My mornings don’t start with a cryptic journaling session or a glass of green juice in a sun-drenched room where the succulents are thriving. I mean, respect to people who can keep a houseplant alive, but my creative rituals are a little less Pinterest-perfect. Instead, creativity for me is like the desert monsoon—it requires just the right conditions to hit, but once it does, it’s all high energy and flow, baby.

Creativity isn’t just a thing I squeeze in between coffee refills and email inbox battles; it’s the foundation for everything—from structuring headlines that grab attention to figuring out how to make metaphors involving cacti somehow charming (we’ll get to that later). Here’s how I work my creative muscles, drawn from years of trial, error, and late-night epiphanies.

1. Start with Space: Declutter Your Head, Not Just Your Desk

I used to believe the perfect workspace was a clean desk with a strategically placed candle, maybe some motivational quotes framed on the wall. And while that vibe is aesthetically pleasing on Instagram, my actual productive zone is a little messier—controlled chaos, if you will.

What actually works? Creating enough space in my mind to let ideas flow. For me, that looks like getting outside. There’s nothing like the Sonoran Desert—its vastness, the stark beauty of the saguaros, the way the light shifts through millennia-old red rocks. There’s no Wi-Fi out there, no ding of a text alert, just the crunch of gravel under my boots. Yep, I’m that guy hiking in his dusty cowboy boots (bonus points if I come back with a scorpion story). Giving my brain room to breathe and wander inevitably hits the creative refresh button.

Pro Tip: Find your space to reset. It could be a run around the loop at your neighborhood park or even a quick drive with the windows down and country music on blast. I swear, sometimes every good idea starts with a Rascal Flatts lyric.

2. Pivot, Don’t Push: The Myth of Forcing It

I’ll let you in on a little secret most overly productive types won’t admit: sometimes, the harder you try to be creative, the more creativity slips through your fingers. You know how they say you can’t force love? Well, you can’t force your next great idea either.

When I hit a creative wall, I don’t camp out there. Instead, I pivot to something totally unrelated. Maybe I’ll scroll through Southwestern architecture archives, drool over Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired homes, or attempt to cook up something ambitious in the kitchen (ask me about my “better-than-restaurant” tacos that might or might not have started a small kitchen fire once). Even when the task seems unrelated, stepping away opens up space for unexpected inspiration to creep in.

Pro Tip: Keep a list of random “productive distractions.” It could be a task that’s been lingering—like organizing your bookshelf, fixing that broken doorknob, or perfecting your guacamole recipe. These moments of pivot often lead to breakthrough thinking.

3. Borrow Energy from a Playlist

Every creative person has their secret weapon. Mine is a playlist that vibes harder than a Friday night in Scottsdale. Music is magic—it changes your mood and energy in seconds, and for me, that transformation is key to hitting my stride.

Writing something upbeat? Chris Stapleton’s gravelly twang or Kacey Musgraves’ breezy “Golden Hour” vibes set the mood. Need to focus? A haunting instrumental from a southwestern indie artist gets the job done. The beauty of the right playlist is it keeps the inner critic quiet—letting inspiration take center stage.

Pro Tip: Curate a few situational playlists. One for high-octane tasks where you need energy, another for deep-focus moments, and one for just vibing while you brainstorm your next move.

4. Have Low-Stakes Creativity Breaks

This is going to sound counterintuitive, but hear me out: my best ideas rarely emerge when I’m in “serious” creative mode. Some of my favorite headlines, metaphors, and brilliant dating analogies? They’ve come from what I like to call “low-stakes creativity.”

For me, that’s sketching bad doodles in the margins of my notes or crafting random metaphors about the absurdities of modern dating. For instance, ever been on a date with someone who can’t stop talking about their ex? Yeah, that’s like bringing a saggy, three-day-old balloon to a birthday party. Nobody wants to hold that energy.

Low-stakes creativity opens you up to experiment, play with ideas, and lean into humor—all without the pressure of producing perfection. Some of the best work I’ve done started as half-baked nonsense.

Pro Tip: Give yourself permission to be bad at something creative. Dance around your kitchen. Write haikus for your dog. Try finger painting even though you’re not five. You never know where the silly moments might take you.

5. Embrace the Power of Golden Hours (Both Literally and Metaphorically)

There’s something sacred about that golden hour just before sunset in the Sonoran Desert. The light is soft but vibrant, and shadows stretch dramatically across the horizon. It’s no wonder photographers and poets alike practically worship this time of day.

For me, golden hours are more than just aesthetic—they’re moments to reflect, refine, and let energy settle. After all, the best ideas aren’t just about bursts of creativity; they’re about editing and honing them into something that lands. At the end of each day, I try to carve out time for a mini “brain dump.” Whether it’s listing half-formed thoughts in my notes app or sketching them on the back of an invoice envelope, that period of clarity often leads to magic.

Pro Tip: Find your version of the golden hour. Maybe it’s the quiet of dawn before the world wakes up, or maybe it’s that post-dinner creative energy when the day’s chaos has settled. Take time to reflect, refine, and recharge.

6. Celebrate Micro-Wins (Because Why Not?)

Here’s a little personal philosophy I live by: creativity is a marathon with a lot of snack breaks. If you only celebrate the big achievements, you’re going to burn out before you hit the finish line. That’s why I take moments to toast micro-wins. Finished outlining the article? Nice—time for an iced coffee. Delivered an impossible deadline project? Break out the good whiskey. Even when the victories are small—or seem insignificant—they deserve recognition.

Living in Scottsdale taught me something important: people out here know how to celebrate the little things. Whether it’s the perfect charcuterie spread by the pool or finishing 18 holes without losing a ball in the cacti, there’s joy in appreciating the process. Creativity works the same way—it’s the steps, not just the outcome, that matter.

Pro Tip: Start celebrating your progress. Keep a little “win journal” or, heck, just Instagram your latte art after a productive brainstorming session. You’re worth it.

Conclusion: Your Creativity, Your Way

The truth about creativity? There’s no one-size-fits-all ritual. It’s personal, evolving, and—much like the desert landscape—beautifully unpredictable. Whether you thrive on solitude or teamwork, freestyle your ideas or methodically map them out, the key is finding out what clicks for you.

For me, creativity is a cocktail of fresh desert air, country music, low-stakes experiments, and occasional tacos. It’s a blend of self-discipline and lighthearted play that keeps me inspired every day. So here’s to your next creative spark—wherever and however it may find you. Get outside, hit play on that soundtrack, and trust your process. You’ve got this.