Work And It Will Come

A basic and very effective approach to consider when you want to be creative is to simply start working.  If you're an artist, begin working the materials you intend to create with. If you are a writer begin writing.  The action of writing random thoughts can begin to opened things up in your mind and help you to flow. 

It’s not important to have everything in order, or to have a set of clear ideas, or to be in the mood, or to feel inspired.  Just begin working and the very act of doing will often cause the creative stars to align for you.  I have experienced far too many people frozen in their need to have everything "just right" before they begin to create.  They are convinced that they need just the right tool, or just the right idea, or just the right inspiration, or just the right motivation, or they need a better studio, or better instrument, or better lighting, or better teammates, and so on, and so on, and so on...   You get the picture.  It gets really ugly.  Don't fall into this trap.

I have so often been amazed at the power of a deadline to spark creativity.  The pressure to have something to show at your next meeting can cause a creatively stifled person to push forward into the light.  If you are feeling dead in the water, find some people that will hold you accountable and set a deadline for yourself.  Tell them that you will have a spectacular presentation of your work on that date and take action.  You will discover the creativity that blossoms out of pressure, frustration and personally forced activity.   Chuck Jones (the animator, artist, screenwriter, producer, director and Oscar winner) said that "Creative work is the most frustrating of all human vocations, and it is the only one."  Accept the challenge and start working by working. 

          In a nut shell

   1-Simply begin to work
   2-Don't get trapped in perfectionism
   3-Set a deadline and arrange some accountability
   4-Start working by working

Quote
Chuck Close
“I always thought that inspiration is for amateurs.  The rest of us just show up and get to work.  If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain.  You’re not going to make an awful lot of work. ”

Videos
Chuck Close has been creating some remarkable work since the 1970s.  The following video is a good way to learn more about the artist and his work.  He has many valuable insights into the process of making art and he is an artist worth exploring further.  Chuck Close Books



Sir Ken Robinson discusses creativity, education and life.  He makes some excellent points about the way we learn and the increasing importance of creativity in today's world.

Creativity and Skill

When I was younger and attending the College for creative studies I noticed a number of very talented students that had developed their chosen set of skills to a very high level.  If they had chosen oil painting as their favorite medium their ability to represent things in oils was very impressive. If they were painting a figure they could represent that figure with amazing accuracy and if they were painting a still life that still life would be beautifully represented as well.

It became clear over time however, that many of these students had great difficulty being creative with their skill.  As long as the instructor told them what to do (ie: “Paint this still life." or "Paint that landscape.") they were OK.  But when they were given complete creative freedom to develop their own subject matter, style and overall direction many were often frustrated and confused.  It became evident that the skill of execution did not always come with a natural creative ability, and in reverse, many wildly creative students had trouble representing their ideas in reality.

That being said, there were those rare occasions when I met students that were very talented in both creative thinking and execution and it was these students that would consistently produce the most outstanding work in the school.  It is because of this that I believe you should always work hard to maintain a balance as you develop your creativity and your chosen medium of execution.  If you know that your "skill of execution" is far beyond your creativity, develop your creative thinking skills.  If on the other hand your creativity is beyond your ability to execute, practice practice practice your execution. Each will enhance the other and you will find yourself flowing with ideas that translate beautifully into your area of work.

        In a nut shell

   1- Talented execution and creative thinking don't always come together
   2- Be acutely aware of your abilities in both areas
   3- Focus on developing the weaker of the two
   4- Find a healthy balance and let them enhance each other

Quote
Edward de Bono

“It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.”

Video

Photographer Andrew Zuckerman has put together an amazing collection of photographs.  The following video is only a behind the scenes short of his website and book project.  His website should not be missed.  Click on the preceding link, click OK to the copyright and browse his "Photographs" link.  You will be amazed.  I have never been personally interested in birds but I found his website extremely captivating.


Andrew Zuckerman's Website:  www.birdbook.org

Have A Creativity Ritual

Most of us have had moments of heightened creativity in which we seem to flow for a period of time.  If you have had a similar experience such as this then you know the amazing productivity and positive results that can be achieved.  Wouldn’t it be great if such experiences were less random and you could choose to flow creatively at will?

Working for years in fine arts and architecture I have had to develop an ability to work myself into a creative flow on a daily basis.  When I was unable to do this my work and productivity would suffer greatly.  One of my most effective methods in doing this has been something I call my “Creativity Ritual”.

When I would find myself in a “creative zone” I would observe just exactly what I was experiencing.  I began to write down what I was feeling, how I was thinking, the way I sat or stood, the way I was breathing and so on.  I later organized these “ways of being” into an outline that has evolved into my personal “Creativity Ritual”.  It is with this “way of being” outline that I have gained a tremendous amount of control over my ability to put myself into a creative zone when needed.

Your individual “Creativity Ritual” should be very uniquely yours.  It should be based on personal observations of how you are being when you are at your most creative.  It’s about taking the time to discover your creative self in action so you can replicate your state of mind when you choose to.  To help you better understand how this might look for you I have included the following outline of my current “Creativity Ritual”.


Being Creative:
    •I stand up and breath in deeply.
    •I feel creative energy filling my lungs
    •I thank God for my imagination and the opportunity to be creative.
    •I consider great thoughts from great people.
    •I consider creative people’s work.
    •I feel and imagine my work’s creative potential.
    •I think about the possibilities like a big kid.
    •I feel unstoppable creativity welling up inside me. 
    •I breath deeper and more fully.
    •I sit or stand straight, energized and excited.
    •I move fast and sure  
    •I think clear and sure
    •I feel the truth and excitement of my purpose.
    •I move away from safety and protection.
    •I feel passion for the unknown benefits to come.
    •I pray for the pessimists and critics that they might feel the joy of taking risks.
    •I work hard and move my dreams forward.  
    •I dive into a creative zone as if it's refreshing, crystal-clear water.
        It's inviting, exciting and natural.

By going through this list and doing each item physically and mentally I am able to work my way into a creative zone.  This ritual of mine has changed and evolved over time.  When I find myself in a creative zone I continue to observe and note new helpful ways I can replicate the experience and I add them to my Being Creative list. Begin developing your “Creativity Ritual” and discover the remarkable control you can have over your own ability to dive into a creative zone at will.

        In a nut shell

   1-Experience being in a creative zone
   2-Observe how you are feeling, thinking and being
   3-Note and organize your observations
   4-Use these written observations to replicate the experience
   5-Follow them physically and mentally back into a creative zone

Quote

Steve Jobs

“All external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, these things just fall away in the face of death leaving only what is truly important.  Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.  You are already naked, there's no reason not to follow your heart.”

Videos

British artist Patrick Hughes is the creator of “Reverspective” a unique form of three-dimensional painting that has to be seen in motion to truly appreciate. Using his technique of reverse perspective by inverting the depth of his painting’s surface he creates powerful illusions.



You can explore his work further at www.patrickhughes.co.uk

Filling up on creativity

A great way to enhance creativity is to fill your mind with lots of stuff and by stuff I mean lots of things that relate to the areas you want to be creative in.  The idea is to expose yourself to a wide range of raw creative material.  If you are an artist, look at lots of art. Spend time in museums and galleries, experience art shows and artists, and put a certain amount of time into browsing the internet.

Remember also the importance of stepping outside your world and looking into other seemingly unrelated areas for fresh creative ideas.  Creative breakthroughs often occur when seemingly unrelated things come together in a new way.  If you embrace this perspective and let it become part of your daily experience it will open your eyes to things you might not otherwise see.  Steven Johnson (Author of Where Good Ideas Come From) touches on this in the following video.



An example of this stepping out benefit is the discovery years ago that knots (like when you tie your shoes) play a significant role in understanding DNA and the genetic instructions they contain.

Another example is Guido Daniele’s hand paintings.  He paints animals on hands rather than canvas creating something much more interesting and unique.

Begin filling your mind with this open perspective and note the new levels of creativity that come.  They will often come during simple daily activities that need little mental focus.  You may be showering, driving to work or vacuuming the floor.  Be open to your creativity and comfortably let it happen.  Know that breakthrough ideas are floating about your mind.  You have filled it with lots of raw creative material and it’s natural state is to create.  When an idea comes don’t judge it, instead simply make note of it.  Always have a way to capture your new ideas whether it be a sketchbook, a journal or even a voice recording.  Know that collecting these little gems will lead to even greater breakthroughs if they are not breakthroughs already.

        In a nut shell

   1-Fill your mind with lots of "good stuff"
   2-Include “seemingly unrelated” stuff with an open mind
   3-Let the ideas come to you while doing simple activities
   4-Comfortably capture the ideas (sketch book, note, voice memo, etc.)
   5-Let them lead to creative breakthroughs

Quotes 

Oliver Wendell Holmes

 “A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience."

"The human mind once stretched by a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions."

Video
I recently was able to fill my mind with lots of amazing creative material at ArtPrize 2010.  My wife and I spent the weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan enjoying top-notch art, entertainment and food at this inspiring event.  ArtPrize is the world's largest art prize awarding almost a half a million dollars to the top ten artists.  According to their website www.ArtPrize.org the competition drew 1,713 artists from 44 states and 21 countries.  Note David Spriggs three dimensional light piece near the end.  Imagine the fun he had taking his idea from concept to reality.  I’m sure he made many exciting discoveries in the process and he took 5th place over all in the competition.  First place went to Chris LaPorte for his meticulously drawn “Cavalry, American Officers, 1921” (also in this video).