The Eisenhower Matrix for Creatives: How to Focus, Finish Projects, and Free Your Mind
As creative minds, our heads are always buzzing with ideas. Sketches, drafts, plans, experiments - they never stop. But remember: we can do anything, but we cannot do everything.
That’s where the Eisenhower Matrix comes in. I use it myself and recommend it in 1:1 sessions with creatives all the time. It helps us organise our ideas, focus on what really matters, and actually finish projects.
What is the Eisenhower Matrix?
The Eisenhower Matrix is a simple tool for prioritising tasks based on two questions
Is this urgent?
Is this important?
From this, we get four quadrants
Urgent and Important: Do it now
Important but Not Urgent: Schedule it
Urgent but Not Important: Delegate or automate it
Neither Urgent nor Important: Let it go
Using this framework helps us stop feeling overwhelmed and start using our time and energy more effectively.
Why It Works for Creative Minds
As creatives, it’s easy to start ten projects, get halfway through five, and leave the rest unfinished. The Matrix gives our ideas space and clarity. It helps us focus on what really moves our work forward while letting go of the things that distract us.
How We Use It
Brain dump: Write down every task and idea, big or small. Nothing is too silly to include.
Sort: Place each item into one of the four quadrants.
Act: Focus first on the urgent and important tasks, schedule the important but not urgent ones, delegate what we can, and drop the rest.
Check in regularly: Priorities change, so revisit the Matrix often.
Example: A Day in the Life of a Freelance Designer
Imagine we are working on a client project while juggling new ideas for our own creative side projects.
Urgent and Important: Finish the client presentation due tomorrow
Important but Not Urgent: Draft ideas for our new illustration series
Urgent but Not Important: Organising your inbox or folders when it isn’t affecting any deadlines
Neither Urgent nor Important: Scroll through design inspiration feeds for “fun ideas” without a plan
By sorting our tasks this way, we can focus on the things that matter, make real progress, and still leave room for creative play.
Making the Matrix Work for Us
Using the Eisenhower Matrix is not about doing less. It’s about doing more of the right things. It helps us prioritise, focus, and create consistently without feeling scattered or guilty about what we’re not doing.
If our ideas and to-do lists feel endless, the Matrix is a tool to take back control, focus our creative energy, and move our projects forward.
Want to put the Eisenhower Matrix into action? Download our free template below to start organising your ideas, focus on what matters, and check out more creative resources on the site to keep your projects moving forward.