Career success is something that everyone defines differently. One person’s measure of success could be about financial stability, while another’s benchmark might be about how happy they feel.
However you define success, there’s no doubt that lifestyle habits and activities contribute to achieving your work goals. How you live your life can provide a certain peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment; it can also spark great creativity.
Highly creative people rely heavily on a particular way of life to inspire them. A new study from Skynova explores the art of being a successful creative. Their research focuses on different habits and lifestyles that motivate creative professionals to achieve great things. Skynova surveyed successful artists, architects, graphic designers, and more to understand what makes these people tick.
Interestingly, the majority of the creative professionals surveyed in the Skynova study (20%) said they generally define success by their work-life balance. Among those respondents, the average salary was $122,764. The next most popular definition of success was how much they earned annually (17%). Another 15% relied on how happy they felt, and the average salary among this group was $133,322 – the highest salary of all those surveyed.
Some work activities that respondents said were most important to their creative success included learning (39%), collaborating (32%), continued education (27%), and writing (27%). On the leisurely side of life, they cited reading (34%), daydreaming (31%), seeking new experiences (29%), and practicing open-mindedness (28%) as the most essential activities to encourage creativity. Surprisingly, 1 in 4 successful creatives said that TikTok videos were an inspiration for their work.
Of course, starting the day off right plays a significant role in achieving success at any level. The wrong morning routine can throw you off, decrease motivation, and lead to a less productive day. It could also prevent creative people from finding inspiration and doing their best work. Respondents in the Skynova study seemed to care a great deal about their morning routine, as they cited many morning activities as vital to their creativity.
According to the study, physical and mental health also seem linked to creative success. Likely to clear their mind and get their creative juices flowing, 21% of respondents said running was an important part of their mornings. Another 21% cited yoga as a vital morning practice, while 18% believed meditating before starting the workday was a key to preparing their minds. Interestingly, only 8% of respondents said showering was an important morning activity to do before work.
The study’s results also revealed what not to do each morning. While sleep is crucial for being productive and successful no matter who you are, Skynova found that highly successful creatives who didn’t hit the snooze button in the morning had an average salary of $18,744 more than those who did. For whatever reason, a delayed morning start appears linked to fewer earnings, be it sleep deprivation, stress, or procrastination.
On the tech side of things, most creatives require certain software and devices in order to work effectively. The study showed that successful creatives who used Android cameras for their creative work averaged $17,223 more annually than those who didn’t. Other tech devices preferred by successful creatives included wireless earphones (26%), desktop computers (16%), iPhones (15%), and laptops (15%).
Skynova’s study also examined the average tenure among creative professionals. It’s an important metric to explore because creative careers often include high-stress levels that lead to employee burnout and resignations.
Notably, the average tenure among respondents was 4-5 years (17%), while 8% lasted 2-3 years, 7% lasted 6-7 years, 4% lasted 10 or more years, and 2% lasted 8-9 years at their job. Overall, just 35% of respondents said they were satisfied with their stress level, though encouragingly, 50% said they were happy with their work-life balance.
Stress levels aside, creative careers can be fulfilling and challenging on many levels, and there are numerous avenues for achieving success, no matter how you define it. The Skynova study clearly showed that having a healthy work-life balance and productive morning activities greatly contribute to achieving success in your creative career.
