Look Beyond the Obvious
Success in a creative career doesn’t happen through single ingredient: even ‘talent’.
It depends on combinations: 2 or more conditions lining up at the same time.
You can function without them — artists always find a way to keep making. But to excel? To do your best work, feel proud of it, and share it widely? That takes more than talent or determination alone.
Over years of working with creatives, I’ve come to see five essential combos that underpin a sustainable creative life.
Four of them are obvious once you notice them. The fifth one is harder — and, in today’s international art world, it may be the one that decides whether opportunities slip by or stick.
Let’s look at each in turn.
Find a practice excercise at the end.
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
Attributed to the philosopher Seneca
The 5 Combinations EVERY Creative Needs
A Clear Head + a Dedicated Space
You can capture ideas with a sketchbook or think through problems while walking, but to really take your work forward, you need the alignment of mental clarity and an uninterrupted physical space.
Too often, creatives have one without the other: a busy shared studio, or even jsut hitting your studio already fatigued by a day job.
When you have the focus and the space to let your work spread and grow, good combinations happen.
Inspiration + Community
Ideas can spark anywhere: a book, a walk, a passing remark.
But creativity only grows by sharing it.
You can function in isolation, but your ideas grow stronger in dialogue.
To excel, you need both: your private spark and the creative exchange that propels you forward.
Health + Free Time
We can function when tired, stressed, or unwell but we don’t excel.
Scrap the myth of the artist powering through difficult periods to produce their best work.
You can excel under those conditions, but it costs you.
For experimentation, risk-taking, and play — the fuel of new ideas — we need time when our bodies feel well and our minds are free.
Health alone isn’t enough; without free time, it’s just recovery.
Free time alone isn’t enough; without health, it’s just fatigue.
Together, they create the curiosity required for growth.
Pride + Impact
It’s possible to produce work you’re technically good at without ever feeling proud of it.
It’s also possible to feel proud but wonder if your work makes any difference.
What keeps artists and designers going long-term is the combination of both: feeling proud of the work and striving for impact.
Without pride, the work feels empty.
Without impact, the pride feels fleeting. Together, they create meaning.
Communication Skills in Your Own + a Second Language
You can make brilliant work and even speak about it casually — but without clarity in your own language, it’s hard to frame your ideas in a way others can grasp.
And without a second language, especially English, much of the international art world remains closed off.
Functioning is possible in one or the other. Excelling means combining both: being able to articulate your vision in your own words and extend that clarity across borders.
That’s what makes you spotlight-ready and bar-chat-ready — able to share your work formally and informally, wherever opportunities arise.
Comparatives and Superlatives
Better than / more than / the most
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They’re everywhere when artists describe their work.
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They’re subtle but powerful for communicating value.
Discussion Statements
- A clear head is more important than a big studio.
- New ideas are more valuable than finished work
- Pride in your work is more motivating than external praise.
- Clear communication is the most powerful tool an artist can have internationally
- A good walk is more valuable than time in the studio.
- Luck is more valuable that talent
Portfolio Stars
The single best way to improve your odds of getting into art school is to GET HELP preparing your portfolio.
The right coach can help you develop your ideas, showcase the right skills and keep you on track.
Whenever you need a boost, take our 1 hr portfolio consultation.
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