The hottest Creativity Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Art & Illustration Topics

Tinkering | #285

Boundless by Paul Millerd • 127 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Coding AI Creativity Learning Productivity
  1. Taking time for playful activities, or 'tinkering,' is important for creativity. It can help spark new ideas and keep your work enjoyable.
  2. Learning new skills like coding can be less intimidating with the right resources. Finding good courses or tools can make the process easier and more fun.
  3. Balance is key in life. Sometimes, stepping back from productivity can lead to greater discoveries and personal growth.

Handmind is heartwork

Austin Kleon • 2457 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Collage Creativity Craft Design
  1. Creating by hand connects our thoughts with our hearts. It helps us slow down and be more mindful about our work.
  2. Working with crafts can be a powerful way to express ourselves. It combines our ideas with physical creation.
  3. Collaboration and conversation can inspire new ideas. Sharing thoughts with friends can lead to meaningful projects.

The Future Belongs to The Imposter Writers

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 739 implied HN points • 19 Jun 24
📚 Literature Writing Creativity Authors Publishing Inspiration
  1. Feeling fear and self-doubt is normal and can even help you grow. It means you're pushing yourself and trying new things.
  2. Everyone has their own journey, so don't compare your start to someone else's success. You are exactly where you need to be right now.
  3. Instead of letting fear hold you back, use it as a motivator. Embrace your feelings and take risks for the chance of amazing rewards.
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Moving Beyond the Bumble Brag

Seven Senses • 699 implied HN points • 15 Jun 24
🎭️ Culture Self-promotion Art Music Identity Personal Growth Creativity
  1. It's important to share your achievements and talents. Hiding them can stop others from benefiting from your skills.
  2. Self-promotion should be seen as a way of showing respect for yourself and your work. It’s not about being boastful.
  3. Being too modest doesn't help anyone. Everyone deserves to shine and be recognized for their hard work.

Taylor Sheridan's Lightbulb Moment (Tapping into your creative energy)

Neckar’s Notes • 90 implied HN points • 11 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Creativity Film Writing Personal Development Identity
  1. Creative energy is essential for success. Like light bulbs, we need to be connected to a source to shine our brightest.
  2. Taylor Sheridan's career shows that persistence can lead to breakthroughs. After years of struggle, he shifted from acting to writing and directing, which changed everything for him.
  3. True change comes from understanding who you really are and being true to yourself. Sheridan found success when he embraced his true identity instead of trying to fit into a role.

Bored in an exam

Obvious Bicycle • 526 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
📚 Literature Poetry Writing Education Creativity Expression
  1. Students often feel bored during exams and sometimes struggle to stay focused. It's common for thoughts to wander and distractions to creep in.
  2. There's a mutual understanding between teachers and students about the exam stress, but it can feel awkward when everyone knows it.
  3. Many students wish they had studied more before the exam, realizing too late that they haven't prepared properly. This leads to a cycle of regret during the test.

Day 14. Fun Lesson: HOW TO HAVE FUN... DRAWING (Closed Eyes, Alternate Hand)

DrawTogether with WendyMac • 2928 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Drawing Community Creativity Lessons Challenges
  1. 30-Day Drawing Habit involves fun drawing lessons with no tests or rules, encouraging experimentation and new perspectives.
  2. Drawing should be fun, and to keep it that way, focus on playfulness, connection, and flow while letting go of perfectionism and judgement.
  3. Having fun while drawing helps retrain the brain to focus on positive things, promotes wellbeing, and can replace the urge to seek entertainment on social media.

Publish your enthusiasm

Austin Kleon • 5755 implied HN points • 04 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Art Literature Music Film Creativity
  1. Sharing your excitement can be really powerful. When you show your enthusiasm, it inspires others too.
  2. Reading a good book can transport you to another world. Dive into your favorite stories for a little escape and joy.
  3. Engaging in creative activities like drawing or painting is rewarding. They combine thinking and pleasure, making it enjoyable and satisfying.

The Great (im)Balance

Endless Explorations • 79 implied HN points • 27 Sep 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Design Creativity Illustration Self-Expression Art Theory
  1. Everyone has a logical side and an intuitive side. The logical side helps us stay on track, while the intuitive side can inspire creativity and lead to new ideas.
  2. Balancing logic and intuition is important for personal growth. We often suppress our creative side, but letting it express itself can lead to amazing results.
  3. Everyone has an inner voice that deserves to be heard. Listening to this voice and nurturing our creativity can unlock opportunities for more fulfilling experiences.

My People. Are You out There?

antoniomelonio • 199 implied HN points • 03 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Identity Mental health Community Literature Creativity
  1. Many people feel like outsiders and struggle to express their true selves. It's common to be drawn to others who also feel different.
  2. Life can feel boring and tiring, especially when trying to fit into societal norms. Finding joy and connection with interesting people is important.
  3. Reading fiction and engaging with meaningful topics can bring happiness. It's better to focus on what truly matters rather than on unimportant daily drama.

Chomp

Infinitely More • 20 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Games Logic Philosophy Analysis Creativity
  1. The game Chomp involves two players taking turns biting from a chocolate bar, and the goal is to avoid being the one to take the last bite. Players remove chocolate squares from the lower-left, taking away everything above and to the right of their chosen square.
  2. Winning strategies in Chomp can depend on whether you're going first or second, especially based on the size of the chocolate bar. Players need to think carefully about their moves to ensure they don't end up losing.
  3. Chomp is not just a fun game; it also teaches lessons about strategy and decision-making in game theory. Understanding how to analyze your options can give you an edge in winning.

Sharon Olds's huge archive of thinking and feeling

Subtle Maneuvers • 3321 implied HN points • 27 Nov 23
📚 Literature Poetry Writing process Authors Creativity
  1. Sharon Olds writes by hand and fills notebooks with writing as a way to think and feel through the world.
  2. Olds organizes her writing and creates a huge archive of thinking and feeling, even if not all of it gets published.
  3. Having fun with writing, treating it like drawing or dancing, can be an important part of the creative process.

Why it’s so hard for writers to ask for money for their work

Subtle Maneuvers • 4206 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Writing Creativity
  1. Asking for money for writing can be challenging for writers due to internal conflicts and complexities.
  2. Writers may struggle to ask readers for payment because of feelings of guilt and the fear of burdening others.
  3. One possible explanation for the difficulty in asking for money is the internal conflict arising from seeking compensation for creative work.

Perspective Engines

the shimmering void • 139 implied HN points • 29 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Gaming Human-computer interaction Design Creativity
  1. Video games can be more than just entertainment; they offer new ways to think and perceive the world. Playing them can lead to deeper understanding and focus.
  2. Creativity can be developed through experiences that push us to see things differently. It’s about learning and translating new perspectives into our lives.
  3. Software and design can help us understand our thoughts better. By creating spaces that encourage exploration, we can gain new insights and expand our thinking.

What my cooperative media ecosystem could look like

The Novelleist • 912 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Media Collaboration Creativity Ecosystem
  1. The idea is to create a network of independent writers who can work together while still keeping their own unique styles and incomes. This allows for more creativity and collaboration.
  2. By teaming up on projects like podcasts, films, or books, writers can reach a larger audience and make more money together than they could alone.
  3. There's a new platform called Metalabel that helps artists collaborate easily and split their earnings, making it possible for them to launch exciting media projects together.

Being Unrealistic

Animation Obsessive • 1524 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Animation Film Visual Arts Cultural Studies Creativity
  1. Cinema Fantasma, a stop-motion studio in Mexico, started with a big dream and little money. The founders had to get creative, making their own animation tools and props from scratch.
  2. The studio began on a rooftop in Mexico City, showing the dedication of the Ambriz brothers and their family. They transformed their home into a workspace to achieve their goal of creating a top-quality animated film.
  3. The making of 'Revoltoso' was a learning experience for everyone involved. The animators were new to the craft but worked hard to develop their skills for this project.

How to Become a Professional Writer

Shades of Greaves • 1946 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Writing Humor Satire Creativity Comedy
  1. There are various paths to becoming a professional writer, such as pursuing a career in novel writing, freelancing, television writing, or teaching writing.
  2. Writing professionally requires patience and perseverance; it is a challenging, unpredictable, but rewarding journey.
  3. To excel as a writer, you need to master the craft, be willing to break and rewrite rules, and navigate the complexities of the modern publishing landscape.

A love of life (or lack thereof)

Subtle Digressions • 599 implied HN points • 01 Jun 24
🎭️ Culture Creativity Art Writing Self-reflection Personal Growth
  1. As we grow older, we often lose the excitement and dreams we had when we were younger. Life becomes more practical and less about following our passions.
  2. It's important to give ourselves permission to be creative and to fail. We often hold back because we worry about how our work will be judged.
  3. Being honest with ourselves and others is key to finding joy and meaning in life. When we stop pretending and show our true selves, we can reconnect with what we love.

What Valentin Bunea Learned Writing Every Day for the Last 10 Years

Kristina God's Online Writing Club • 559 implied HN points • 05 Jun 24
📚 Literature Writing Creativity Personal Growth Education Self-Improvement
  1. Waking up early can boost creativity. Many people, like Valentin, find that they think better in the morning, so he wakes up at 5 AM to write.
  2. You can't please everyone with your writing. It's essential to stay true to your voice, even if some people disagree with your ideas.
  3. Daily practice in writing leads to improvement. Valentin learned that writing regularly helped him overcome his fears and build a strong love for writing.

The Arc of it All

CRAFT TALK • 3636 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Writing Novels Books Creativity Inspiration
  1. The author reflects on their writing journey and the unexpected evolution of their career.
  2. Writing novels is challenging but familiar, while exploring self-help books presented a new set of difficulties.
  3. The upcoming book focuses on creativity and writing, drawing inspiration from various voices to guide aspiring writers.

Writing Wrapped

Working Theorys • 148 implied HN points • 29 Dec 24
📚 Literature Writing Essays Philosophy Creativity Expression
  1. Writing regularly can help you find your voice and improve your skills over time. Even when life gets busy, making writing a priority can yield great results.
  2. Experimenting with different forms of expression and creativity is important. It's good to refresh your approach and try new things to keep your work interesting.
  3. Sharing personal reflections and insights can connect you with others. Writing about your journey and experiences makes your work relatable and engaging.