Jump Start Your Creativity
Whether or not your livelihood depends on creativity, everyone needs to jump start their creativity from time to time. Being a writer and strategist, I often ponder the art of being creative and how to keep that creative spark alive. In the spirit of starting the new year fresh, I thought I’d share some ideas on how to jump start your creativity.
If you’ve read some of my Art of Creativity posts, then you know I believe that everyone has that creative spirit in them and that creativity sometimes gets buried behind periods of oversight, years of neglect, and even trauma. We often need to be reminded that our creative spirit lives on, even when we feel that it has long abandoned us. I’ve compiled a list of some things that inspire me creatively. I go back to these invaluable resources when I’m feeling those Creativity Blues creeping up on me.
1. Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk
I am a big TED Talk junky. I love watching talks on all sorts of topics – from leading edge discoveries on science and education to interesting insights on social enterprise, philanthropy and art. One of my favorite talks is from Sir Robinson called “Do schools kill creativity?” He is a damn funny storyteller and my favorite story is about Gillian Lynne, a choreographer for the London Ballet. When Gillian was a child, school administrators told Gillian’s mother that her daughter had a learning disorder because she couldn't concentrate and sit still in school. When her mother took her to a specialist, the man heard her story and then conducted an experiment – he left Gillian in the room alone with the radio on. As the specialist watched Gillian dance around the room to the music, he turned to Gillian’s mother and said, “Your daughter is not sick, she’s a dancer. Take her to dance school.” Robinson tells us stories like these to illustrate the fact that intelligence comes in many forms. He implores us to recognize and nurture different types of intelligence, and keep creativity alive in our schools and organizations. His other talks are equally great and are worth a watch as well.
2. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
I’ve spoken about this book in previous posts. The Artist's Way is the bible for creative thinking. In my mid 30s, I found myself a bit stuck in life and creatively stifled in my job. While I continued to write, everything I wrote was too rational and analytical. It lacked soul. Someone had recommended this book to me and I was hooked from the first exercise. The book consists of a 12-week course on how to reengage with your creative spirit. Every day during the course, you are encouraged to write morning pages – three pages of your stream of consciousness thinking. You are also asked to take yourself on Artist Dates to do nurturing activities for yourself and by yourself. In addition, you investigate your beliefs about Creativity, and debunk your limiting beliefs. For example, in one exercise, you write a letter to someone who squashed your creative spirit, and in another exercise, you write a letter to someone who helped to nurture your creativity. All of the activities in the Artist’s Way are meant to tap into the creative, spiritual essence that lies in every one of us.
3. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
The latest book from Elizabeth Gilbert is a quick read, and a very generous book about how to live a creative life. Gilbert gives practical and spiritual advice on how to show up to create day after day. She offers an interesting metaphor about driving with your creativity whenever undertaking a creative task. While driving with Creativity, she also advises readers to allow Fear to ride in the back seat. But, she says, you must give Fear the ground rules, including the very important rule: "you can sit in the back seat, but you can never drive the car." Big Magic is a wonderful account of how Gilbert has made a living doing this ‘creativity’ thing, and how you can too. Elizabeth Gilbert also has a great TED Talk on "Your Elusive Creative Genius," which is an inspiring talk on Creativity.
4. Art House Movies
Take a break from going to the movie theater and rent an art house movie instead. When you do, you will get a different perspective on storytelling from directors who are doing things differently than Hollywood directors. Many of my favorite movies are powerful stories told with a distinctive voice and vision. Strictly Ballroom is quirky and fun, and it might even inspire you to take up dancing. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a beautiful story told with stunning visuals. Slumdog Millionnaire transports you to the fascinating world of Indian culture. The Artiste is a modern silent film that is inventive and fresh. Other foreign films like Amelie (France), Raise the Red Lantern (China), In a Better World (Danish), Mother (Korea), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France) and more, will give you a taste of life in another part of the world. They will transport you to foreign lands and will help spark your creative juices.
5. The Moth
The Moth is a great storytelling organization that hosts a number of events across the country – from professional level performances to beginner level competitions. My favorite Moth event is their open-mic storytelling show called StorySLAM, held in select cities across the country. Participants throw their names in a hat and if chosen, they are invited to tell a story on stage based on a selected theme for the evening. Storytellers have 5 minutes to tell a true story. The story must have a beginning, middle and an end, and must be told within the allotted time. There are three people in the audience who are chosen to ‘judge’ the storytellers on a scale of 1 to 10. The winner of the night is the storyteller with the highest total score. There are also organized shows called Moth Mainstage that feature more polished stories. I had the pleasure of seeing a Mainstage performance in Portland last month, which featured 5 very different storytellers. The Moth also sponsors a podcast with fabulous stories and has a story hotline if you want to tell a story and there aren’t any StorySLAMs in your town. The Moth is a great way to get inspired by true stories that will touch the human spirit.
6. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
I love the work of Brene Brown, which I discovered through a TED Talk. Her work on the power of vulnerability is fascinating. It recognizes that getting in touch with one’s own vulnerability is the linchpin to living a more creative and rich life. When you dare to acknowledge your own weaknesses, fears and vulnerabilities, you invite in love and acceptance. Brene Brown says, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity, innovation and change.” Imagine what would happen if vulnerability was seen as a strength, not a weakness. Imagine what could happen in our companies if we nurtured vulnerability as a way to inspire more creativity. Daring Greatly is an interesting book that highlights Brown’s research into vulnerability and examines how acknowledging our vulnerability can lead us to a fuller life.
7. Creative Websites
I use lots of websites to inspire my creativity. While I'm not a great poster on Pinterest, I love going on the site for inspiration on decorating, baking and crafts. I also like Steller.co a website that focuses on short-visual books. The site is chock-full of well-curated, beautifully designed books from its audience. I enjoy looking at craft projects, travel stories and artwork. Finally, Canva.com is a great graphic design site for the less graphically inclined. I use it to make blog visuals, personal invitations and cards. It’s a fun way to stretch your creative capabilities with images and text.
These are just some of the creative resources that I use to remind myself that creativity is fully alive inside of me. When you reach for one of the resources mentioned above, you will undoubtedly inspired your creativity. What are some of the resources that you use to inspire your creativity?