These texts are oriented toward beginner artists or those who are at the start of their creative journey, seeking guidance and understanding of foundational concepts often overlooked by professionals. When discussing my daily creative work, I often encounter basic questions: How long does it take to create a piece? How do you find motivation and time to create? And the most common question of all, how do you deal with artist’s block? These are questions we all face at the beginning, and while I’ll delve deeper into these topics in the future, for now, I aim to provide practical and honest answers.

Time

In creativity, time is elastic; we stretch it out or compress it as needed. You can craft an amazing piece in a year or in fifteen minutes—it truly doesn’t matter. What does matter is cumulative time!

Let’s distinguish between two concepts: the “Concept of the Idea” and the “Concept of Making.” The former involves figuring out the meaning behind what you’re creating, why it’s structured a certain way, and so on. This can be unpredictable, as it may come to you while making coffee or through mindful searching. The latter, the “Concept of Making,” involves executing your idea with skill and technique. This is where the actual craft comes into play. The time required here depends on your medium and approach. You may find yourself going back and forth between these two concepts as you create. Writing one paragraph, then reading, rewriting it again. Writing a short story can take the same amount of time as writing a three-column poem; it’s just that in a poem, the “Concept of Idea” has taken more time rather than the “Concept of Making.” (*Someone might say that writing a poem is more about the “concept of making” rather than the “concept of idea,” and yes, it can work this way; the process might be intertwined. Again, I just want to highlight that there are two concepts, and we are consciously or unconsciously choosing on which one to concentrate more.)

Regarding actual numbers, creating something can take anywhere from 1 to 6 hours, depending on various factors. However, when starting your creative journey, don’t push yourself too hard. It’s essential to find a balance and build the stamina to create comfortably over time. Actual creativity is challenging, and there are different levels of it. An untrained creative can work for a maximum of 72-90 minutes (full-on concentration and in a state of flow), but a trained professional can continue for around 6 hours. Let’s be realistic: nobody actually creates for 6 hours straight; if they do, for the upcoming 3 days or so, they are juiced-out zombies, on maintenance mode.

Realistically, however, it’s best to aim for sessions lasting no more than 90 to 180 minutes. At the beginning, it’s best to finish working when you start feeling that the flow state has just kicked in. Stop at this moment and go do something else, leave it like this and come back to it the next time. It will keep you fresh and motivated for a longer period of time. And as you go, the results would come naturally, faster, and better. If you feel unsatisfied with the result, let go of the piece and start fresh. Create things that make you happy; results will come naturally, and in this state, you’re just building skill and habit.

Motivation & Creative Block

When someone asks me these questions, I feel like they are intertwined, seeking more meaningful advice rather than just practical solutions. The approach to motivation varies from one creative individual to another; some rely on discipline and willpower, while others possess an untamed natural drive, an infinite engine that propels them forward. My response to questions about motivation and creative blocks for young creatives is simple: “Creativity is a choice.”

It’s hard, and naturally, you will have a ton of questions that are combined with insecurities and complex personal emotions. And it’s even harder when you put all yourself into the work and are dissatisfied with the result or someone writes a really shitty critique. And that is okay—creativity is a choice. If you don’t want to create, you don’t have to. But if you have this strange tingling that you cannot create, that you need to share no matter what, and that feeling overpowers everything in your life, then do not worry; it will get easier as you mature. Because if you created something today, you will be a different person tomorrow.