8 tips to find your creative flow

Do you know that feeling of wanting to be creative, but something's holding you back? Your mind is cluttered, your expectations are too high, or you're too afraid to take the first step. But creativity isn't something reserved only for those with prior knowledge or talent. It's a natural part of us. And yet, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we often lose touch with it.

The good news is: Your creative flow is already within you and you can rediscover it at any time.

The creative flow has many facets

Before you delve into the individual impulses, one more thought might be important:

Creativity is so much more than painting or drawing. It manifests itself in many different forms: in crafting, DIY projects, writing, decorating, designing, or even in finding new (creative) solutions to challenges in everyday life or at work.

Creative flow is therefore not tied to a specific technique.
It can arise anywhere – whenever you experiment, remain curious, and engage in a process without knowing exactly where it will lead you.

Perhaps it helps to view the creative process less as "I have to create something now" and more as a personal journey of discovery. A journey on which you continually rediscover yourself, your preferences, your forms of expression, and your potential.

8 tips to find your creative flow

Tip 1: Create your own personal creative space

Find a place where you won't be disturbed and can completely focus on yourself.
This could be a table in your studio, a corner on the sofa, or even a sunny balcony.

But even more important than the place itself is the atmosphere: Make yourself comfortable, create a safe space that feels like you.

And don't just think of traditional "art." Perhaps today it's painting, tomorrow a small DIY project, designing a card, discovering your "self" by creating a vision board and collage, or trying out new ideas. All of this and much more can be part of your creative world.

Tip 2: Overcome creative blocks as part of your discovery

Blockages are not obstacles. They are often simply a sign that you don't yet know where you want to start.

Instead of letting them slow you down, you can see them as part of your journey of discovery:
What happens if you start anyway – without a plan, without a goal?

Perhaps no "finished work" will emerge, but only a first step. However, this first step is often the most difficult and, at the same time, the gateway to flow. 

If that's not quite working yet, here's a personal tip from me: I always start by choosing my favorite colors for painting a new artwork. What appeals to me today? What color scheme and mood am I in the mood for?

Tip 3: Allow yourself to experiment

The creative flow often begins where you stop trying to control everything. I know, that's easier said than done. 

How about simply renaming it to take the pressure off? Call it something like "Experimenting." That way, you open up a playful space for yourself.

Experiment with materials, colors, shapes, or completely different forms of creative expression: collages, small crafts, (art) journaling , or redesigning things you already have.

Creativity doesn't mean inventing something completely new, but often rediscovering something we already know.

Tip 4: Change your perspective on perfectionism and failure

Is perfectionism also your constant companion? I know that feeling all too well. At first, I found it very difficult to distance myself from it, to switch off my mind and concentrate on my inner voice. 

What helps: Change your perspective.
If we're afraid of making mistakes and want to create something "perfect," we need to reframe it. By deliberately reinterpreting the situation, perfectionism quickly fades into the background, and curiosity, experience, and the learning process take center stage.

Instead of seeing mistakes as the end, let's view them as valuable experience.

Because let's be honest, what weighs more – the many small, big, exciting steps along our way (e.g. with different colors, techniques, materials and tools) or this one finished result.

Always view your creative time as a journey of discovery where there is no "right" or "wrong". You're not here to deliver a perfect result, but to gain experience. Focus on the new skills you acquire and the things you learn about yourself along the way. 

And as soon as you stop initiating from your mind, the frustration level also decreases because you are no longer wasting your energy and removing unnecessary pressure. 

Every attempt, every stroke, and every idea is part of this journey, even if not everything feels coherent and not every result inspires enthusiasm. But that's precisely where the creative flow lies. And sometimes it's the unplanned moments that surprise us the most and help us grow.

Tip 5: Creative flow also means starting big

Many people think they have to start with small formats. They don't want to make any mistakes, they just want to see if it's something for them, and then maybe they can expand later. 

But I can say from my own experience: that only makes it unnecessarily complicated. In my first studio , I also started with small formats. But I quickly realized that this not only blocked and restricted me spatially – on the small sheet of paper – but also mentally. 

Therefore, my advice is: Dream big and start big right away. 

Because to truly enter a creative and intuitive painting flow , to let go and experiment, you need space. Without this space, you literally can't let it flow, and your mind quickly kicks in again, trying to create something "perfect."

For a canvas, I would recommend 70x50cm. I also use this format, for example, in my Floating Paint Workshops. 

Try it out, it's worth it!