Maintaining creativity when creativity is your day job is hard sometimes. How do you work through depression, slumps, blocks, and everything else? How do you consistently show up with quality work? I'd like to offer some thoughts, but I'd love to hear yours too.

First, I treat creativity and writing as a habit, a habit I am always trying to stay engaged with. I keep several kinds of journals in longhand:
-life journal
-dream journal
-creative notebook I take everywhere
-teenager creative me (it is what it sounds like)

Second, I engage with other outlets of creativity. For me that's painting, making music, and acting. I do those exclusively for me.

Third, I am always feeding the machine. I read novels, watch shows and movies, go to the theater, and play games. Musuems, ballets, opera, I go for all of it. Most importantly, I think about them critically. (Subtitles on!)

Fourth, I have small side projects. Staring directly at the same sun for too long makes me blind. Side projects give me perspective, and a place to express creative emotions the main project might not afford me.

Fifth, I cultivate daydreaming. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/supersurvivors/201712/why-daydreaming-is-good-us

Sixth, I stare at the wall.

Usually a couple hours at a time.

And finally, I cultivate curiosity. About science, cultures, how mummification works, whatever. I'm always finding new and interesting things to learn about. It's surprising how much of that learning leads to creative insights.

I don't really take substantive breaks. I know that doesn't work for everyone, that's just how I'm built. For me, all this is a flow state, and falling out of flow is about the worst thing that could happen.

My creative routines are built around keeping the flow on through adversity, so that even in a slump creative habit carries me through. Again, I'd love to hear about what tools are in your tool box for sustaining creativity when it's your day job.