Success Advice
4 Techniques to Spur Creativity in a Noisy World

You feel that familiar buzz in your pocket as you finally detach your eyes from the spreadsheet you’ve been staring at all day to reach for your iPhone. It’s your significant other, and they need you to call them right away. After pausing your Spotify app and removing your earphones from your ear, you dial them while simultaneously thinking about that YouTube video you were planning on watching during your break.
After you’re finished conversing about the latest political blunder you read about on Facebook, you hang up and head back to your desk. After bouncing back and forth between the spreadsheets and emails all day, it’s finally time to go home where you spend the evening watching Netflix until you fall asleep. Once you wake up, you realize you had planned to work on your creative project that day but somehow got lost in all the daily distractions.
If this sounds like a typical day-in-the-life for you then you’re not alone. Plenty of us have been sucked into the digital sphere of distractions to the point where it’s considered normal to be so all-over-the-place.
The thought of taking a few minutes out of our days to work on a creative endeavor seems impossible. Or worse, when we do find the time, we end up not getting anything done due to a “lack of inspiration.” Thankfully, there are things we can do to help spur creativity and get things done.
Here are 4 techniques that will help ignite your inner creativeness:
1. Be Fully Present
In this day and age, it’s easy to have our minds pulled in fifty different directions at once thanks to our smartphones and computers. Not only is this a problem for people while at the office, but it’s also been shown to have a very negative impact on people’s creative lives.
If you plan on creating something, try to eliminate as many distractions as possible and position yourself in a place where you can be fully present.
For me, I have a designated room where I spend my time writing or creating music. It’s quiet, my phone is left in the other room, and I have all of the tools in front of me ready to be used including my laptop, my piano, and my guitar. Without this place, I find it much more difficult to engage with my creative side due to distractions and noise around me.
“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” – American Proverb
2. Start Your Project Even If You Don’t Feel Ready
This is a tricky one for most of us – why would we start something big if we’re not fully sure how it will end up? We love to plan things out, research, talk to others about our ideas, etc. while never actually starting our projects.
The best advice anyone ever gave me was to simply start whatever it is I want to do and figure it out as I go along. It was this advice that allowed me to finish writing my first song after spending years making excuses as to why I wasn’t ready to write one yet.
I needed to listen to a little bit more Bob Dylan for lyrical inspiration, read a couple more books about the Beatles for chord inspiration, and learn a few more City and Colour songs on guitar for melody inspiration before I was ready to write my own song. In other words, I needed to feel ready before I started.
Unfortunately, we’re never going to be fully ready by most of our standards. It wasn’t until I grabbed a notepad out of frustration over my lack of action and penned a couple phrases that I had a sudden revelation that I was actually writing a song. A day later, I had the entire song penned including a chord progression and melody. A week later, I wrote another song from start to finish in just 4 hours.
Had I not taken action and actually started the process of creating by putting pen to paper, I would have never experienced the creative flow that allowed me to write these songs.
The 17th-century British poet George Herbert put it best when he said, “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, work with whatever tools you have, and better tools will be found as you go along.”
3. Develop a Routine and Don’t Wait for Inspiration
Chuck Close put it brilliantly when he said, “Inspiration is for amateurs – the rest of us just show up and get to work.” Inspiration, while certainly important, pales in comparison to the simple act of developing a routine.
In the book “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work”, the author highlights how famous novelists such as Michael Chabon and Haruki Murakami have set routines each week that they spend writing.
This is the secret to their success more than just being inspired – they developed a pattern of behavior that gives them the time to allow their creativity to flow. Personally, I find it much easier to write music when I set aside time during the day to create rather than waiting around for inspiration to hit me like a ton of bricks.
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” – Vincent Van Gogh
4. Stop Constantly Listening to Success Stories
While I have been inspired greatly by the success stories of others, if I’m not careful I can quickly find myself spending more time focusing on other people’s success rather than my own.
Problems arise when I begin comparing myself to others and this, in turn, makes me feel frustrated that I’m not yet experiencing the level of creative success that these people are.
The cruel irony of the situation is that listening to these stories that are supposed to be motivating can actually make me feel less motivated if I overindulge. It wasn’t until I took a break from consuming this content and, instead, learned to celebrate where I was in the creative process that I gained that sense of motivation to keep striving for more.
I’m always reminded of the fact that when I was younger, I spent hours creating and publishing satirical videos on the internet, writing creative short stories, and even producing beautiful melodies on my piano without listening to a single podcast or reading a single motivating article. These tools are effective motivators, but relying on them rather than your own inner creativity can leave you feeling unmotivated and scatter-brained.
Creativity isn’t just dependent on inspiration, it’s instead dependent on people taking action and eliminating distractions. If you wish to explore your creative side, spend some time figuring out what space you need to make for yourself to unleash your creative potential and take action.
How to you remain creative in your daily life? Let us know your tips and advice below!
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These 11 Habits Will Make You More Productive, Successful, and Confident
Boost your focus, confidence, and results with 11 powerful habits successful people use every day.

Successful people love to help beginners. They have an incredible work ethic and rarely complain. As a result, others naturally look up to them and want to follow in their footsteps.
But here’s the truth: there’s no success without sacrifice. You’ll need to give up comfort, excuses, and sometimes even social approval to accomplish your goals.
Value comes from solving problems, and these 11 powerful tips will help you become more productive, successful, and confident, starting today.
1. Take Short Breaks After Finishing a Task
Psychology shows it’s important to reward positive behaviour.
After completing a big task or finishing a book, take five minutes to walk, stretch, or simply breathe. This quick reset helps your brain recharge and strengthens focus.
Many great writers swear by morning walks, solitude, and reflection can unlock creativity.
But if you refuse to take breaks, don’t be surprised when burnout hits. Your brain needs recovery time just as much as your body does.
2. Schedule Your Most Important Tasks First
Multitasking kills productivity. If you want to get more done, try time blocking, a method where you dedicate set periods for specific tasks.
Productivity expert Caitlin Hughes explains, “Time blocking involves scheduling blocks of time for your tasks throughout the day.”
For example, if you’re a writer:
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Research your topic at night.
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Write your first draft in the morning (don’t worry if it’s rough).
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Edit in the afternoon, great writing comes from rewriting.
You can’t buy more time. Use it intentionally and without regret.
3. Eliminate Distractions from Your Workspace
Focus is the foundation of success.
According to Inc. Magazine, it takes an average of 23 minutes to recover from a distraction. That’s nearly half an hour of lost productivity every time you check your phone.
Put your phone away. Close unnecessary tabs. And yes, limit your Netflix binges.
Meeting deadlines consistently is one of the fastest ways to stand out and earn respect.
4. Take Full Responsibility for Your Life
Entrepreneur Derek Sivers once said, “Everything is my fault.”
This mindset doesn’t mean self-blame; it means self-ownership. Stop pointing fingers, making excuses, or waiting for others to change.
If your habits (like smoking or drinking too much) hold you back, it’s time to make better choices. Your friends can’t live your dreams for you; only you can.
5. Invest an Hour a Day in Learning New Skills
Knowledge compounds over time.
Whether you read books, take online courses, or practise a craft, consistent learning gives you a competitive edge.
I used to struggle with academic writing, but I improved by studying the work of great authors and applying what I learned.
Your past doesn’t define you; your actions do. Every new skill adds another tool to your arsenal and makes you more unstoppable.
6. Develop a Growth Mindset
Psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck introduced the concept of fixed vs. growth mindset.
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A fixed mindset believes success is based on natural talent.
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A growth mindset believes success comes from effort and learning.
Choose the growth mindset. Embrace challenges. See failures as feedback. In today’s fast-moving digital world, adaptability is your biggest advantage.
7. Learn Marketing to Reach People Who Need You
I once believed marketing was manipulative, until I realised it’s about helping people solve problems.
If your work provides genuine value, marketing is how you let others know it exists. Even Apple spends billions on it.
Don’t be ashamed to promote your skills or business. Without visibility, your ideas will never reach the people who need them most.
Creative professionals who understand marketing and sales have an unfair advantage.
8. Ask Your Mentor the Right Questions
Good mentors can fast-track your growth.
While mentorship often costs money, it’s one of the best investments you can make. Great mentors don’t care about titles; they care about your progress.
If you don’t have access to a mentor yet, books are your silent mentors. Read the best in your field, take notes, and apply what resonates.
9. Build Confidence Through Action, Not Affirmations
Author Ryan Holiday once said, “I don’t believe in myself. I have evidence.”
Confidence doesn’t come from shouting affirmations into the mirror; it comes from proof. Doing hard things, keeping promises to yourself, and following through.
When you consistently take action, your brain gathers evidence that you can handle whatever comes next. That’s real confidence, grounded, earned, and unshakable.
10. Focus on Your Strengths
Your strengths reveal where your greatest impact lies.
If people compliment you on something often, it’s a clue. Lean into it.
A former professor once told me I was creative, and that simple comment gave me the confidence to go all in. I studied creativity, applied it daily, and turned it into my career advantage.
Double down on your strengths. That’s how you build momentum and mastery.
11. Identify and Challenge Your Limiting Beliefs
Your beliefs shape your reality.
For years, I believed I couldn’t be a great writer because of my chronic tinnitus and astigmatism, sensory challenges that made concentration difficult. But over time, I realised those struggles made me more disciplined, observant, and empathetic.
Your limitations can become your greatest motivators if you let them.
Avoid shortcuts. Growth takes time, but it’s always worth it.
Final Thoughts
Becoming productive, successful, and confident isn’t about working harder than everyone else. It’s about working smarter, consistently, and intentionally.
You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Start small: take a break after your next task, schedule your priorities, or spend one hour learning something new.
Every habit you change compounds into long-term success. Remember, true change comes from practising new behaviours.
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