In today's productivity-driven, chronically-online world, it can feel impossible to find a moment to breathe, let alone tap into some well of creativity I'm not sure I actually even possess. And I'm not alone—over 75 percent of people identify as not creative. But authors, creativity advocates and design thinkers Mallory May and Blythe Harris want to change that. Formerly of Sotheby's and co-founder of Stella & Dot, respectively, the pair recently published Daily Creative: The 5 Minute Habit To Rewire Your Brain ($19), which Harris dubbed The Artist's Way for the short attention span generation. With 60 five-minute exercises, the book invites everyone to tap into their inner artist, no technique or fancy equipment required. I caught up with the pair to talk about the five ways anyone can be creative and facilitate creativity in just five minutes a day.
How to Be Creative in 5 Minutes a Day, According to the Women Who Wrote the Book on It
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1. Habit Stack
Harris is adamant about building time into your day for mindless creativity. Don't panic—all you need to do is find five minutes. One of the ways she does this is "habit stack," in which she tacks on a creative exercise to something else she's already doing. In this case, it's the ritual of her morning coffee. Harris also makes sure it's easy for her to tap into her creativity any time. For example, she keeps a mason jar of colored pencils on her kitchen table, so they're always ready to go.
2. Clear Your Mind
The first chapter of Daily Creative is titled "Clearing," and the first exercise is "Twenty Words." The objective: To quickly list the first 20 words that come to mind—no over-thinking, no self editing. "It was inspired by The Artist's Way," Harris explains. "It's creating room for inspiration, clearing the debris out of your head. Anything you've been ruminating on during the night...the idea is to get it out on the page, not judging what you're writing and just letting flow. You get into more of a state of play."
3. Make Yourself an "Analog Tote"
I had been seeing the idea of the "analog tote" float around when it came up in our conversation. May recommends keeping a bag filled with supplies—anything from markers to a journal (I stash scrapbooking accoutrements in mine)—by your desk. Then, if you have five minutes at lunch, you have something tactile to do that's not doomscrolling. "It doesn't have to be anything major," she says, "[Just getting yourself into] that state of presence and mindfulness."
4. Don't Be Afraid of Constraint
We live in a society that lives to break the rules. But both May and Harris argue that when it comes to creativity, constraints can be a good thing.
"Constraint rives you freedom because you're not staring at a blank page," May says. "You have something that already exists and it's much easier to dive in without fear. It gives you that freedom of not having to figure out where to start."
5. Lean Into Your Artistic POV
I've long thought that the Internet has brought about the demise of personal taste. It's so easy to chase the latest TikTok trend that I've lately wondered, What do I *actually* like? One of the last chapters in Daily Creative encourages us to find our personal artistic vision.
"I think one of the fallouts from AI and social media is you're getting so much external input and validation that people are losing touch with their intrinsic point of view," Harris says. "Creativity and expressing your POV is so linked to identity. Having a sense of who you are and what you naturally respond to helps you get in touch with your intuition."
As you begin your daily creative practice, make notes about what you're drawn to. Is it certain styles of artwork? Fonts that make you giggle? Colors that immediately draw your eye, lines and shapes that you gravitate towards? As time goes on, patterns will emerge. Don't be afraid to lean into them.
No matter how you practice creativity, May said best: "Creativity belongs to everyone." Give yourself five minutes and the freedom to try something without restraint, regardless of output, no mind to productivity. The reward is in the process, not the end result.
Want to dive deeper into your creativity? The Daily Creative is packed with 60 simple exercises for all skill levels.
