Improving your creativity doesn’t always come down to talent or the tools you use. It’s often about the foundational habits you build when the camera isn’t in your hands. Small, consistent changes to your daily life can have a major impact on how often and how well you create.
Coming to you from Rick Bebbington, this honest video explores how improving your mental health, mindset, and daily habits can lead to better creative work. Bebbington highlights how talent alone isn’t enough to sustain creativity. You need to show up and create consistently, even when inspiration feels elusive. He explains how impostor syndrome, perfectionism, and procrastination often keep people from reaching their potential. By addressing these challenges, you can maintain the clarity and confidence needed to create regularly. Bebbington shares the importance of talking about your struggles, whether with friends, therapists, or even strangers, to help reduce the mental barriers that hold you back.
The video also discusses the role of daily habits in boosting creativity. Bebbington explains how activities like journaling, mindfulness, and regular exercise contribute to improved mental health, which in turn supports creative work. He underscores the benefits of staying active, particularly as you age, to maintain stamina and energy for photography or other pursuits. By building these habits, you’re better equipped to tackle creative projects, carry equipment, and keep your mind sharp. Simple actions like stepping away from screens, taking a walk, or finding a routine that fits your lifestyle can help sustain your energy and focus.
Bebbington shifts focus to the impact of digital consumption on creativity. He shares how curating what you consume online, from social media to news, can reduce negativity and boost inspiration. Comparing yourself to others online can be a trap, but reframing that comparison as inspiration—or better yet, comparing yourself to your past work—can help you stay motivated. Bebbington emphasizes that by tweaking your digital habits, you’ll not only feel more positive but also see a noticeable improvement in your creative output.
For those battling creative blocks, Bebbington offers practical advice. He highlights the importance of action, even small steps, to spark motivation. Embracing imperfection and learning when to rest versus push can make the creative process more sustainable. These tips tie into the broader theme of consistency: treating your work as a craft rather than a hobby and committing to showing up regularly. This mindset shift can help you overcome roadblocks and build momentum over time. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Bebbington.
When I was a paid professional from 1996-2007 this was the one thing that kept my employment moving forward, consistency. It was key in the film days. Mistakes weren’t really an option in processing film, especially when I ran an Ektachrome processing lab for 14 of those years. Creativity was nice, but consistent quality was my paycheck.