From One Artist to Another: Reflection Can Fuel Creativity
What’s up, creative people. Makayla Binter here, talking about one of my favorite end of year activities: reflection.
I know, I know. It sounds random, but reflection is crucial to the creative process. In order to pour out our creativity, to share and connect with others and to express ourselves intentionally, we need opportunities to reflect.
We need time to reflect on where we started, where we have been and where we are going.
One of my favorite things my mentor, John Hairston Jr., talks about in his process for reflection is the creative process during winter. He describes winter as a season of hibernation for creatives. Get in the studio or your creative space. Make for yourself and make for the sake of making.
If you are unsure what that looks like or how to begin, here is where I start:
- Revisiting My Goals:
At the beginning of every year, I set goals or an “ideal” for myself. Things do not always go as planned, but this is a great opportunity to reflect on where I started, what I wanted and how those goals may have changed, often for the better. - Taking Stock of What I Produced:
I look back at the work I created throughout the year and make notes on my stylistic choices and their quality. What made some pieces more successful than others in composition, color palette, movement or detail? These moments are opportunities to learn and grow. - Making My Space Comfortable:
Much like spring cleaning, working in a space you actually enjoy and can navigate easily will encourage you to spend more time there. Add favorite quotes, works or sketches to the walls and keep your most inspiring books nearby.
Pro tip: I promise neither I nor The Biscuit are sponsored by The Artist’s Way, but I recommend it to everyone. Or, at the very least, choose a self-help or creative reflection book that speaks to you. After reading, the lessons will stay with you all year.
How often do you create simply because you want to? Not because someone commissioned you, asked you to or needed you for a performance, but just for you. We might assume the answer is “all the time,” but often that is not the case.
Take a moment to reflect on the work you made this year. How much of it came with total creative freedom? How much of it felt playful, curious or even a little childish in the best way?
Making work this way allows your style and skill to grow. It is part of putting in the 10,000 hours it takes to master a craft. Take risks. Step outside your creative comfort zone.
Experiment with these ideas:
- Push Your Ideas to the Brink:
In art school, we encouraged one another to push ideas until they “broke,” meaning there was nowhere else to go (you could have also literally destroyed something). Take a piece and literally break it apart. Reimagine what is possible. That edge is often where your truest work lives. - Try Creative Challenges:
Limit your color palette. Restrict your materials. Choose a single theme. Challenges help reveal what you can do within and beyond your comfort zone. - Use Found Objects:
As you organize your space, look around your home or your digital files. Use what you already have. Many of us hold onto things with the intention of using them later. This might be that moment.
Pro tip: Try a medium you have not used in a while. If you are a visual artist who once played an instrument, find a simple and accessible way to revisit it. If you paint with oils, try pastels. If you work with clay, experiment with plaster or papier-mâché. Explore. Have fun.
Wins, both big and small, deserve to be celebrated. They might be related to your art or to life in general, but they matter all the same. Sharing wins, even with a small group of people, on social media or with a beloved pet, can motivate you to keep going.
Did your creativity help pay a bill? Celebrate.
Did you accomplish something you once thought was impossible? Celebrate.
Did you meet someone new and grow your network? Celebrate.
Did you connect one creative with another? Celebrate.
Did you encourage someone to explore an idea? Celebrate.
Celebration is often reserved for major milestones, but it does not have to be. Small steps are what lead to the biggest leaps.
Keep leaping, creative friends.
P.S – And to hold ourselves accountable for the things we say (and publish), we will be taking some time as a team to reflect, rest and celebrate. We can’t wait to kick off 2026 with high energy at CreativeMornings/Charlotte (LINK HERE TO RSVP) on Jan. 2nd. See you there!