How to Live Creatively: 5 Lessons from Keisha Brooks on Resourcefulness, Boundaries, and Building Your Own World
- Aya Hoja
- Jun 6
- 8 min read
Before Keisha Brooks was my friend, she was a stranger.
We met through a creative event years ago and immediately clicked. At the time, I did not know she would become one of those people in my life who tells it how it is, lights a fire under me, helps me move faster, and reminds me to use what I already have.
But that is the thing about community.
You do not always know who someone is going to become in your life the first time you meet them.
Sometimes they are just another person in the room.
Then time passes. You keep showing up. You keep crossing paths. You keep exchanging ideas, encouragement, wisdom, laughter, and little pieces of your story.
And one day, that person is no longer a stranger. They are part of your becoming.
That is how I feel about Keisha.
She is a producer, actor, writer, creative, and founder of Helping Hands Productions. But more than that, she is one of those people who carries a very specific kind of energy. She is resourceful. She is direct. She is generous. She knows how to get things done. And she has this beautiful way of reminding people that they are not as stuck as they think they are.
When Keisha joined me on the Rise + Rebel Podcast, we talked about creativity, acting, production, veganism, boundaries, success, aging, asking for help, and building your own opportunities.
But underneath all of that, the real conversation was this:
How do you live creatively when real life is still happening?
How do you keep creating when you are tired, busy, working, caring for family, figuring things out, and still trying to become the person you know you are meant to be?
Keisha’s answer was not fluffy. It was not about waiting for inspiration to strike.
It was about gratitude, resourcefulness, community, follow-through, boundaries, and deciding that if the room does not exist, you can build your own world.
Here are five lessons from Keisha Brooks on how to live creatively.
1. Start with gratitude before you try to create anything
One of the first things Keisha said in our conversation was that every day she wakes up, she is grateful.
In a grounded, “I am still here, so let me honor this day” kind of way.
She talked about waking up, speaking life into herself, and even thanking her water for hydrating her.
That may sound simple, but there is something powerful about starting your day in relationship with what is already supporting you.
Before the work. Before the errands. Before the emails. Before the responsibilities. Before the pressure to be productive.
Gratitude brings you back to the fact that you are alive.
And when you are alive, you still have options.
That matters for creativity because creativity does not always come from having more time, more money, more tools, or more validation. Sometimes creativity starts when you stop moving long enough to notice what is already available to you.
Your breath, your body, your ideas, your voice, your perspective, your ability to begin again.
Keisha reminded me that gratitude is not passive. It is preparation.
It is how you get your energy right before you walk into the day.
Creative practice: Before you reach for your phone in the morning, name three things that are already supporting you. Keep it simple. Your bed. Your water. Your breath. Your home. Your ideas. Your ability to try again.
2. Use what you have before you complain about what you do not have
If there is one word that describes Keisha, it is resourceful.
She is the kind of person who figures things out. If something needs to be done, she is already thinking about how to do it, who to ask, what can be used, and what next step will move the thing forward.
In the episode, we talked about how so many creatives get stuck because they focus on what they do not have yet. They do not have the perfect headshots. They do not have the money. They do not have the team. They do not have the connection. They do not have the fancy equipment. They do not have the perfect opportunity.
But Keisha’s mindset is different.
If you cannot afford something, can you barter? If you do not know something, can you ask? If you do not have access, can you build a relationship? If you are not invited, can you create the opportunity yourself?
One of the lines she shared was, “A closed mouth does not get fed.”
That one hit. Because sometimes we are not actually stuck. We are silent. We are afraid to ask. We are afraid to look inexperienced. We are afraid to be told no. We are afraid someone will judge us for needing help.
But asking is part of creativity.
Resourcefulness is not about pretending you have everything together. It is about being honest enough to say, “Here is where I am. Here is what I need. What is possible?”
That mindset can change everything.
Creative practice: Write down one thing you think you cannot do because you do not have enough money, support, time, or access. Then ask: “What do I already have that could help me take one step?”
3. Stay ready so you do not have to get ready
Keisha said something that every creative, entrepreneur, and dreamer needs to hear:
Stay ready so you do not have to get ready.
That kind of readiness is not about perfection. It is not about obsessing over every detail or waiting until your life looks polished. It is about preparation.
It is about staying close to the thing you say you want. If you want to act, are you practicing? If you want to write, are you writing? If you want to build a business, are you learning your customer? If you want to be in community, are you showing up? If you want opportunity, are you making it easier for opportunity to find you?
A lot of people want the moment, but they do not prepare for the moment. And then when the door opens, they are scrambling.
Keisha’s life is a reminder that creativity requires movement. It requires follow-up. It requires follow-through. It requires keeping your finger on the pulse of what matters to you.
That does not mean you need to be everywhere. It means you need to stay awake to your own life.
Pay attention to the rooms, people, conversations, and opportunities connected to the future you say you want.
Because if you are not paying attention, you may miss the very thing you were praying for.
Creative practice: Choose one area of your life where you want to “stay ready.” Then pick one weekly action that keeps you prepared. Not overwhelmed. Prepared.
4. Creativity is not just what you make. It is how you live.
One thing I loved about this conversation is that Keisha does not treat creativity like it only belongs to acting, writing, or production.
For her, creativity shows up everywhere. It shows up in how she cooks. It shows up in how she solves problems. It shows up in how she plans her week. It shows up in how she cares for her health. It shows up in how she finds new ways to navigate daily life.
That is important because a lot of people say, “I am not creative,” when what they really mean is, “I do not paint, act, sing, write, or perform.”
But creativity is not limited to the arts.
Creativity is problem-solving. Creativity is making something work. Creativity is finding a new route. Creativity is asking a better question. Creativity is making a meal out of what is already in the kitchen. Creativity is turning a conversation into an idea. Creativity is rebuilding your life after something did not go as planned.
You may be more creative than you are giving yourself credit for.
Keisha’s life reflects that.
She is creative in her work, yes. But she is also creative in how she thinks, how she supports people, how she adapts, and how she keeps moving.
That is the kind of creativity I am most interested in. Not the kind that only exists when the lighting is perfect. The kind that helps you live.
Creative practice: At the end of the day, ask yourself: “Where did I practice creativity today?” Look beyond art. Look for problem-solving, adaptability, courage, and honest expression.
5. Protect your energy because your time is not free
One of the strongest parts of the episode was our conversation about boundaries.
Keisha and I both know what it feels like to be the helper. The person people call. The person who gives advice. The person who shares resources. The person who makes connections. The person who says yes because they care. And caring is beautiful.
But giving yourself away is not the same thing as being generous. Keisha said her time is not free anymore.
That does not always mean someone has to pay money. Sometimes the exchange is energy, respect, support, collaboration, or a shared purpose.
But there has to be some kind of alignment. Because when you are always giving and never replenished, you do not become more loving. You become drained.
And a drained person cannot create from power. They create from resentment, pressure, and exhaustion.
Boundaries are not the opposite of creativity. Boundaries protect creativity. They give your energy somewhere safe to live. They help you stop pouring into people who only come to take. They help you recognize the difference between someone who values your wisdom and someone who feels entitled to it.
And if you are a creative, entrepreneur, advisor, founder, or community builder, this lesson matters deeply.
Your time is part of your life. Your energy is part of your work. Your wisdom came from experience.
It is okay to protect it.
Creative practice: Before saying yes, ask yourself: “Will this replenish me, grow me, align with me, or genuinely serve a purpose I believe in?” If the answer is no, pause before giving your time away.
The bigger lesson: build your own world
Toward the end of our conversation, Keisha talked about what happens when you are not invited to the table.
And yes, we have all heard the phrase, “Build your own table.” But Keisha’s energy went further than that.
Do not just build the table. Build the whole building. Build the whole world.
That is the deeper message of this episode. You do not have to wait to be chosen before you create. You do not have to wait for the perfect invitation before you begin. You do not have to wait for someone else to validate what you already know is inside of you.
You can start with what you have.
You can ask for help. You can barter. You can follow up. You can show up. You can build community. You can protect your energy. You can create the room you wish existed.
That is how so much of life is built. Not all at once. Not perfectly.
But through one brave, resourceful, honest step at a time.
Final thoughts
Living creatively is not about escaping real life. It is about bringing more life into the life you already have.
It is waking up with gratitude. It is using what is available. It is staying ready. It is seeing creativity in everyday choices. It is protecting your energy. It is meeting people. It is letting strangers become friends. It is building your own world instead of waiting for permission to belong somewhere else.
That is what Keisha Brooks reminded me. And maybe that is your reminder too.
You are not behind because you are still figuring it out.
You are not disqualified because you do not have everything yet.
You are not powerless because the door has not opened.
You may simply be in the part of the story where you learn how to build.
Watch my full conversation with Keisha Brooks on the Rise + Rebel Podcast here:
And if this spoke to you, subscribe to Rise + Rebel on YouTube.
Subscribe if you are becoming who you were always meant to be.
Comments