Welcome back to our series, 20 QUESTIONS!,

where we answer questions about writing, reading, and author life.

This month’s question:

What’s your best advice for maintaining your creativity?

“Allow yourself to be messy – scribble, scrawl, sketch. I believe that trying to make everything perfect can kill creativity. My best creative work happens when I’m scribbling in an old notebook. I might write on the lines, I might not, and sometimes I even end up writing around the edges and off the page.

– Margaret Chiu Greanias, author of AMAH FARAWAY, illus. Tracy Subisak (Bloomsbury Children’s, 2022)

“It sounds counter-intuitive, but I’ve found that assigned work and deadlines can help spur my brain into “creative mode,” which I sometimes can’t achieve when I have all the time in the world and no particular reason to hurry. I’ve found that when I take a class or take on a work-for-hire assignment, and I’m forced to produce something, my brain gets right to work. Not only do I manage to finish the assignment, but I often have ideas for other work while I am at it.

— Carrie Finison, author of HURRY, LITTLE TORTOISE, TIME FOR SCHOOL!, illus. Erin Kraan (Random House Studio, 2022)

“I draw every day. Something for myself, done in a short amount of time, without too much thought. I find it harder to pick the practice up after I’ve taken a break and so much easier to draw on a down day if I keep it up. It’s not about maintaining skills (that’s a nice benefit!) but about maintaining flow.”

– Julie Rowan-Zoch, illustrator of NOT ALL SHEEP ARE BORING! By Bobby Moynihan (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2022) 

“Read, draw or write something everyday! Whether it is directly for work or just for yourself. Creativity is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Doing something creative every day is key to maintaining my creativity, whether I feel inspired or not. Inspiration doesn’t abide by anyone’s schedule or expectation, and often comes when it is least expected. So showing up everyday helps capture it in the moment and fuels my creativity.”

– Isabella Kung, author and illustrator of NO SNOWBALL! (Orchard Books, 2022)

I fuel my creativity by doing the things that make me feel most alive—for me, that’s taking lots of nature walks, listening to new music, and playing with unfamiliar art supplies. My own creativity is also greatly inspired by witnessing the creative processes of non-bookmakers. Recent favorites: HOW TO WRITE ONE SONG by Jeff Tweedy, magician Nate Staniforth’s podcast, “Everything But The Flame,” an interview with Francis Ford Coppola discussing his director’s notebook, and any video of Jack Antonoff’s music-making process.”

— Shelley Johannes, author and illustrator of THIS JOY! (Abrams Books, 2022)