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Danny Gregory: Creativity is "The Essence of Life."

Earlier this month, artist and author Danny Gregory — who has published several beautiful, honest, and powerful art journals — was interviewed on NPR’s “Here and Now.” During the ten minute segment, Gregory discussed his latest book, “Art Before Breakfast,” and how to make a daily habit out of creativity, even in our endlessly busy lives.

Gregory encourages us — all of us — to do something creative every day. “Creativity isn’t a luxury,” he says. “It’s what distinguishes us from the mush.” Gregory’s art outlet of choice is drawing, specifically art journaling in a sketchbook. He suggests that, in five or ten minutes before we eat breakfast, while the coffee percolates and we rub sleep from our eyes, we can begin to tap into our inner artists and develop a habit of creativity.

Creativity isn’t a luxury. It’s what distinguishes us from the mush.

Gregory insists that no matter what we think of ourselves as artists that we can start to develop a habit of creativity no matter how busy we are. This latest book is Gregory’s answer to a question he posed himself at the outset: “How can I get people to be creative despite being massively oversubscribed?” Creativity, he says, matters to all of us.

An essential element of Gregory’s advice in trying our hands at this artistic endeavor is making mistakes...and moving on. “Mistakes are a really important part of creativity,” he says. “They are the source of new ideas.”

To create freely is to let go. To make mistakes is to evolve and grow. To lose yourself in a moment of creation is to suspend time, to be here now. And, as parents and educators, to model a habit of creation is to give a gift of presence, progress, and beauty: the world as you see it.

Mistakes are a really important part of creativity. They are the source of new ideas.

As the daily pressures rise for our children, committing ourselves to a creative exploration (and encouraging them to join us) can be a much-needed outlet, and one that we can all afford at just a few minutes a day.


Discover More About Danny Gregory
Visit “Here and Now” to listen to Gregory’s interview in its entirety. In addition, Gregory's book Art Before Breakfast is available for purchase on Amazon. You can also explore his work further by visiting Sketchbook Skool, an online school and art community with over 10,000 members.