Creative Sprints

If you want to develop a creative skill set, commit to a sprint of daily creation for a short period of time. Short sprints allow us to see what being a specific kind of creative is like.

When I did 30 blogs in 30 days in November 2018, it gave me a really good taste of what it would be like to be a writer. In 2017, I made a series of videos from trips I took to Hawaii, Yosemite, Fresno, and Venice Beach. This gave me a really solid idea of what it would be like to be a traveling videographer.

Creative sprints take the pressure off. We focus too much on the noun “creative”. We put our identity in being a writer or a singer. More often than not, this keeps us from creating, rather than enabling our creation. 

Creative sprints allow us freedom to create within the parameters, then evaluate and move forward. After making those videos in 2017, I decided it wasn’t for me. But after writing those blogs in 2018, I knew I had found something I could do every day. 

When we start creative projects, typically we work hard for 2 weeks, see little to no traction online, get discouraged, and stop. Creative sprints hold you to your commitment. It doesn’t matter if you’re famous yet or not. The point is to discover whether the creative discipline is something you can commit to doing for the long haul. Because that’s what it takes.

Stop focusing on the noun and start focusing on the verb. Being a creative isn’t something you are because you know how to use the tools. Everyone can use the tools. Photoshop costs less than Netflix. Get over yourself. What makes you a creative is creating every day. You either are a creative today or you aren’t. 

All the creatives we admire most commit to creating every day. Short sprints give us a window into that life. 

Try it out.