On my walk to the studio this morning, I found myself thinking a lot about creativity. It wasn’t something I set out to do—honestly, I was just trying to wake up—but somewhere along the way, my mind started to wander. There’s something about walking that does that to me. The steady rhythm of my steps, the cool air against my face—it kind of opens things up in my head.
I started noticing little things: the way the sunlight spilled over the rooftops, a bird sitting on a crooked street sign, that colorful mural I pass every day but don’t always stop to look at. It got me thinking—creativity isn’t always about big, brilliant ideas. Sometimes, it’s just about paying attention. Noticing what’s around you. Letting your mind drift a bit.
“…it’s just about paying attention.”
It hit me that creativity isn’t just for artists or writers. It’s everywhere. It’s in the way we solve problems at work, how we figure out what to cook when the fridge is basically empty, or how we make a conversation flow when it’s getting awkward. It’s those little choices we make all day, shaping things as we go.
The walk also made me realize how often I’m too busy to let my mind breathe like that. I’m usually rushing from one thing to the next, staring at my phone, or ticking things off a to-do list. But creativity needs space. It needs those quiet moments when we’re not forcing it—when we’re just walking, noticing, letting thoughts come and go.
By the time I got to the studio, I felt lighter. I didn’t have some groundbreaking idea or anything, but I felt more open. More aware. Like maybe creativity is always right there—I just need to slow down and let it catch up with me. And then…paint what comes to me!