Building Creative Habits – Part 1: How I Learned to Create Without the Pressure of Perfection

When I first started the Mastery Program at Milan Art Institute, I was excited. The idea of refining my skills and growing as an artist felt like stepping into a new version of myself. I imagined building a consistent creative practice, improving with every piece, and eventually finding my place as a respected artist.

But I also knew it wouldn’t be easy — juggling 20 hours of weekly learning on top of my full-time job as a senior data engineer sounded overwhelming. Still, I was motivated enough to give it my all.

This blog is the start of a series where I’ll take you through how I applied the ideas from Big Magic, The Practicing Mind, and Atomic Habits to my art practice — step by step. This is the story of how I shifted from chasing perfection to building flow and consistency.

The Perfect Start

At the beginning, everything clicked. I showed up every day, followed the classes, and completed my assignments. Even when the work was challenging, I felt energized — like I was exactly where I needed to be. Art felt expansive and freeing.

But it didn’t last.

The Slow Creep of Self-Doubt

After a few weeks, cracks started to show. If a class estimated that a painting should take two hours — it took me four. I started resenting my slow pace and wondering why it felt so hard for me when others seemed to be moving faster.

“If others can do it in two hours, why am I so slow?”

That inner dialogue started affecting how I approached my work. The pressure to keep up turned into self-judgment. I started feeling like I wasn’t measuring up, like maybe I wasn’t cut out for this after all.

The worst part wasn’t even the slow progress — it was how creating started feeling like a task. Art became something I had to complete rather than something I got to experience. The joy I used to feel when creating? Gone.

Slowly, I stopped sketching every day. The more I pressured myself to keep up, the less I wanted to create.

The Wake-Up Call

That’s when I turned to books.

First, I read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. It was the first book that really changed how I thought about creativity. Gilbert made me realize that art wasn’t supposed to feel like pressure — it was supposed to feel like play, a love affair, the guiding spirit. Creativity wasn’t about proving yourself; it was about exploring and letting inspiration lead the way.

Then I read The Practicing Mind by Thomas Sterner. That book helped me shift my focus from the outcome to the process. It taught me that mastery doesn’t come from striving for perfection — it comes from showing up consistently and learning to enjoy the practice itself.

These two books gave me the mindset shift I needed. They helped me see art as a process of exploration rather than a test of ability.

But the real shift in how I practiced art — the actual strategy — came from Atomic Habits by James Clear. That book taught me how to structure my habits so that creating became effortless instead of forced.

The 3 Levels of Habit Formation

According to Atomic Habits, there are three levels at which we form habits:

1. Outcome-Based (Results-Oriented)

At the start, my goal was to complete the assignment and do it perfectly. I wanted to post my work in the Milan Art community and feel like I was progressing. But the problem with outcome-based habits is that if the outcome isn’t perfect, you feel like you’ve failed. So when my paintings took twice as long as expected, I felt like I was behind — even though I was still creating.

This is why I lost motivation. I had tied my success to the result — not the process.

2. Process-Based (Action-Oriented)

The shift started when I stopped focusing on the outcome and just focused on showing up.

Instead of thinking, “I need to complete this perfectly,” I told myself, “Let me just sit down and paint.”

I let go of the need to finish or post anything. I just focused on the act of creating itself — the feel of the brush on the canvas, the colors blending together, the quiet focus of losing myself in the work.

When I started showing up without pressure, the joy started to return.

3. Identity-Based (Belief-Oriented)

This is where the real shift happened.

I stopped thinking of myself as someone trying to build an art habit. I started seeing myself as an artist — not because my work was good or fast, but because creating is simply what I do.

When you believe you’re an artist, showing up to create becomes natural. It stops being about performance — it becomes part of who you are.

This is where the ideas from Big Magic and The Practicing Mind aligned perfectly with the strategy from Atomic Habits:

• Big Magic gave me the permission to explore and create without fear.

• The Practicing Mind gave me the mindset to focus on the process, not the outcome.

• Atomic Habits gave me the structure to make it consistent.

Now that I’ve established my identity, I know who I am — a creator and a seeker. Every day, no matter how I feel, I will take a new step on my canvas. I will explore, experiment, and learn — whether the art turns out beautiful or the process feels messy. Because that’s who I am.

How I Applied It

Once I understood this, I stopped fighting myself.

I stopped timing my paintings. I stopped worrying about how “good” they were or whether they were post-worthy. I allowed myself to create without the pressure of an audience or a deadline.

Instead of chasing a finished product, I focused on the process itself — the feel of the brush on canvas, the flow of ideas, the peace of being in that creative space.

And once I let go of the outcome, I got faster. My work improved naturally — not because I was trying harder, but because I was no longer getting in my own way.

The more I believed I was an artist, the easier it became to create.

What Changed

I stopped measuring success by how “perfect” my art was. I stopped seeing consistency as proof that I was good enough.

Art became fun again — the joy came back because I stopped treating it like a performance. I gave myself permission to be messy, to be slow, to explore without pressure. And that’s when the work started improving.

The funny thing is — once I stopped focusing on getting better, I actually got better.

Why This Matters for You

If you’re struggling to build a habit — whether it’s painting, writing, or something else — ask yourself:

• Are you focused on the result or the process?

• Do you see yourself as someone who does this naturally — or are you trying to become that person?

When you shift from results-based motivation to identity-based motivation, the habit stops feeling like work. It becomes part of who you are.

You don’t have to “deserve” to call yourself an artist. You already are one — because you create.

Try This:

1. Let go of how “good” it needs to be.

2. Just commit to showing up — even for 5 minutes a day.

3. Tell yourself: “I am an artist.”

4. Focus on the process, not the outcome.

Next Step:

In the next blog, I’ll break down the key strategies from Chapter 1 of Atomic Habits — and how I’m applying them to my art practice.

This isn’t just about building habits — it’s about becoming the person you want to be.

Final Thought

Once I shifted my focus from “finishing perfectly” to “showing up consistently,” everything changed. Art became a joy again.

Would you try this shift for your creative habits?

A Huge Thanks

My journey as an artist has been profoundly influenced by several transformative resources. If you’re interested in exploring them further, here are the ones that have significantly shaped my path:

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert — A profound exploration of creativity, encouraging readers to embrace curiosity and overcome fear.
The Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life by Thomas M. Sterner — A guide to mastering skills through mindfulness and dedicated practice.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear — A comprehensive look at building effective habits for personal and professional growth.
Milan Art Institute — An institution that offers programs to refine artistic skills and develop a unique artistic voice.

These resources have been instrumental in shaping my creative journey, and I hope they inspire and guide you as they have me.

Souravi