Creativity as a Way of Life – Designing a Life That Inspires You
The Creativity Advantage Serialisation - The Final Episode
We’ve spent this series talking about how to think more creatively, lead more creatively, and build things that matter.
But what if creativity isn’t just a skill or a tool or a habit?
What if it’s a way of living?
This final episode is not about your next project. It’s about the life that makes all your projects possible. A creative life isn’t just one where you make things. It’s one where you notice things. Question them. Reimagine them. Infuse everyday moments with curiosity and meaning.
Because your most valuable creative work isn’t always on a canvas or a screen. Sometimes it’s in how you listen, how you walk through a room, how you make someone feel seen. Sometimes the most original thing you create is your life.
What Does It Mean to Live Creatively?
It means:
Seeing patterns where others see the everyday
Choosing curiosity over judgment
Playing with ideas, even if they don’t lead anywhere useful
Using your time with intention, not obligation
Creating meaning, not just content
You don’t need a studio or a startup to live creatively. You just need a mindset that says, What if? and a spirit that says, Let’s find out.
Case Study: David Bowie’s Everyday Reinvention
David Bowie didn’t just reinvent his music. He reinvented himself. Again and again. Not for attention, but as his personal way of evolving.
He once said, “I’m always amazed that people take what I say seriously. Even I don’t take what I am seriously.”
That’s the creative life: not clinging to identity, but playing with it.
Bowie’s breakfast might have been ordinary, but his worldview was wild. He didn’t just create albums, he lived as art. That didn’t require a stage. Just a willingness to keep asking, Who am I becoming next?
Designing a Life That Feeds Your Creativity
You don’t have to move to Bali or quit your job to live more creatively. But you do have to make some deliberate choices.
Here’s a few good choices:
1. Feed your mind curiously and deliberately
What you take in shapes what you create. Scroll less. Wander more.
Choose books, conversations, art, and experiences that stretch your perspective. Expose yourself to people who live differently. Listen to music you don’t “get.” Eat something you can’t pronounce.
A creative life is a curious life.
2. Make Room for Nothingness
The best ideas often show up when your mind is quiet, not when you’re multitasking at 11PM.
Build in space where nothing is expected of you. Walks. Baths. Window-staring. Time to just be.
White space isn’t wasted time. It’s creative oxygen.
3. Practice Micro-Making
You don’t have to write a book or launch a company. You can:
Arrange flowers like a tiny sculpture
Write a birthday card like a poem
Cook a meal like it’s an improvisational jazz solo
Creativity isn’t about scale. It’s about spirit. When you bring that spirit into the small things, it spills over into the big ones.
4. Surround Yourself With the Bold and the Brave
Creativity is contagious. So is complacency.
Make space for people who dream, dare, and do. People who aren’t afraid to be wrong. People who laugh at the rules, or rewrite them. Their energy will infect your own.
If you want to live more creatively, upgrade the company you keep.
5. Redesign the Boring Bits
You brush your teeth every day. You commute. You send emails. So why not treat those as design or communication challenges?
What’s one small part of your day that could be:
More joyful?
More meaningful?
Less automatic?
Creativity lives in the corners. Start there.
What a Creative Life Is Not
Let’s clear a few things up.
It’s not:
Chaotic or flaky
Instagram-perfect
Always loud or expressive
About chasing novelty for its own sake
A creative life can be quiet. Grounded. Intentional. It’s not about being a bohemian stereotype. It’s about being awake.
Case Study: The Radical Simplicity of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen didn’t rush.
He once took five years to write a single song. He was deliberate. Gentle. Patient with his craft.
His creativity wasn’t a sprint. It was a slow, deep rhythm woven into his life.
He said, “Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.”
A creative life doesn’t force inspiration. It builds a fire that keeps it coming.
The Creative Audit
Set aside 30 minutes. Ask yourself:
What parts of my life feel dull or automated?
Where do I feel most alive?
What could I add (or subtract) that would invite more curiosity?
What have I stopped doing that used to bring me joy?
What’s one small experiment I could try this week?
This isn’t about an overhaul. It’s about tuning your frequency back to wonder.
Make Your Life the Masterpiece