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Want to be a success as a creative? Then, unfortunately, there are no easy shortcuts. Unless you’re incredibly lucky, you’re going to have to put a lot of work in over a number of years, if not decades, before you even start to approach your ultimate goals.
Sometimes, though, the simplest tip can help get you there a little faster. So it’s well worth paying to the advice of your fellow creatives,
To gather some nuggets of wisdom, we asked members of our community, The Studio, to share the creative insights that revolutionised their process.
In our weekly Wednesday Wisdom prompt, we posed the question: “What’s one piece of creative advice that totally transformed your process or perspective?”
The responses were thoughtful, varied and packed with practical wisdom that any creative can apply. In this article, we share some of the best. Meanwhile, you can read the full discussion here. (If you’re not a Studio member yet, don’t worry: it’s totally free to join).
“You can always paint it twice.”
For artist and educator Irene Ruby, the game-changing realisation came when she shifted her definition of success.
“The biggest shift in my perspective came when I stopped measuring success by how ‘good’ a piece looked and started measuring it by whether I showed up to create,” she recalls.
Like many, Ruby used to judge her work harshly, questioning whether it was skilled or impressive enough. But she came to understand that the artists she admires aren’t great because every piece is perfect—they’re great because they consistently show up and create.
And where did this revelation come from? A simple phrase from her partner—”You can always paint it twice”—removed the pressure of perfection.
This permission to revisit and rework freed her from the fear of making mistakes and allowed her to truly enjoy the creative process.
“If you want to grow creatively, don’t wait for inspiration—just show up,” Irene advises. “And remember, your first try doesn’t have to be your last.”
For more advice on this topic, read How to beat the menace of perfectionism.
“Some days, you will fail.”
Brand identity designer Abhinav Yadav shares how he received some transformative advice from sports journalist Harsha Bhogle: “Admit that some days you will fail, and forget about the outcome. When we start worrying about the outcome, we lose the present.”
This perspective has helped Abhinav navigate the inevitable ups and downs of creative work. “Some days are not for winning,” he reflects. “They are just about hanging in there.”
This advice reminds us that creative success isn’t about constant victory but about persistence through both triumphant moments and challenging ones.
In a similar vein, painter Lyly Dhommar has embraced two complementary mantras: “Fail fast, learn fast” and “Done is better than perfect.”
These reminders came from a close friend who pushed Lyly to move beyond perfectionism and into action.
“If you keep things in your head, no matter how advanced they look, they don’t exist at all!” Lyly explains. “So make something and work with that, try, fail, update, do better—it will lead you closer to your goal.”
“New ideas come from boredom and creative play.”
For brand and content strategist Emily O’Brien, a breakthrough piece of advice has been: “Creativity and new ideas come from boredom and creative play—not overthinking and pressure.”
For this reason, she recommends blocking out dedicated time for creative play each week. This might involve going for a walk and finding faces in everyday objects or listening to music and drawing whatever comes to mind.
Marketing consultant and copywriter Denise Strohsahl echoes this sentiment, noting that dedicating a half-day every week to creative play has been a “game changer” for her consultancy.
“Rest enough to deliver.”
Denise goes on to share three valuable pieces of advice that have shaped her approach to running her consultancy:
“Never take criticism from someone you wouldn’t ask for advice.”
“Trust your gut.”
“It’s not about having worked hard enough to deserve a rest but about resting enough to deliver your best work.”
That last point deserves special attention. In creative fields, where burnout is common, recognising rest as a prerequisite for quality work—rather than a reward for it—can transform both one’s personal well-being and professional output.
“Ask others for help!”
Brand, web and motion designer Paul Kelly‘s transformation, meanwhile, came through learning to collaborate. Early in his design career, his father offered this wisdom: “You’re trying to be everything all at once, and you can’t be. Learn to ask others for help, and lean on their strengths.”
Though Paul admits it took him two years to act on this advice, he has since embraced collaboration with tremendous results. His experience reminds us that creativity doesn’t have to be a solitary pursuit. Sometimes, the best ideas emerge when we combine our strengths with others.
Creative director and co-founder Adrian Carroll, reflecting on 26 years at design agency D8, shares similar advice that he once received from a business mentor: “Surround yourself with good people and treat them well.”
Initially, Adrian thought this meant hiring the right team members. But over time, he realised it applied more broadly—to colleagues, clients, and suppliers alike. Building strong relationships across all facets of creative business, he says, has proven to be sound advice that’s stood the test of time.
“If no one is hiring, make it anyway!”
For graphic designer and illustrator Nvard Yerkanian, the big revelation came when he stopped waiting for dream projects to find him and started creating them himself.
“Passion projects—whether personal or conceptual—have this incredible ability to shape your career,” Nvard explains. “They allow you to explore your true creative voice without restrictions or client expectations, and in doing so, they attract the kind of work you want to do.”
By consistently creating and sharing what excites him, Nvard has built a portfolio that attracts the work she most desires. His advice? “If there’s a type of work you love but no one is hiring you for it—make it anyway. Put it out there. The right people will find you.”
“Design is the answer to a question!”
One of the most important things you can learn in your career is what your discipline actually is. Take the difference between art and design.
designer and artist Matthew Gallagher shares the advice that helped him grasp this. “Art can exist on its own; it is a statement,” he explains. “However, design is the answer to a question.”
He continues: “Art is internally driven by the artist to make a statement about something. It requires no explanation nor defence, as it is derived from the artist’s perspective and is complete once they deign so.”
Design, on the other hand, “has to serve a purpose. It is the answer to the question posed by a client, designer, boss, customer, public, et al., like ‘What would it be like to have a telephone you could carry anywhere?'”
Understanding this difference can help you approach your work with clarity. Simply ask yourself whether you’re making a statement or solving a problem; each requires different mindsets and measures of success.
“No one else will do this!”
Sometimes, the most powerful advice is the most straightforward. For Clare Lavelle, founder at Aniseed Creative, the most transformative words she’s ever heard were simply: “No one else will do this for you!”
This mantra has consistently motivated Clare to pursue her goals. She’s even applied it beyond creative pursuits to everything from home decoration projects to quitting smoking.
Conclusion
What stands out across all these insights is that transformative creative advice isn’t always specific to techniques or tools. Often, it’s about mindset shifts that allow us to work more authentically, sustainably and joyfully.
Whether it’s embracing failure, making space for play, valuing rest, or simply showing up consistently, these perspectives remind us that creativity isn’t just about what we make—it’s about how we approach the making.
So, as you reflect on these insights, consider: What’s the piece of advice that transformed your own creative journey? And more importantly, what wisdom might you pass along to someone who’s looking for their own creative breakthrough?
After all, the next transformative piece of advice might be yours to give…
