10 Tips for Creativity
Know you are creative. Everyone is creative in their own special way in their own special medium. I’ve met lots of people who believed they weren’t creative. I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t.- Think outside the box. No idea is too outlandish! Do you want to reproduce the past or forge a new path? Are you going to keep doing what’s already been written about or will you do something that will be written about? The best creativity has something refreshing about it, even if offensive.
- Make time. Stop the craziness and plant yourself before your palette. It won’t come to you. Leisure is a key ingredient in creativity. Even philosophers know that leisure is necessary for creative thinking. Some of my most creative ideas come to me over my morning coffee or an evening scotch.
- Don’t care what people will think. That will kill creativity on the spot. If I listened to my critics you wouldn’t be reading this and I wouldn’t have written it. Everything offends someone. Learn that quick and then ignore it.
- Don’t do it for money. Creativity can be drowned out by monetary ambitions. If your art sells, great. If you sell your soul, not so great. Money poisons motives.
- Experiment. Writing? Put pen to paper before you have a thought. Painting? Throw it. Sculpture? Smash it. Philosophizing? Don’t sleep for 2 days. Choreography? Drink wine then video it nude. Try something. Anything!
- Don’t be afraid of mistakes or waste. My painting dramatically improved when I stopped caring about how much paint or paper I used. Some of the best symphonies, paintings, choreographs, architecture, etc., were created after totally scrapping previous attempts.
- Explore new possibilities. If someone told me I’d be cartooning every day I wouldn’t have believed it. I did my first one in fear and trembling. Now I can’t stop. I plan on trying new things soon because I don’t like ruts. But I love wells. And creativity is a fathomless well. Once you tap in, you’ll know what I mean.
- Enjoy it! Creativity is fascinating and fun. Especially when it materializes. Although there can be excruciating work involved in the process, a deep feeling of satisfaction often accompanies it, even if it upsets everything around you. You may feel like Chuck Noland in the movie Cast Away: “I make fire!” while you beat your chest in triumphant joy. Well, I have.
- Risk exposing yourself. Your creations are your babies. They are part of yourself, borne out of your own heart and passions, and they say something important about you. Putting your creations out there is like putting yourself out there. And even though you will get praised as well as shot at, I think you must do it… for you, for me, and for our world.
The painting is one of my rare acrylics on canvas (6″x10″, SOLD) titled, “Eve on Fire”.
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11. Restrict yourself. It’s amazing how confines release creativity while a blank canvas just stares at you. Arguably one of the most creative composers, J.S. Bach, worked under highly restrictive musical forms. Alfred Hitchcock implemented his own restrictions–”can I show a story in a movie in only one room?” (Rear Window was the result).
Restrict yourself–take a color out of your palette, avoid F#, speak in only one voice; and see what happens…
Love the picture. Amazing - do more like that.
video it nude? at my age/weight - i think that would be a horror film … but i like the rest …
If someone needs a tip on being creative - then they have a tough time realizing their true potential/worth. But I know a lot of people that never dabble in the arts - which is sad - who knows what they might offer from within the recesses of their soul? I love the arts - all of them - although I do struggle with painting and understanding it - I am getting better all the time.
Good tips!
I love the fluid lines of the painting. Too bad it’s sold
#4 Don’t care what people think. Amen to that! What a great site. Can I link to it on my blog?
wear a mask, video it nude, and post it on youtube
I make my living in photography. I love the medium, but I find myself quite often burnt out due to spending so much of my time in it making a living. Every now and then, when business is slow, I am able to clear my head, pick up a couple cameras, and go do what I love…photography.
We had a demo by a well known local painter at our Art League meeting the other night. He would totally agree with your list:)
He did an oil landscape in 30 minutes using nothing but Bounty paper towels. He did it on a piece of birch wood instead of the usual canvas.
Great list. I garnered a little inspiration from 3, 5, and 9 this morning.
@Fred said:
YES! So little mention is made about how necessary restrictions in the form of structure are to creativity. I like your examples. Most classical music is, indeed, based on structured forms: sonatas, minuets, scherzo’s, symphonies, etc. Poetry is, too.
The idea seems to contradict some of the items on the list, but in reality, it fits right in - it’s complementary. Create a problem and then solve it with the tools at hand. It forces innovation.
There is a song on the radio that is my voice. It articulates for me the process of releasing a song:
“2 AM and I’m still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper,
it’s no longer inside of me,
threatening the life it belongs to.
And i feel like I’m naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you’ll use them, however you want to…”
great list! very insightful.
also, check out tea with mcnair - this dood drips creativity, and helps others capture it:
http://www.teawithmcnair.typepad.com/
Number 7 made me think of the abundance of material that is present in the reproduction of life. The universe has this rich extravogance towards life that is just amazing and I think shows how naturally creative the universe is. Sharon read how Jewel writes hundreds of songs for each album, but obviously only a few make it. Creative processes are life giving processes. Nice post.
Thanks. This post offered me some hope and renewed passion.