Does your daily life stifle creative expression? How do you keep yourself from giving in to the mundane?

There are those who say that life is an illusion and that reality is but a figment of the imagination...

But how can creative thinkers escape the constraints of daily life to protect their creative energy?

How do you keep yourself from giving-in to the demands of everyday reality?

Does your daily life stifle your creative expression? How do you keep yourself from giving in to the mundane?

Societal constructs, developed over thousands of years, shape our everyday reality, enforcing norms, regulations, and inadequate explanations for life’s enigmas.

As artistic people, we must remember that constraints and censorships in our daily routines might block our creativity.

Uncreative people feel crushed by rules, expectations, and the fear of judgment... worrying all the time about breaking rules or causing embarrassment.

Our daily reality, much like an artist’s creation, is an illusion, though it’s been shaped by others’ intentions rather than our own. It's been shaped by uncreative people!

Everydayness — in other words, those mundane routines and relentless demands of daily life, can stifle our creativity and hinder our spontaneity.

Therefore, all creative individuals have a responsibility to overcome everyday obstacles so that mundane norms don’t undermine their artistic endeavours or disrupt their creative thinking.

One way we can do this is by ‘facing up’ to the notion of everyday reality and questioning the so-called truths:

• What defines the limits of your typical existence? How do you see beyond pre-set horizons?

• How do you define the manufactured edges of your normal existence? How might you cross those borders (safely)?

• What distorts your perception of everyday reality? How can you safely remove those filters?

• What are the good things about your daily life? How do you prolong your most joyful experiences?

• What makes your everyday living difficult? How can you create distance from pain?

• What truths underpin your daily experiences? How do you assess the validity of those truths?

• What falsehoods shape your everyday existence? How do you confront the lies?

If true creative power requires a rebellious spirit, what should you rebel against first? Should your first priority be to question the 'supposed' reality of everyday living?

• How do you feel about what’s going on in the world right now? How can you make things better with your art?

• How do you rationalize your own biases and prejudices? How would you confront those biases and prejudices with creativity and art?

• How do you prevent others’ biases from affecting you? How can you help protect yourself from others’ biases with your inventiveness?

• What can you make or create today that will impact your tomorrow?

• What unexpected things might you accomplish today that would amaze others (and even yourself) in the future?

Wishing you lots of luck with your creative activities.

Please let me know how you're getting on!

Words: Neil Mach © May 2025Main photo: Jisu Han

With over 20 books written, Neil is not only a published author but also a multi-time NaNoWriMo champion. Neil describes himself as a ‘hippy grandad!’’

Neil's home is located in Surrey, England, by the River Thames. He is proud to identify as a real human... not a robot!