5 Unexpected Creativity Tools
A few favorites I can't live without ✍️
Every creative has specific tools they swear by.
Andy Warhol rarely left home without his Polaroid camera, Claude Monet preferred working with Japanese calligraphy brushes, and David Hockney is a huge fan of his iPad. Greta Gerwig writes everything in composition notebooks, Martha Graham rejected ballet slippers in favor of bare feet, and Frank Lloyd Wright loved colored pencils. Haruki Murakami says long-distance running is key to his process, and he keeps sneakers by the door. Beyoncé relies on multi-cam rehearsal footage to develop her performances, and Virginia Woolf was an early adopter of the standing desk.
I’m not sure I’m out here making Capital A ART like these figures, but I still believe that having an arsenal of your go-to tools, whether they apply literally/specifically to your work or not, is essential. As a content creator, I obviously swear by my MacBook, and as a nostalgiaphile, I love my Instax camera and washi tape. But I have a few sleeper tools that help streamline my creativity.
Not to be this person, but I honestly don’t know how I managed stress before having a consistent meditation practice. No matter where I am in the world, it’s something I can rely on to regulate my nerves and clear my head. I’m not saying I’m Jay Shetty, but no habit I’ve integrated has brought me more calm. And when I’m not anxious, I’m able to create. Clear head, open mind. I’m not at a point where I can just lock in on my own, which is why I’m obsessed with the app Insight Timer. They have thousands of meditations that you can filter by length, topic, sound features, etc. They also feature challenges, talks, and courses, and I’ve done a few focused explicitly on opening up creativity.
People don’t talk enough about the logistics of creativity, and certainly not about all the schlepping many creative outlets require. A folding wagon might be one of THE best $75 investments of my life, coming in handy beyond all expectations. I use it most often for trips to the flower market, allowing me to shop easily en masse. I pull my photography equipment and lights along with me instead of making four trips to the car. What it provides is a reduced stress level, saved time, and freedom to think big.
Every year, Ben and I open new pajamas on Christmas Eve. Last year, when mine were delayed in shipping, Ben grabbed our roll of butcher paper and surprised me with a pair he made for me like a life-size paper doll. It was a perfect example of the off-hand ingenuity that butcher paper provides and why we always have a roll handy. You can do anything with butcher paper. Wrap presents, create art, or menus, or table settings. With kids, it’s so fun to roll it along a full table and cover it in drawings, making a big, collaborative mural. You can make frame mats, gift tags, garlands, wall calendars, photo backdrops, confetti, project timelines, bookmarks, party hats, greeting cards, book covers, storage labels, vision boards… the list goes on.
Bandwidth, productivity, and creativity fluctuate daily. Some days, you need to work from bed, taking breaks with uninterrupted Architectural Digest home tours. Sometimes you need visuals for your favorite podcast or a quick, free tutorial. YouTube is a bottomless well of creative inspiration - live performances, animated shorts, sketchbook tours, calligraphy classes, experimental art techniques, and tutorials for almost anything imaginable. I’ve fallen down rabbit holes that've taught me how to do Chappell Roan’s drag makeup, create my own DIY floral wedding arch, flip thrift shop buys, make zines, and cook. I’ve been soothed by painting time lapses, miniature worlds, nature vlogs, and scrapbook process videos. I even taught myself Photoshop, video editing, and photography almost entirely through YouTube. Paying for premium doesn’t just skip ads, it helps support the thousands of creators making a living on the platform.
I never go anywhere without a pen. In fact, I told Kara Swisher that last month when I loaned her one before a panel. (I never got it back, by the way.) My pen of choice is the Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip, which I buy in bulk. To me, there’s nothing as chic as having a dedicated pen. (Unless it’s ballpoint, in which case you can please see yourself out.) I feel a flourishing sense of ritual and identity by writing with the same pen all the time. It makes writing things feel personal and intentional, and, in certain cases, such as the one above, can give off an air of preparedness and professionalism. I also find that having a pen you love encourages tactile creativity. Journaling, postcard writing, doodling during meetings, brain dumping, list making - a good pen makes mundane tasks more enjoyable, and creative or mindful tasks just a little bit more luxurious. I don’t know what your perfect pen is, but I recommend finding it.
I love learning about other people’s creative habits, routines, and processes - no two are the same. Do you have any surprise tools that help with your work? Tell me!
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I love this list! Le Pens for me. ❤️
I'm always skeptical of lists like these but this one was truly original. The butcher paper idea is brilliant, and yes, always carrying a pen is essential.