3 Creative Habits That Might Change How You See Things

Today, we’re not here to give you “life hacks”.

What we’re sharing are things we do all the time in the creative industries.

Things every singer, dancer, actor, musician, director, or creative professional uses without thinking.

They don’t make life easier.

But they do change how you move through it.

Think of them as creative habits - small mindset shifts that can help you respond differently when things wobble, feel messy, or don’t go to plan.

Here are our top three.

1. There Is Always a Solution (So It’s Not Really a Problem)

In the creative world, things go wrong constantly!

Someone doesn’t turn up.

A prop breaks.

A lift doesn’t work.

A cue is missed.

And yet… the show still goes on.

Why?

Because creatives don’t panic about the problem - we immediately look for the solution.

You don’t stop and spiral.

You don’t stress about what should have happened.

You ask one question:

“Okay — what’s the solution?”

Sometimes it’s simple.

Sometimes it’s messy.

Sometimes it ends with Beccy turning into a gorilla on stage in the middle of MD-ing a show because… there wasn’t a person to play the gorilla that night.

(Yes. That happened.)

And here’s the key bit:

The audience never knew there was a problem in the first place.

Try this in everyday life:

• When something goes wrong, pause before reacting

• Say: “Right. What’s the solution here?”

• Focus forward, not backwards

You can always laugh about it later.

Most of the time, it works out better than expected anyway.

2. Stop Measuring Yourself Against Other People

In the arts, comparison is everywhere.

You audition next to someone doing the same piece.

You study artists you admire.

You’re expected to recreate something “in the style of”.

And very early on, you learn something important:

It will never be the same. And it shouldn’t be.

You’re a different height.

A different background.

A different brain.

A different story.

Even something as small as being left-handed instead of right-handed changes the outcome.

The arts only move forward because people stop copying and start trusting their way of doing things.

Otherwise, everything becomes a copy of a copy of a copy.

And the same is true in life.

Social media. Careers. Parenting. Business. Creativity.

There’s always someone doing it differently - or louder - or faster.

But your way?

That’s the only way that will ever feel right for you!

Try this in everyday life:

• Notice when comparison creeps in

• Ask:“What would this look like if I did it my way?”

• Focus on what feels natural, not what looks impressive

There’s no “right” or “wrong”.

There's only what works best for you.

3. A “No” Isn’t a Bad Thing

In the arts, you hear no a lot.

Sometimes it’s a clear no.

Sometimes it’s silence.

Sometimes you don’t even get feedback.

And here’s what creatives learn (eventually):

A no doesn’t mean you’re bad.

It usually means you weren’t the right fit - and quite often, it wasn’t right for you either.

A no can:

• protect you

• redirect you

• slow you down just enough to reassess

The trouble starts when you fight the no.

When you keep pushing against the wall instead of stepping back, adjusting the sails, and heading in a different direction.

Most of the time, the better path appears after the no - not before it.

Try this in everyday life:

• When you hit a no, don’t personalise it

• Ask:“What can I learn from this?”

• Consider whether it’s time to pause, pivot, or re-route

A no isn’t the end.

It’s information.

One Last Thought

These aren’t big, dramatic changes.

They’re small shifts in how you respond:

• to problems

• to comparison

• to rejection

They’re habits creatives build over years - and you don’t need to be an artist to use them.

So maybe this week, ask yourself:

What if I tried just one?

And if you’ve got your own everyday creative “hack” - something you’ve learned from your world that helps in life - we’d love to hear it.

Your journey.

Your story.

And maybe… a few creative habits along the way.