Doechii Teaches: 7 Lessons on Creativity & Process
Speed, trust, and making art from the inside out
I followed the Grammys for the first time in a long while, mostly because I was actually a fan of the artists performing and nominated this season. I tuned in for Doechii, Kendrick Lamar, the Pink Ponies, and Brat Summers.
Weaning myself off TikTok hasn’t been easy, and I slipped—falling into a rabbit hole of performances and interviews from the artists I mentioned.
Doechii spoke to me the most. Her creative process is one I deeply relate to, something I’ve implemented at different points in my life. She reminded me to return to what I’ve been struggling with: trusting myself while actively tuning out external noise—trends, doubt, outside expectations.
By committing to this process, she tapped into herself, her talent, her ideas—creating something the culture has been thirsting for. When we see or hear something great, we know it. It’s undeniable. And we’re lucky to witness and learn from an artist as singular and powerful as Doechii.
I collected quotes from Doechii about her process found in various interviews across TikTok and Rolling Stone. Find links to all video references below.
1. Speed Over The Doubt
For a long time, Doechii felt weighed down by the belief that something outside of her would get her where she wanted to go. Eventually, that mindset became unbearable.
“I was just fed up with doubting myself. You doubt yourself when you convince yourself something outside you is gonna get you somewhere. And that lie that I was believing for so long was getting too heavy for me to carry.”
Creativity slows down when you overthink. And if you slow down too much, doubt will catch up to you. Doechii’s process is built around outrunning hesitation—forcing herself to move so quickly that there’s no time to second-guess.
“All right, I have to move quickly because if I don't move fast enough, doubt will come in and it'll slow me down.”
Doubt isn’t just a feeling—it paralyzes. It makes you hesitate, second-guess, and stay stuck.
2. Restraints That Set You Free
While writing her grammy-award winning album “Alligator Bites Never Heal”, she literally sets a timer—one hour. Whatever lyrics she writes in that hour, that’s it. No over-editing, no dwelling. It forces her to trust herself, to be fully in the moment.
“I'll set a timer, one hour. Whenever you get that hour, that’s what you get. You got to move on.”
She gives herself permission to make bad work.
“You have the right to be vulnerable. You have the right to be corny. Whatever. I have the right to be whoever I am in this hour and then I must move on.”
No pressure to be perfect. No pressure to get it right the first time. Just the discipline to keep going daily.
3. Releasing Negative Thoughts
Before she starts creating, Doechii has a ritual. She actively pulls out whatever negative energy or self-doubt she’s holding onto and lets it go. It’s a breathing exercise comprised of three exhales.
“In the third one, I like to imagine that I'm pulling out any negative self-thoughts, any negative energy, or anything that's built up, usually in my chest, and release it.”
It’s not just about making music—it’s about clearing space for creativity. Getting out of her own way so she can make something. Slipping into the best headspace for creation.
4. Creating from the Inside Out
A lot of mainstream artists shape their work around what will hit. What will perform well, what will get them to the top. Doechii does the opposite. She creates from a place of deep self-trust, making music for herself first, without chasing industry formulas.
Her track, Denial is a River, resonated because it was raw, real, and unfiltered. It captured an artist figuring herself out in real time. And she invited us into her own inner dialogue to listen, “Now I'm makin' TikTok music, what the fuck?”.
She won Best Rap Album at the Grammys for Alligator Bites Never Heal—a mixtape she made in just 30 days.
She took risks. She refused to play by the industry’s rules. And it paid off.
5. Self-Trust and Self-Respect
Long before she blew up, Doechii was deep in the process of figuring out how to create without outside influence. She did an entire 11-week series on The Artist’s Way, a book about creativity and self-reflection. Even when she had barely any audience, she was doing the work.
“My self-respect comes from doing the work, nothing else.”
And when she decided to make an album in 30 days, she had to trust herself completely.
“She felt this inspiration to just call her label and be like, ‘I’m dropping an album in 30 days. Here’s the date.’ They’re like, ‘How many songs do you have ready?’ She’s like, ‘None. I’m gonna start recording it now.’”
She wasn’t waiting for permission. She wasn’t waiting for everything to be ready. She made the leap—and figured it out on the way down.
6. Trust Your Own Voice
Doechii’s process isn’t just about music—it’s about learning to stop looking outward for direction and start trusting yourself.
She creates for herself first. Not to impress. Not to fit in. Not to follow a formula.
“I have to make music for therapy and for me—that’s my formula.”
And that’s why it works.
7. Lifelong Learning & The Right People Around You
Creativity isn’t just about talent—it’s about staying a student. Doechii knows that growth comes from continuously learning, both about herself and her craft.
“Still be a student. Be a student of yourself. Be a student of your craft.”
This mindset keeps her evolving, allowing her to trust her instincts rather than relying on external approval.
And when doubt does creep in, having the right people around makes all the difference. For Doechii, that person was her engineer Jayda Love—someone who could remind her of who she is when she lost sight of it.
“Keep someone next to you that can remind you of yourself.”
Creativity is a solo act, but it doesn’t have to be lonely. Surrounding yourself with the right energy—people who ground you, who remind you why you started—can be just as vital as the work itself.
The Power of Intuition
At the core of Doechii’s process is an unwavering trust in herself. She doesn’t overanalyze, chase trends, or try to control every outcome—she lets intuition guide her.
She moves quickly to outpace self-doubt, sets boundaries to free herself from perfectionism, and releases negative thoughts before they take root. Every piece of her process is designed to keep her moving forward.
She’s built a creative practice that prioritizes speed, trust, and freedom over external validation. And because of that, her work feels alive.
For anyone struggling with doubt, hesitation, or feeling stuck in a cycle of overthinking—there’s a lesson in Doechii’s approach: trust yourself, be a student, surround yourself with the right people, and let go of the need to control everything.
The work will reveal itself if you just keep going.
Saw her YouTube videos yesterday about finding The Artist's Way - IN THE GARBAGE, while walking down the street. Imagine if she hadn't been noticing or picked it up. The serendipity, action and choice to do the work is magical brilliance.
I love the lifelong learning perspective. Helps me stay motivated to practice and learn, fostering a growth mindset. I recently heard someone say about the early days of becoming a comedian, that they were like a gym rat, getting the reps in day in and day out, being on stage, working on their craft, they really needed those early years of practicing, allowed to make mistakes. I love this perspective.