Designed Life Challenge, Day 11

Working with Your Natural Creative Rhythms

Writing prompts:

When do ideas come most naturally to you? Morning, afternoon, evening? Alone or with others? In motion or stillness? Write about your patterns.

Think about the last time you felt ‘in flow.’ Describe the environment, time of day, and circumstances in detail. What can you learn from this?

Vault:

​Morning Person or Night Owl

Natural and Evoked Creative Rhythms

Creativity doesn’t always strike when it’s most convenient. Some ideas emerge in quiet moments, others during deep research, and some appear when we least expect them, like just before sleep. Understanding when and how inspiration flows can be the key to harnessing creativity more effectively.

When Creativity Strikes: Learning to Work with Natural Rhythms

If I followed my natural creative instincts, my best ideas would come late at night. Often just as I’m settling into bed. In these moments, my mind fills with possibilities, ideas racing so fast that I struggle to rest. But as much as I enjoy this burst of inspiration, life doesn’t allow me to fully embrace it. There are responsibilities waiting in the morning: family, work, daily routines.

Over time, I had to shift my creative habits. I can still tap into inspiration, but now I do it intentionally. I’ve trained myself to enter a creative mindset during the day, in structured moments of focus and silence. It’s a different approach, less about waiting for inspiration to strike and more about summoning it on demand.

The Last Time I Was in Flow

A few days ago, I found myself in that perfect state of creative flow. It was around 8 PM in my office. I was deeply immersed in studying the architectural and cultural heritage of a specific region for a project. As I absorbed the details, the ideas began to take shape naturally. I started sketching, letting intuition guide me.

By the time I finished, I had several rough concepts ready. I left them on my colleague’s desk for 3D development, knowing that in the morning, I’d refine the vision further. The process reminded me of how important it is to allow enough time for raw ideas to develop before jumping to final conclusions. If anything, I would have loved just a little more time to linger in the sketching phase.

Artistic Flow vs. Professional Creativity

There’s an undeniable romance to waiting for a late-night spark of genius. It feels artistic, free-flowing, and exciting. But I’ve learned that relying solely on inspiration is not sustainable in a professional setting. Now, I see creativity as a skill, something I can control rather than something that controls me.

Both approaches have value: the spontaneous burst of inspiration and the disciplined ability to create on demand. But at this stage in my life, structure wins. The trade-off? A stronger balance between work, creativity, and the most important thing: family.

Reflection