How Marketers And Communicators Can Tap Into Their Creativity

Forbes

24-03-2025

Sara Wesche is a communications strategist, writer, and fractional marketer at 45th Parallel Marketing. She helps you say what matters.
Marketing and communications professionals exist in a constant state of creation. Every day, we craft messaging, find innovative ways to showcase products and services, and develop engaging content. We pour our creativity into our clients—internal and external—without hesitation. But when was the last time you created something just for yourself?
Nearly a year ago, my mom passed away, and in many ways, I broke. I found myself questioning everything. I'm in my mid-40s, a mother myself, staring at the second half of my life without my own mom. Those nagging questions crept in: What am I really doing? What truly matters?
Maybe we all go through something like this, but I'm thankful that my grief led me to look for solid ground and remember the creative person I started as when I was a kid—a painter, a writer of wild stories about mysterious neighbors, a backyard photographer, a journalist wielding my First Sony recorder and a microphone, interviewing my stuffed animals like I was Barbara Walters. (Who am I kidding? I was more Phil Donahue or Sally Jessy.)
This reflection became action, and I sat down and wrote—not for a client, not on a deadline, but just for me. Sitting down to write for myself was transformative. It reminded me why I chose this career in the first place. The fact that I was able to turn what I love into a career is incredible, but I realized that a part of me (a very big part) had lost the artful fun of writing.
Amid this reflection on creativity, I found myself searching for ways to nurture this muscle even more. Discoveries such as Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, a 12-week journey (part guidebook, part spiritual exploration) to what she calls "creative recovery," have helped lead me to further exercise my creativity. Writing three pages every morning in a journal with no rules or expectations, for example, has helped me organize what I need from the day and fuels creative momentum. In fact, it led me to write this very article.
It may sound surprising to some, but harnessing creativity outside of work can strengthen problem-solving, storytelling and strategic thinking—critical skills for marketing and business success. Even when drafting technical content, I find myself sharper and more fluid. It's like a football player taking dance classes to move more nimbly on the field. By engaging in personal creative practices, professionals can generate fresher ideas, improve brand narratives and approach challenges with a more innovative mindset.
So, creative professionals, this is your call to make personal creativity a part of your professional quest.
You don't need to quit your job or retreat to a cabin to reconnect with your creative side. (But, let's be honest, a week at the lake wouldn't hurt.) If your work demands all your creative energy, here are some ways to nurture your artistic spark without turning it into another task on your to-do list.
• Morning Pages: A few minutes of freewriting can declutter your mind, generate new ideas and make you more intentional. No pressure, no editing—just let the words spill out.
• Creative Constraints: Give yourself a mini creative challenge. Write a haiku about your morning coffee or try sketching a five-minute portrait of your dog without judgment. Creativity can thrive within boundaries.
• Unplugged Creativity: Try something tactile like painting, playing an instrument or even rearranging your bookshelf by color. Engaging with your hands can help spark ideas in unexpected ways.
• Creativity Sprints: If your calendar is packed, schedule short bursts of creativity the way you would a work meeting. Ten minutes of uninterrupted time to jot down ideas, brainstorm a personal project or simply daydream can work wonders.
• Micro-Journaling: If you're not into long-form journaling, I recommend keeping a small notebook (or a notes app) and jotting down interesting thoughts, phrases or observations throughout the day. These fragments can become the seeds of something bigger.
• Time In Nature: Nature is the ultimate artist. No two sunrises are the same. Spend time outside without an agenda and let your senses take in the sights, sounds and textures. Sometimes, the best inspiration comes from simply being.
• Telling Your Own Stories: If you can tell a friend about something funny that happened last week, you can write it down. Start small; write a letter you'll never send, a fictionalized version of your commute or a ridiculous "what if" scenario.
Making time for creativity doesn't have to be overwhelming. For those struggling to find the time, remember that just 15 minutes a day is all it takes. If you want to spend more time, great, but don't ask more of yourself than that. Treat it like any essential habit by making it a mental and physical priority.
I schedule my creative time, like morning pages, as I would a meeting, ensuring it's nonnegotiable. It won't be perfect at first, but aim for consistency, even if it's just 50% of the time.
A habit tracker app can also help reinforce the routine by making progress visible and rewarding. The more you integrate creativity into your day, the easier it becomes to sustain.
These creative exercises might feel like something completely removed from your professional responsibilities, but the truth is that nurturing creativity outside of work directly enhances the skills you rely on every day. Freewriting sharpens clarity in strategic messaging, storytelling exercises improve brand narratives and creative constraints train you to think more effectively within business limitations. Even something as simple as stepping away from a screen to engage in tactile creativity can help reframe problems and unlock fresh ideas for marketing campaigns, client pitches or content development.
Remember, creativity isn't an on-off switch; it's a way of moving through the world, noticing things and making connections. So, give yourself the gift of creating for the sake of it without deadlines, clients or pressure. You will reignite your passion while strengthening your professional skills.
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