The silly stereotype of the tragic genius

Have you ever had an idea pop into your head, for example when you woke up after an afternoon nap?  As cool as that is, it can be disorienting when ideas just come out of nowhere.  But what's really scary is those stereotypes of tragic geniuses, mad artists and suicidal poets…  So, does creativity really demand a dangerous surrender to mysterious forces? 

In a word, no.  Because creativity uses so much of you (mind, will, imagination, emotion, and so on), dedicating yourself to a creative project enables your unconscious mind to jump in and help out.  That's unusual for many of us, and it can feel strange.  It can also look strange to others, because focusing so intently can make us seem spacey. 

But in fact, creativity is healthy.  It energizes you, builds your self-esteem, and just in general makes you better at living.  It also makes for healthier cultures, capable of growth and adaptation in the face of challenges. 

That said, don't overdo.  If you're working hard on a creative project, make sure you take the time to eat, sleep, and care for your body.  Treat the people around you with respect, asking for their support instead of pushing them away.  Smile more, worry less.  Be persistent, and also patient. 

And when you complete your project, take the time to be proud and happy!  That sounds pretty sane, to me.

Choosing creatively = choosing well

Do you ever find it hard to make choices? It can be stressful: choices are super-important to defining your life's path.  How do you figure out what choices to make?

One answer is that how you make choices is important.  If you're the kind of person who dives right in without ever looking back, you're not really choosing, which doesn't always turn out well.  On the other hand, if you're the kind of person who endlessly thinks and re-thinks, you could get stuck in indecision. 

Luckily, our creative brain is designed to help us strike the right balance.  When we fit our choices into a creative process, we have a method that will help us to both think things through, and also move forward without regret. 

Here are the steps I recommend:

1) First, be really clear on what motivates you to make this choice at all.  If you don't know why you are doing something, you will never know what you should do. Imagine and visualize where you want to end up, and be sure that it's important to you. 

2) As you consider your options, first think, then feel.  Brainstorm your options, then get the information you need to build a "choice picture" that tells you what each option might end up looking like.  After you've done that, tap into your feelings--how much do you like each of those choice pictures?

3) Clear out the distractions so you can tune into your deepest self.  Listen for your inner voice. If it's in turmoil, you're just not ready to choose. Don't stop or run away, ask yourself "what's missing?" and solve it.

In the end, you will simply make a choice.  However, if you've gone through this process, it will be a conscious choice that brings you closer to understanding yourself and the world.  And that will keep your life's path pointing forward, not backward.

Motivating your commitment to create

Motivation for creativity can come from surprising places!  I have a great real-world example for you.

One of my favorite creativity stories is about the founders of Kiva.org, a charity that lets individuals lend small amounts of money to people in developing countries.  Kiva was created by a young couple who had gone to business school together.  He wanted to be a successful California high-tech entrepreneur, she wanted to help small businesses in Africa.  How could they make their marriage work if they couldn't agree on a continent?

The answer was Kiva.org, which uses his high-tech skills and her development skills to make an enormous difference to people all over the world.  So... what was the motivation for Kiva?  I'm sure there were many, but essentially, their commitment to creating Kiva sprang from their need to have a fabulous marriage.

So ask yourself: what in your life is worth the effort and commitment to be creative? Your answer will both help you succeed and tell you alot about who you are. 

Creativity makes you special

As my son goes off to his first big city job today, I can't help but remember when I first started interviewing for jobs, after college.  I remember looking up at those huge skyscrapers, and around at the thousands of other people and feeling really, really small.  In such a huge, crowded city, how could I be unique?

Well, we are all unique, special, and (if we keep our creativity) able to make a difference in the world.  Yet when you're going through the rounds of interviews, tests, comparisons with other people, it's easy to lapse into self-doubt.  So here's how to use your creativity to overcome those feelings.

1) Identify your personal goals.  If you have a vision for your life, you will keep a sense of yourself as an individual.

2) Entertain and inform yourself by really perceiving the world around you.  Those unique perceptions will ensure that you don't just follow patterns and make assumptions.

3) When you have an insight, take it seriously. Those moments of extraordinary clarity that characterize an insight could open a unique path for your life, or at least blast you out of a rut. 

So embrace the new, knowing that you have what it takes to live with creativity, purpose, and individual flair.  You are you! And that is wonderful.

Four ways to kick-start your creative brain

Even if you're in a creative profession, or have creative hobbies, you can get bogged down and lose your creative "juice".  As we head into the summertime, I thought I'd share a few ideas for how to re-energize creativity, and take full advantage of those long summer days.

1) Give up a habit or two. Breaking your patterns will kick your brain out of a rut.  For example, if you always turn on the TV when you get home, try leaving it off.  If you always have tuna salad sandwiches for lunch, try something new. Yes, it will probably be uncomfortable, so embrace the discomfort and focus your energies on your creative projects.

2) Put a moratorium on complaining.  Complaining is addictive--and destructive to your mental state.  Repetitive complaints, especially, solve nothing, making you feel powerless.  Face it: the traffic is always going to be bad on Friday afternoon; your little sister will continue to be annoying. Instead of complaining about things, focus on your project.

3) Clean your workspace. (This idea came from one of my Facebook followers, and it's a great one.)  Clutter distracts you and creates anxiety.  I am a terrible "clutterer" myself so I say that with no judgment--cleaning up your space will help you to focus and re-energize.

4) Listen to some new music.  Music provides deep stimulus to the brain.  Today, we have access to all kinds of music online, so take advantage!  Try something entirely new: if you always listen to techno, try Mozart, or Chopin--and vice versa.  You'll find some interesting synergies, and that might get your creative juices flowing again.

...Or come up with your own ideas!  You know what gets your energy flowing.  So kick off your summer by kick-starting your creative brain.

Creativity and positivity

This morning a Facebook friend posted a story about how Grand Rapids, Michigan, dubbed one of America's "dying" cities, responded energetically, creatively, and positively to declare themselves very much alive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPjjZCO67WI

Boy, did I love that story.  Last summer, I took a working vacation to a region of New York state declared dead somewhere back in the seventies, when industrial jobs left their area.  What I found was a community of positive people who formed home businesses, grew food, and enjoyed the beauty of their region. Yes, they were comparatively poor; but no-one could say they were living desperate lives.

The people I saw there were part of my inspiration to form Actively Creative.  I don't mean to romanticize poverty or dismiss the serious issues around economic hardship here or anywhere in the world.  But acknowledging all that, people and communities often find extraordinary solutions by focusing on how they can create their futures, rather than mourn the past.

When shared in a community, creativity is exponentially more positive and powerful.  So bravo, Grand Rapids!  You rock.

Creativity, patience, and hope

Creativity is a learned trait, or in other words, a behavior that you practice until it becomes part of who you are.  Some of us develop it young, and others develop it as adults.  Whichever is the case with you, the creativity trait carries with it certain characteristic attitudes.

One of these is patience.  We've been taught that "patience is a virtue", and that's certainly the case in creative projects.  In order to persist, the creator must be patient both with him/herself and also with difficulties that arise.  Being patient, creative people can rise above frustration, self-doubt, and failure, keeping their eye on the long run rather than the short. 

Another important attitude is hope, the close cousin of patience.  Hope is not starry-eyed or blind, but rather the will to seek solutions rather than give up.  Hope is knowing that though you are not perfect or completely prepared to succeed, you have what it takes to get what you need and go on.  Hope underlies your firm commitment to the goal you have set for yourself. 

Often, patience and hope are learned by facing obstacles and overcoming them.  But even when you're just starting out, knowing that these two attitudes are necessary will help you to avoid defeatist attitudes.  Keep hope and patience alive, and your chances of succeeding are excellent.