Continuing our theme on how to get those creative juices going!
First... here's a quick question: Have you ever found yourself feeling threatened by another person's creativity? Be honest now...
If the answer is 'no, never' I probably won't believe you.
Why? Because this awful feeling happens to the best of us. Take me, I'm a graphic designer, and quite often I'd create a masterpiece, only to have it completely taken to the cleaners by the rest of the team. (Change this, change that, move that over.) What to do? How do you stop feeling totally rejected?
In situations such as these, here is something which I've found to work everytime. Caution: it sounds simple - but may be the hardest thing to practise.
Serve creativity, don't expect it to serve you.
Senario: Say that someone comes along and produces something which totally overshadows your own work. It's all too easy to dry up yourself. Or perhaps someone else takes over your work (which you've done all the groundwork for) and transforms it into something completely different from what you intended - and takes all the credit. It's enough to make you lose your creative thread completely.
At times like these it's vitally important that you trust in the abundance of the creative principle. Recognise that it is your creativity is being expressed by the other person. They are your talent. Because like attracts like.
Recognise that it's your relationship to your own creative nature that is being expressed here. Treat it as you would a relationship with a dear friend. Trust her. (or him) If she stops talking to you, give her a gift... How? In the form of trust. Trust the process. Stop. Believe in her absolute abundance and realise that something else, something bigger, and more fabulous is just waiting for you around the corner.
Importantly... you must know that the nature of creativity is to product something which has never existed before - and that's why you feel lost. Because you are facing the unknown. NOT because you've lost your creativity. Does this make sense? The person who has just made you dry up is your vehicle, NOT your obstacle.
Your creative nature has put that person here to be a stepping stone, for you. It's up to you what you do with it.
Tuesday 12 February 2008
Wednesday 9 January 2008
getting creative part II
Being creative - as I mentioned in my earlier blog - is every human's being's prerogative and (in my experience) anyone who thinks they are not creative simply hasn't discovered their natural outlet yet. If this sounds familiar then read on! If you are naturally creative then it's still worth reading and contributing, as there are always more doors to open. In fact the more creative you become, the more creative you can be.
My purpose is to offer you ways that may help you discover some of things for which you have natural flare - for there are always more than one!
Todays tip is this: to be creative means to taste the moment that happening now. Be with yourself. Being creative is NOT the same as daydreaming. Very important fact.
I discovered this when I was going through a traumatic experience a few years back. I found it hard to focus, hard to apply myself to anything. Months went by and I was incapable of doing anything more demanding than automated jobs, things which didn't require my emotional engagement in any way. And then... one day... I picked up a piece of paper and started penning something. I focussed my attention from whatever it was that causing me pain, and applied myself to really engaging. As my creativity flowed - my pain disappeared! When I stopped being creative the pain came back. It was like my creative muscles needed something to focus on, and if I didn't consciously focus it on something good, then it seemed to turn on me and made me feel bad!
That's when I realised that you need emotional energy in order to be creative. The ability to engage with an inspired idea. Mull over it, pay attention. This is why I call it the opposite of daydreaming. Daydreaming is when your thoughts are allowed to drift from one thing to another, with no control and no awareness of anything that's around you. Whereas engaged, creative thinking means you have an enhanced awareness of things around you. the shape of a leaf, the sound of children playing in the street, the pattern on the coffee cup - suddenly the most trivial thing can give you the inspiration you need to find a solution to a problem at hand.
My purpose is to offer you ways that may help you discover some of things for which you have natural flare - for there are always more than one!
Todays tip is this: to be creative means to taste the moment that happening now. Be with yourself. Being creative is NOT the same as daydreaming. Very important fact.
I discovered this when I was going through a traumatic experience a few years back. I found it hard to focus, hard to apply myself to anything. Months went by and I was incapable of doing anything more demanding than automated jobs, things which didn't require my emotional engagement in any way. And then... one day... I picked up a piece of paper and started penning something. I focussed my attention from whatever it was that causing me pain, and applied myself to really engaging. As my creativity flowed - my pain disappeared! When I stopped being creative the pain came back. It was like my creative muscles needed something to focus on, and if I didn't consciously focus it on something good, then it seemed to turn on me and made me feel bad!
That's when I realised that you need emotional energy in order to be creative. The ability to engage with an inspired idea. Mull over it, pay attention. This is why I call it the opposite of daydreaming. Daydreaming is when your thoughts are allowed to drift from one thing to another, with no control and no awareness of anything that's around you. Whereas engaged, creative thinking means you have an enhanced awareness of things around you. the shape of a leaf, the sound of children playing in the street, the pattern on the coffee cup - suddenly the most trivial thing can give you the inspiration you need to find a solution to a problem at hand.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
