How do you support your creativity? Creativity is a muscle, it’s a gift, it’s energy - it will weaken if unused and overused, will retreat. As an interior design business coach, I don’t delve into the design/creative side much. But I see so many designers become burned out because they aren’t honoring their creativity.

When running an interior design business, often the focus becomes efficiency and productivity and that can strain your creativity. It’s up to you to make sure that you protect and support your creativity.

Feeling Uncreative

Maybe you’re like Christine, who after turning out project after project at a crazy pace last year, coupled with the stress of a pandemic and supply chain issues, ended up making design decisions that she felt were compromised and too safe. So while the projects look good and the clients are happy - Christine feels that the projects feel a little soulless and flat.

One of the major reasons that clients are hiring you is for your creativity, after the initial design talks, creativity is often pushed aside for timelines, budgets, efficiency, or simply decision fatigue.

And it is a balance, but what I am seeing is that running a design business is crushing your creativity and therefore, decidedly unbalanced and leading to burnout. When running a business as well as designing homes, you have to make sure that you are supporting one of your biggest strengths - creativity. Let clients know it’s an important part of your process. Remind them that is a big reason they hired you.

Creativity doesn’t do well too confined, sure, some constraints can be beneficial, but when too constricted there isn’t the space to be creative.

Maybe you relate to another designer, who took project after project just for some cash flow, not considering they weren’t her style, she didn’t want to use the resulting photos in her portfolio, she wasn’t excited about the work, and the clients could sense that, despite a few referrals from those projects, her work has since dried up.

How to Support Your Creativity

Give me 60 seconds. Right now, ask yourself, are you supporting your creativity? Stop reading and consider.

If the answer is a “no” or “could use improvement”, here are some suggestions to rebalance your business.

• Have a good Criteria for Accepting New Projects and stick to it.

• Accept projects and clients that support your creativity.

• Create Signature Businesses Processes that work with your creative style.

• Don’t downplay your creativity - highlight it!

• Learn your ideal balance between the creative and business when running your design firm.

• Stop toxic productivity.

• Schedule and take breaks. Think business retreats, vacations, and even spontaneous days off.

• Don’t confuse lack of time management for creativity.

• Do something else creative - paint, collage, build a lego castle, dance, etc. Don’t force all your creative juices into your work.

• Build inspiration into your week, creativity thrives when exposed to new experiences. Visit a museum, watch an art documentary, walk in a new neighborhood, try something new and inspiring.

How do you support your creativity? Share in the comments!

About The Author

Hi! I’m Capella and I’m an interior designer who helps fellow designers build their businesses. Forget secrecy and competition, I believe designers should support and uplift each other. By helping and boosting one another, we can elevate the business of interior design together! Hang around a bit and I’ll share all the business “secrets” no one else wants to talk about.