The Creative Sanctuary: An Artist's Biggest Responsibility
Your #1 priority as an artist.
We're constantly telling artists to chase exposure, innovate relentlessly, and build a cohesive artist brand.
But what if we're missing the point?
What if their actual most urgent responsibility is something far more fundamental?
After producing music for 10 years I'm convinced that the biggest responsibility an artist can commit to is that of ruthlessly protecting their creative space and time. A place and time where their art can finally even begin to exist.
Without this sacred space, there is no art, and there is no artist.
Guarding this practice is the only way an artist can continue to produce work that resonates, inspires, and moves others.
In this modern age, it becomes a bigger challenge when you realize information and entertainment is infinitely abundant and just a few clicks away. Awareness of the daily distractions that try to pull us away such is more important than ever.
That's why in today's letter I want to shed light on what creating this creative space and time actually looks like in practice.
Because the truth is, if you don't protect this creative sanctuary no one will do it for you.
In today’s letter I’ll dive deep into my own journey, practical strategies and exercises I've benefited from over the years. If you struggle to commit to a daily habit of music creation and you're ready to create a mental, physical space which invites creativity and ideas this letter is for you.
The Ruthless Pursuit Of Creative Space & Time
They tell us that as artists, we have to sacrifice everything for our art.
Quality time with family
Nights out with friends
Secure income
All just to "make it".
But from personal experience I know that path leads directly to burnout, creative blocks, and ironically, less art being made.
While most of us can't afford to let go of everything to chase our passion for music, a sustainable strategy is essential if you’re life is busy with more responsibilities outside of creative passions.
Because if you’re like me, you weren’t born with a silver spoon in your mouth. You didn’t have a trust fund waiting for you, or connections in the music industry.
Statistics says you most likely grew up in a working class family where money was tight, and the idea of pursuing music full-time was always coupled with the responsibility of having a job, balancing school, social obligations and family responsibilities.
When you take all of this and then combine it with the endless stream of bills, errands, and appointments that constantly fight for your attention music tends to come last in our list of priorities.
(And that’s just our physical world – we haven't even touched on the mental battles that wage war on us like mindset, beliefs and focus)
However the big struggle for creative comes when we attempting to maximize these pockets of creative time. Our discipline seems to be constantly challenged by the distractions of our daily life.
Steven Pressfield calls these distractions Resistance.
He defines Resistance as anything that keeps you from achieving your dreams and genuine desires. And the tricky thing about Resistance is it manifests itself differently in every one of us.
For me, Resistance manifested itself as a voice inside my head telling me “you’re not good enough.”
It was a lack of motivation that kept me scrolling through Instagram instead of sitting down to make music.
It was the limiting belief that I needed a perfect, uninterrupted 4-hour block on a Saturday to even think about writing a song.
For you it might be the belief that you lack of time, money, or the fear of failure. For others it might just be plain old laziness.
What's important to understand here is that these forces are all agents of Resistance, and we must become aware of them if we want to protect our creative space and time.
But but why is this creative space time so important and why is this our biggest responsibilities as artist?
Why Your Music Depends On Your Creative Sanctuary
After making every excuse in the book, blaming every distraction for my lack of progress with music I realized the truth:
The perfect moment doesn't exist.
It's a myth.
If you’re always “too busy” or “not ready” your music will always suffer.
Once I began treating my creative time like a non-negotiable responsibility, a priority, just like going to work or brushing my teeth the muse started noticing.
She started rewarding me with more ideas during my creative sessions, and my creativity felt reinvigorated.
The Muse honors the working stiff who shows up every day, not the dilettante who waits until she feels inspired.
— Steven Pressfield
Just think of the artists you admire most, the ones who consistently produce incredible work year after year. They're not sacrificing their sanity for fleeting moments of inspiration, instead they've developed a system, a way of operating and have given their creativity a dedicated place and time to shine in their life.
If you take a real close look at the demeanor of a prolific artist there's a sense of calm knowing within their creative process. They're not wondering if they're next great idea will come, for them it's just a question of when will it come.
And the only way to reach this state is by showing up consistently.
The greats understand that the ones who build a fortress around their creative time will be rewarded. They understand that consistency trumps intensity, and that dedicated creative space is a non-negotiable if they want to keep churning out songs.
It isn't magic.
It isn't abstract.
It isn't talent (maybe just a little).
For the vast majority of artist it's about building practical habits and creating a supportive environment for your creativity to flourish.
It's about developing the discipline to show up even when you don't feel like it.
It's about cultivating the consistency to make creativity a daily practice, not a weekend hobby.
Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating.
— John Cleese
All of this led me to my own epiphany:
My creative sanctuary isn't just a place, it's a state of mind. It's a commitment to honoring my artistic vision, to prioritizing my creative well-being, and the relentless pursuit of my musical potential.
And for any budding music creative that is the most powerful lever you can pull.
But for those of you who haven't created your own creative sanctuary where do you even get started?
In this next section, I'm going to give you a step-by-step guide to create your artistic oasis, even if you're starting from scratch.
Let's begin.
Creating A Creative Sanctuary (Step By Step Guide)
The only way to create your greatest works is to protect your creative sanctuary. This sanctuary is going to be the place where you bring your ideas to life.
While this next method won't magically make you more disciplined or eliminate your distractions, I’m confident that if followed through they can get you to a place where you're more aware of when you're being distracted and know exactly how to course correct — ultimately making it easier for you to stay more disciplined.
So let's start by addressing our greatest threat:
Distractions.
1) Blocking Out Distractions
The thing with distractions is that you can't eliminate them completely. A more practical approach is to simply expect distractions in our lives. Once we accept that distractions are unavoidable we can develop strategies to diminish them or avoid them.
Remember this isn't about eliminating distractions completely (that's impossible), it's about creating a buffer between you and the chaos of life.
Because let's face it, distractions are the number 1 enemy of creativity. With the advent of smartphones, wireless internet and we live in the age of distraction.
The goal now is to create a "bubble" of focus where you can detach from the world and get lost in a world of your making. A place where you can just simply be free to create.
How do you do it?
Block notifications on your phone and computer.
Create creative start and end time rituals.
Leave your phone in another room.
Use timers for focused work.
Be intentional with choices.
The more we give our attention away the less energy we have to invest into our work because we're satiated and burned out.
After we learn to eliminate distractions let’s take it a step further.
2) Make Creation A Daily Habit
Weekend binges sound good in theory, but they're not sustainable long term. The real magic happens when you make creation a daily habit.
Think of it like this:
Consistent effort every day is far more powerful than a massive burst of energy once a week.
This is because consistent progress leads to momentum, but most importantly, it leads to finished music. As you begin to make creation a daily habit, it will begin to become an essential part of your day.
What I've realized is that if you don't prioritize music in your life why should your music, the muse and listeners prioritize you?
As with most things in life, you get out what you put in and your music is no different.
If making music is not currently a daily habit of yours how do you get started?
I'm a big fan of Jerry Seinfeld's "Don't Break the Chain" method.
The idea is simple:
Get a physical calendar and every day you create, you mark an "X" on a calendar. Your only goal is to not break the chain.
The longer the chain, the more motivated you'll be to keep it going.
But why does this exercise work and what makes it effective?
1) It makes your discipline visible, tangible and an obvious priority in your everyday life.
2) Every day you mark an X your brain releases dopamine (this is the reward chemical in our brains) which makes this habit addicting when you begin rack up a couple of days and week long streaks.
3) It gamifies your productivity and builds powerful momentum for long term creativity and productivity.
If you still feel like this is too daunting, here's a tip that helped me:
Start small, like really small.
Allocate just 5 minutes or even just 1 minute (if you're really strapped for time in your day to day).
For example, when I was first starting out, I considered it a success if I just sat in front of my laptop and opened my DAW. There was no requirement to create a musical idea or finish a song. My goal was to simply sit down and open my DAW, that's it.
It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.
— Steven Pressfield
The point is to simply build the habit of showing up every day.
Do this enough times and eventually you will naturally want to continue for just 5 minutes more, then maybe 10 and then 1 hour.
Congrats, you've cemented a new habit.
3) Create A Dedicated Space
Where you create is just as important as when you create.
Think of your creative space as your temple. This temple is a place where you can shut out the world and connect with your inner world.
The goal is to condition your mind to associate that space with creativity.
It's simply about creating a dedicated workspace. Whether it's a spare room, a corner of your apartment, or even just a specific spot in your couch this place should allow you to shut out the world and fully immerse yourself in your work.
By picking the same physical place everyday, you train your subconscious mind to be creative in this place. With time, just like Pavlov's Dog, every time you enter that space, your mind knows it's time to get creative.
It's all about consistency, the same corner, the same desk, every time.
If you live with someone else or have roommates it’s also especially important to set boundaries when you find yourself in your creative zone.
Don't forget to make this place inspiring to you. Get mood lights, rearrange furniture (as Rick Rubin famously does), scents, decorations, rituals.
Make your place a pleasant and delightful sensory experience which you genuinely enjoy and you'll even begin to feel the excitement before before you sit down to create.
Unleashing Your Artistic Potential
Protecting your creative space and time isn't just a nice-to-have, it's the foundation for artistic growth. It's the bedrock upon which you build your musical career, your artistic identity, and your legacy as a creator.
While the world will tell you to chase exposure, build a brand, and hustle for every opportunity, I'm here to tell you that none of that matters if you don't have a sacred space where your art can even begin to exist.
Put the music first and everything else falls into place.
It's about building a consistent, disciplined practice, so that you can make good music which will attract opportunities, listeners and long term satisfaction in your creative process.
Thank you for reading, until the next one.
— Hermes
P.S. If this idea of protecting your creative sanctuary resonated with you, I’ve built something that might help.
One of the hardest parts of protecting your creative space isn’t knowing what to do, it’s actually doing it when life constantly fights for your attention.
You sit down to create, but then your phone buzzes.
You open your DAW, but then you check Instagram “real quick.”
You promise yourself a focused session, but there’s no boundaries for it.
That’s why I built Song Ritual. It’s a creative system that turns your music-making into a protected ritual. Complete with timed sessions, clear objectives, and a structure that helps you show up consistently even when Resistance is screaming at you.
Instead of hoping you’ll find focus, you enter a ritual that creates it for you.
Early beta testers are already experiencing what happens when creative time becomes non-negotiable and soon I’ll be opening the doors for more early access users.
If you’re ready to stop negotiating with your creativity and start protecting it like the asset it is you can now join the Song Ritual waitlist here.
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