real, which can hold people back from creating.
  2. Many people may not realize they are perfectionists until they understand the signs. Recognizing this can help in overcoming blocks to doing what you want.
  3. Embracing imperfections can actually be a more freeing approach to creativity. It allows for mistakes and messiness, which can lead to more genuine art and expression.

The Second Annual Blog Post Competition, Extravaganza, and Jamboree

Experimental History • 7495 implied HN points • 27 May 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. The internet is a big experiment we're all part of, and everyone can contribute to how it turns out. Your actions online can shape this space, so don't just sit back and watch!
  2. Blogging is like a block party where everyone is welcome. More voices can make the experience richer, so don't be afraid to jump in and share your thoughts.
  3. There's a chance for everyone to be heard on the internet. Even if you think no one will listen, your unique perspective might be just what someone else is looking for.

Notes on Not Posting

Working Theorys • 430 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Taking breaks from posting reclaims time, privacy, and a sense of freedom. It reduces anxiety and comparison and frees energy for deeper, more meaningful work.
  2. Posting often traps you in a consumption-and-performance loop that makes you think in posts and monitor metrics. Stepping away breaks that loop, improves sleep and creativity, and encourages long-term value over quick hits.
  3. Absence clarifies relationships and perspective: true friends reach out while casual audiences fade, and the internet keeps moving without you. Reclaiming time is ultimately about regaining self-respect and control over your attention.

😀😱 Of 'Pluribus' and progress

Faster, Please! • 1188 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Prioritizing peace and sameness can wipe out individuality and creativity, leaving a society stuck and unable to imagine a different future.
  2. Real innovation needs private space for ideas, the freedom to be wrong or strange, and competition or friction that challenges the status quo.
  3. A collective that removes disruption may seem peaceful but can lose the ability to reproduce, create, or even sustain itself, turning stability into civilizational decline.

My favorite artist

Austin Kleon • 4036 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. Many artists believe that all kids are born artists because they naturally create and imagine. Staying artistic is about keeping that sense of wonder and creativity as we grow up.
  2. A personal story highlights the moment a child started drawing, showing that creativity can start at a young age. Encouragement from parents helps nurture this talent.
  3. The act of drawing and creating is a joyful and playful experience, often leading to spontaneous and fun discoveries in art.

The Invisible Force Blocking Your Creativity

Changing The Channel • 6039 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Creativity
  1. Resistance is an invisible force that aims to prevent us from pursuing our deepest desires and goals.
  2. Procrastination is a common manifestation of Resistance and serves as an easy way to rationalize avoiding our work.
  3. Critics and naysayers, including those close to us, may stem from their own fears and insecurities, projecting them onto our creative endeavors.

Get Rich in Your Parent's Basement

The Honest Broker • 13464 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. The media and entertainment industry is changing. Indie creators are making more money now, thanks to platforms like YouTube that pay them fairly.
  2. Streaming services like Netflix are struggling because they're trying to cater to viewers with less attention. Making content for casual watching can backfire and lose loyalty from audiences.
  3. Big tech companies are starting to mimic each other. For example, Microsoft is pretending to be like Google instead of standing out on its own, showing a lack of true innovation.

Look Before You Leap

The Leap • 1738 implied HN points • 21 May 24
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Writing is a commitment to your readers. It's important to share your thoughts and connect with them, even if it feels like work sometimes.
  2. You shouldn't wait for the perfect moment to take risks. Embrace uncertainty and jump in, even if you feel scared or unsure.
  3. This newsletter will cover various topics and ideas. It's a space for exploration, so expect different subjects and personal insights.

Why Being Weird Is Your Superpower

The Algorithmic Bridge • 1019 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Modern systems reward a narrow set of traits and punish deviance, which flattens culture and makes many people feel below average.
  2. AI amplifies that median by learning and reproducing the safest, most common patterns, which speeds cultural sameness—but by occupying those safe spaces it also forces humans to find value off the center.
  3. Being weird is now a strategic advantage: embrace your unique quirks and authentic voice so you stand out in ways machines can’t easily copy, and everyone can be weird relative to the new AI-shaped baseline.

When life is a metaphor

SPARC '24 JC Blog • 199 implied HN points • 27 Aug 24
🚌 Education Creativity
  1. Stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to personal growth. Trying new activities and meeting different people helps you learn more about yourself.
  2. Learning can happen in unexpected ways. Sometimes, you realize you've grown just by reflecting on your experiences rather than actively studying something new.
  3. Creating a supportive social group can inspire creativity and curiosity. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals makes it easier to explore new ideas and develop your passions.

Spend it all every time

Austin Kleon • 7593 implied HN points • 10 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. It's important to share all your good ideas right now and not hold back for later. You might find that more inspiration comes your way when you give your best work now.
  2. Writing should be approached with the mindset that each piece is your last chance. Don’t be afraid to put everything you have into it because new ideas will always come.
  3. Everything in life can inspire your work, so be open to stealing ideas from your experiences. This can lead to richer creativity and storytelling.

The future is built by small, weird groups

The Novelleist • 629 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Better futures are built by small, trust-rich groups that stay weird, focused, and intentional so their work can compound over time.
  2. Large algorithmic platforms reward virality, outrage, and simple narratives, which crushes nuance, slow thinking, and real creation and makes it feel like things can't get better.
  3. Instead of passive optimism or pessimism, join or create non-viral, small communities that prioritize curiosity, creation, and collective constraints so new, complex futures can be invented.

Joy in repetition

Austin Kleon • 3597 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Doing the same thing over and over can be joyful instead of boring. It may help you learn and create in ways you didn't expect.
  2. Repetition can turn challenging tasks into enjoyable habits. When you keep practicing, you may end up loving what you once found hard.
  3. Life is full of cycles and routines, and we should embrace them. Recognizing the beauty in repetition can lead to happiness and creativity.

The dumbest and best productivity trick

Subtle Maneuvers • 5719 implied HN points • 11 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Creativity
  1. Productivity trick: Create a space of forced boredom to focus solely on your work.
  2. Establish a routine: Allocate dedicated time daily for writing or creating without any distractions.
  3. Find joy in your work: Focus on tasks that bring you joy and fulfillment rather than making work unnecessarily difficult.

Do Artists Suffer?

The Honest Broker • 9009 implied HN points • 17 Feb 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Suffering is often seen as part of being an artist, but research shows it might not be true for creativity. Instead, suffering may boost ambition, especially in leaders.
  2. History shows that many successful leaders and creatives had difficult childhoods, like losing parents. This loss may actually spark creativity rather than hinder it.
  3. The idea that suffering drives creativity is backed by studies showing a link between personal loss and artistic achievement throughout history.

A Note of Gratitude to My Readers

Sarah Kendzior’s Newsletter • 6050 implied HN points • 24 Nov 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity
  1. The newsletter is supported by paying subscribers who help keep the content accessible to all, without a paywall, allowing everyone to enjoy the material equally.
  2. Writing and reading serve as powerful tools during tough times, providing companionship, creativity, and a way to connect with oneself and others.
  3. The importance of free access to art and culture, as demonstrated by the St. Louis Art Museum's commitment to being free for all, supported by voluntary contributions and public funding.

Holiday practice

Austin Kleon • 5275 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Artists need to create to feel their best. Taking breaks is okay, but too long without art can make life harder.
  2. Finding small ways to practice art during busy times, like the holidays, helps keep us feeling whole. Even a little time for creativity matters.
  3. Making space and time for creativity is key. You can get creative with when and where you practice, like being active when others are asleep or using portable materials.

10 Things to Remember as a New Year Begins

The Algorithmic Bridge • 509 implied HN points • 02 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Aim for a happy home and close relationships as the heart of a good life. Investing in warmth and belonging gives everyday meaning.
  2. Love and live your life as it is—notice small beauties and treat each day as a fresh canvas. Choosing curiosity and creativity over perfection helps you find joy in simple moments.
  3. Keep your paths open and stay resilient because life keeps offering new chances. Reframing setbacks and renewing your perspective makes it easier to feel alive again.

The Novelty Famine

The Bigger Picture • 2995 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Novelty is a transformative force that can counter endless repetition in culture. We are living through a novelty famine where everything feels tired and commoditized.
  2. Traditionalism and spirituality are making a comeback as people seek freshness in a world saturated with repetitive content.
  3. Creating the conditions for revelation to transform culture involves aligning with the sacred, listening for its song, and fostering moments of awe that render our existing categories obsolete.

Idea gardens

Austin Kleon • 3976 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Creativity
  1. Creative ideas grow like plants, and they take time to develop. Just like gardening, you need to nurture your ideas to see them flourish.
  2. Not every idea will succeed, and that's okay. Some ideas might not grow well or will need more attention as you work on them.
  3. It's important to revisit your ideas over time. By looking back at your creations, you can see what ideas are worth pursuing and what needs to be pruned away.

Power Is Shifting Rapidly to Indie Creators

The Honest Broker • 11037 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
💼 Business Creativity
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Why don’t you try typing?

Austin Kleon • 4056 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Writing can feel really difficult, and it often brings back memories of hard school assignments. It's important to remember that writing doesn't have to be a punishment; it can also be a creative and enjoyable process.
  2. Like the actors who approach their roles differently, we can also choose how we face challenges in our creative work. Sometimes, maybe we just need to jump in and start, rather than overthink it.
  3. Getting caught up in complicated planning can make us feel stuck. Instead, putting our fingers to the keyboard and just typing can help us make real progress on our ideas.

Every writing book is good

Austin Kleon • 3317 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
📚 Literature Creativity
  1. Every writing book can help you start writing. Even if it feels hard, just getting words on a page is a big step.
  2. It's normal for your first drafts to be messy and not great. Writing is a process, and you can fix things up later.
  3. Writing can be tough for everyone, no matter how many books you've written. It's okay to feel challenged and scared about creating something new.