Hi! Welcome to the 4 CreativeWheels newsletter — your weekly dose of insights on creativity and fuel for your creative journey.

Hola! Week #43, it is. It’s nice to be here with you again. Thank you for all the support, even in my absence! Thanks to everyone who shared 4 CreativeWheels articles with other people! It’s appreciated. Please, keep doing so. The more people we can help, the merrier. :)

Now, let’s get back to business. Let’s do it one step at a time.

In this week’s issue, we explore the relation and truth between the present step and creativity.

“These are good answers. They tend to be present in the creative process. And they are all needed. Ideas, inspiration, craft, and so on are some of the best ingredients for creativity. However, we’re familiar with them. Whenever someone talks about creativity, they often show up.

But there is one thing that isn’t widely considered creative. It’s the present step, the action one can take in the moment they are in. Creativity lives in the present step and the next step. That is true, no matter the circumstance.“

Without further ado…

Let’s start the ride!

There is one thing that is never absent in creativity. It’s so subtle that we rarely pay attention to it. When you think about the times you’ve been creative, what is one thing that never misses? You might say ideas. You could say inspiration. You might add craft, interest, or even love.

These are good answers. They tend to be present in the creative process. And they are all needed. Ideas, inspiration, craft, and so on are some of the best ingredients for creativity. However, we’re familiar with them. Whenever someone talks about creativity, they often show up.

But there is one thing that isn’t widely considered creative. It’s the present step, the action one can take in the moment they are in. Creativity lives in the present step and the next step. That is true, no matter the circumstance.

In November 2025, I last wrote a good draft for a newsletter article. From then until now, I haven’t written or published new pieces. I had ideas in this big head of mine and in my notes. I had drafts I could have used to jump back in. Still, I simply could not make the move.

At the time, life was throwing interesting lemons at me. I enjoyed some of them. I even made gallons of lemonade. The more I produced the lemonade, the more exhausted I became. It was evident where this would lead. Yes, the b-word happened. I eventually burnt out.

Writing, like any skill, requires consistent practice. Great writers are not born; they are forged through devotion to their craft. Before November 2025, I was writing frequently. I was genuinely proud of some of the pieces I published. And my standards had never been higher. I was glad and wanted to keep it going.

However, when the forced pause came, the highs I had turned into barriers. I’ve always believed that my next work has to be my best work. Or at the very least, my next work has to nurture my highest standard. After November 2025, I couldn’t meet that expectation. So, I became scared that my long absence had already weakened my writing skills. Hence, my next piece had slim chances of being my best work. But the longer I stayed, the truer this would remain.

Now, we are on the day I gathered the courage to step in. I was staring at the screen. There wasn’t a bleak blank page. Thankfully, I had an outline already made. Yet, I didn’t know how to develop the idea. But a thought came. That thought is the essence of this piece’s premise. The thought was: “Let me write one word. Then a sentence. Just one word, and then see what happens.” And that was how this paragraph began. Literally.

I know, it sounds absurd. Too simplistic, one could argue. Still, I just did it. I wrote one word after another. I wrote a sentence that described the current state I was in. As I wrote, progress happened. The more I wrote, the clearer the process became. I was no longer working in the dark. And the article began to take form.

I had enough light for that present and the next one. That was all I needed at the time. And that is true for most cases. We often have what we need for the present step. Yet, we often neglect it. We observe the step, look at the task at hand, notice the gap, and choose to forgo that step. Then we start the familiar procedure called overthinking.

How? Well, you search for any step other than the step you can take in the moment. Funny enough, one of the reasons the present available action is pushed aside stems from a lack or absence. We search for that one thing that can unlock that perfect step, the answer. This leads to a never-ending pursuit. There will always be a lack or absence of something if you go looking for that “one thing” missing.

There is no shame in uncertainty. It’s natural. Uncertainty is the only certain part of life. That is the space where creativity abides. And you open the gate to it by taking that present step. As Lofi Cinema (from YouTube) puts it, “Creativity is not the freedom to do anything, but solving what is right in front of you, and letting the problem guide you somewhere you didn’t expect.” Creativity happens in the present.

Has anyone ever arrived at a destination while sitting in a parked car? Has anybody ever learned how to drive in a parked car? Of course, not. Yes, there are multiple things to think about and do to move from one place to another, and even more things to think about and do to acquire a new skill. When you look at the parked car, then imagine the end destination, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

Still, just like with the car, there is that step you need to make. You need to start the engine. It does not directly bring you to the destination. And it doesn’t give you all the knowledge about driving. You could think of grander steps to take. But one thing remains true. When all you have is you and the car, to move and drive, you need to start the engine.

Once you do so, the next steps become accessible. They can still feel overwhelming. Here, I’ve found that Michelangelo’s advice helps. When talking about sculpting David, Michelangelo said, “I created a vision of David in my mind and simply carved away everything that was not David.” The second part is crucial when making the next step. Carve away everything that is not “David.”

It’s tempting to add instead of subtracting. Addition feels like you’re maximizing your probability of success and opportunities. The more, the merrier, as they say. However, when you just went from 0 to 1, addition can put a spoke in your wheel. Moreover, it invites analysis paralysis. Clarity is better and comes through carving. When you carve, you remove the unnecessary. Then you see that next step without excessive overthinking. Creativity gets room to breathe.

Finally, as we make the present step, then the next, we need to nurture our focus. That is key. I kept reminding myself: “One word. Then a sentence. Just one word, and then see what happens.” Even now, as I’m writing, it keeps ringing in my mind. When focus is nurtured, structure for progress is built. As Philip Dormer Stanhope beautifully stated, "Take care of the minutes; the hours will take care of themselves."

This process applies to anything. As life happens, so does creativity, when we allow it to. And we do that by taking the present step. Frankly, that’s a reminder we often need. It's an obvious truth but a lifelong practice. So, whenever you’re stuck, remember: Start the engine. Just one word. Then a sentence.

Here are two (or more) creative works that you’ll not regret checking out:

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Thank you so much for reading! 

As always, feel free to reply to this email & share your thoughts, stories, and any experience related to this topic. I’d love to hear them!  

C ya next Week! 

Embracing Creativity™,

Richard M.

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