Category Archives: living creatively
Bloodlines
Life consists not simply in what heredity and environment do to us but in what we make out of what they do to us.
— Harry Emerson Fosdick
I’ve always been a bit of a creative. Ever since I can remember I was creating something — casting plays, writing stories, fabricating fanciful things. When I think back to my childhood I see a puddle of purple Crayola paints. I smell Scotch tape. I hear the sound of safety scissors pushing through construction paper. These are the remembered joys of my unboundaried young life.
As I grew older my creative repertoire expanded to include poetry, dance, drawing, and sculpting. I filled countless hours communing with the creative muse in one form or another, trying on all sorts of artistic expression to see if they fit. And I never really took it all that seriously; it was something that was a part of me — just for me — that I didn’t share with many people.
It’s no surprise, really. I come from a long line of closet creatives. My grandmother was a housewife who had a secret talent for painting flowers with magnificent details of shadow and light. My grandfather was an auto mechanic who could turn a solid block of wood into a wonder of intricately cut detail. My mother was a customer service representative who could sketch people like nobody’s business. Outside of the immediate family, nobody knew.
Art in our family was always something you kept for yourself. It wasn’t a real occupation; it wasn’t practical. As much as my family appreciated the personal pursuit of artistic expression, it wasn’t something you could make a life at. Not when there was a family to feed and bills to pay. It was just an amusement, a diversion from the drudgery of real life. What you really needed to find was a respectable and stable occupation.
I was the first person in my family to go to college, and everyone (myself included) expected me to follow a good academic career path ending with the title of doctor, lawyer, teacher, corporate executive. I tried; really I did. I studied biology, and then spent my spare time in the dorm writing poetry and sketching. I got my first full-time job in an admin positon, and used my down time to design posters for all of the company functions. I went back to school for anthropology, and right after graduation I got a job doing marketing and graphic design. No matter how hard I tried, I always came back to art in some form or another.
About 15 years ago I finally gave up on the guilt and reconciled myself to the fact that I’m one of those people who needs to create for a living. I’ve happily never looked back. Although as a corporate marketer/designer I do have to make some fairly regular concessions in my “artistic vision,” it still keeps me happily engaged and gainfully employed. I figure it’s a small price to pay for the daily fulfillment I receive. I also still try to honor the family tradition of creating just for me when I can, simply for the joy of it.
At the end of the day I believe we all have a calling in life, an inner voice that speaks to us about what we should really be doing with ourselves. An inner compass that we may follow in our younger years, but all too soon give up in deference to what our parents, our friends, our culture think we should be.
What about your inner voice? Did you follow it or dismiss it? Do you still hear it call now and then?
I accept now that the need for artistic expression in my life is a part of my DNA, a gift handed down through previous generations. After years of fighting against it I now do what I can— whenever I can — to honor that voice.
I wonder how differently the rest of my family would have lived if they had honored theirs…
Just a person with a pen
I find that I write best in public.
Preferably in the park on a warm summer’s day, but the back patio will do in a pinch. On rainy or cold days a bookstore or coffee shop will do.
There’s something about the anonymity of public spaces that makes it easier for me to get past the self-consciousness of writing. I become just some person with a pen, not Colleen struggling over words in my living room.
Maybe it’s the simple act of removing myself from the things that I can too easily distract myself with — television, the laundry, sorting through that big pile of papers on the kitchen table. Maybe it’s the psychological stranding of myself that does it. I’m sitting here with a pen in my hand — either I can write and look purposeful, or I can sit here staring at a bunch of strangers. Right, let’s get to it then.
Who knows.
What I do know is that it works, or at least it does for me. I think everyone needs a creative space (physical or mental) where we can do our best work. A place where we can lose ourselves in the creative process.
I’ve found mine. Where is yours?
Creative vs Artistic
I was thinking today about the differences between being “artistic” and “creative.”
By definition being creative is to have the ability to cause something to exist or to bring it into being. Being artistic is the ability to satisfy aesthetic requirements, or showing skill or excellence in execution. There are obviously differences between the two, but can they be mutually exclusive?
I would argue that it’s possible to be creative but not artistic. You can invent a new object or devise a new way of doing something, but put the idea together in a shoddy way. We can probably all find potentially nifty things that were blown in the execution.
Imagining the reverse, however – artistic but not creative – I’m not quite as sure of. Perhaps one can argue that someone can have the artistic skill to pull off an exact replica of a master work, but not have the vision to use those very same skills to create an original work of their own. But isn’t the act of creating even an exact replica…well, creative?
I’m not sure if these two sets would be better represented like this:
or like this:
I’ll have to ponder this one some more.
What do you think?
Finding your “inner Michelangelo”
Why don’t more people paint? Because they’re afraid they’re not talented enough; because they’re afraid they’ll do it wrong. In reality there is no “wrong” way to do paint. Just ask my son. Heck, just go ask Jackson Pollock for that matter.
First let’s start with the materials — you’ll need paint and something to paint on. Steal your kid’s watercolors, go to the local art supply store, whatever works for you.
Now we’ll address the mindset — assume that you will suck at painting. That you are the most dreadful wanna-be that ever held a paintbrush. That no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to duplicate any famous painter’s work. Now that you’ve blown all expectations of success at this, you have nothing to lose but a little bit of time. You are ready to start.
Free yourself from any constraints of style or technique — just have fun! Experiment. Put different colors together. Layer them on and scrape them off. Put colors next to and on top of each other. Let them drip. Try different brushes. Try something that’s not a brush. Use your fingers. Use your feet. Don’t think too much about it, just happily follow where your creative mind leads you.
What do my son and Jackson Pollock have in common? They both found joy in painting. They didn’t paint because they were good at it; they became good at it because they painted.
Silly fears
Fear can be a good thing –it’s a hardwired survival instinct that keeps us safe. It’s what kept our ancestors from getting eaten by bears so that our species could survive long enough to enjoy HDTV. But bears, marauding pirates and other real threats to our wellbeing notwithstanding, fear mostly gets in our way. It keeps us from doing good stuff.
Exploring your creativity can be scary, especially for those who are a bit rusty — it forces you beyond your normal comfort zone. Being creative often requires that you put yourself out there in a vulnerable and non-conformist way. It’s putting focus on how you are different from others, rather than the same. It’s putting a part of what is uniquely you out there for other people to potentially laugh at.
Fear is the first stumbling block you need to get past to really expand your creativity, so let’s start by getting over it. And how exactly do you do that, you ask? Here’s the secret:
Do something silly. On purpose.
With fear, the best way past it is through it. Confront your fears of social judgment by purposely flying in the face of convention. Start small and build your way up. Put on a silly hat and walk around the mall. Dance your way through Target. Wear a clown nose grocery shopping. The more you do it, the less uncomfortable you will feel. Trust me on this.
Now go ahead and commit your first silly act. I’ll wait…………….
Did you experience the rush of fear? Of course you did. And did the bear eat you? Of course he didn’t.
Creativity: 4 quick ways to get it in gear
As promised in my last post, I’m giving you 4 ways you can shift your creative self into “drive” when you feel like you’re stuck in “park.”
- Timed writing
The hardest part of writing for most people is getting started. So let’s make this easy — start anywhere. Decide how long you’re going to write (10-15 minutes is more than enough), then just pick up a writing instrument of some sort and start scribbling or tapping out whatever comes to mind. It can be anything. Write about how you had to rifle through the junk drawer to find this stupid pen and now the drawer won’t close right anymore. Riff on how your boss annoys the bejeezus out of you when he chews like a cow during lunch meetings. Contemplate your navel in prose. Whatever works – just keep writing for the full amount of time. - Try out a new medium
Drop the pen and grab something else to create with, preferably something completely unfamiliar. Paint with your fingers. Mold something out of Play Doh. Make a sculpture with some old wire. Make a picture with old scraps of material. Put together a collage. Dig through the recycling bin and build something with what you find. Arrange flowers. Open the fridge and see what you can make from there. The possibilities are endless, so go try a few and see what happens. - Play with associations
This one’s a little harder, but it’s good to stretch the brain once in a while. Pick two completely different objects, concepts, etc., and try to make comparisons. How are they the same? For example, there is a calendar and a box in my kitchen — they both hold things (one holds appointments, the other holds objects). A candle and a tree both generally burn from the top down. A chair and a ball are both… umm…. Well, you get the idea. It doesn’t always work, but it’s worth the try. - Find uncommon uses for common things
You probably do this one all the time but never really pay attention to it. Have you ever used a dime when you didn’t have a screwdriver handy? Used a piece of cardboard instead of a dustpan? See, you’re already halfway there on this one.Take a look around. What else can you use for a different purpose?
See? Nothing difficult, nothing painful. But all creative. Each of these exercises can be done with fairly common household items and the tiny little chunks of time. If you have time enough to read this blog, you have time enough to try at least one of these.
Which ones work best for you?
Finding your “inner crayon”
The brain has an infinite capacity for creativity. (Yes, even yours, in case you were wondering.) We’re all born with an innate drive to create, to explore our surroundings and process information in an astounding number of ways. And then… somewhere along the path to adulthood many of us put down that cool “inner crayon” and forget where we left it.
Even now all that creativity is lurking in there inside you, just waiting for you to let it out. Are you ready to pick up that crayon and start coloring your world again? Yes? Good — the world needs more people like you.
But before we get started, there are a few things you should know.
You will sometimes fail. Get over it.
Nobody likes to fail. It makes us feel ineffectual, stupid, weak. Like a… well, failure. Starting anything new will require you to fail a bit along the way, but it’s part of the process of moving on to someplace better. Just go ahead and accept that now. No one is perfect. Even the greatest artists, thinkers and inventors in history started out with no real knowledge of their craft. They tried, they failed, they tried again. They found their way through to some amazing stuff. And so can you.
Fail often. Fail well.
The best teacher is the thing that went wrong. It’s not a judgement against you, but simply the outcome of not having all the right information at the time. Treat failures as the great opportunities for learning that they are – analyze them yourself, and even show them to others for critique and feedback. (See, this is why you need to get over the aforementioned fear of the fail. Sometimes other people will see it, and that’s okay.) Wring all you can out of what went wrong, and then use this information to build your knowledge, refine your skills and adjust your tactics so that you can take the next steps. Don’t waste the fail.
Embrace your odd-ness
Be willing to break free from “normal” and explore and express your talents in a way that speaks to you. It’s okay if it’s not the way most people would approach it. As a matter of fact, you’ll probably get the most mileage out of your creativity if you don’t take a standard route. Many of the most creative and talented people in the world were considered to be a little weird; they had these wild, crazy ideas that everyone was sure would not work — but they did. (See? Those nuts didn’t fear the fail. This is how we all got to enjoy lightbulbs, computers, and Virgin Air, by the way.)
Open yourself to new experiences
Not everyone knows their calling right out of the gate. Most of us need to dig around a little to find it. Sometimes the one thing that truly makes your heart sing is something you never would have imagined yourself doing until you tried it. Even if a new experience turns out to not be your cup of tea, what can you learn from it? Where else can you apply this new knowledge in a unique or interesting way?
Enjoy the process!
This is the really important part. My favorite saying is “creativity is intelligence having fun.” Let your brain relax and wander around a bit. Stop worrying about what others will think and if you’re doing it right — quite frankly they’re not paying that much attention, and you’re doing just fine. Leave your self-consciousness at the door for a little while and let your curiosity lead the way. Don’t focus on where it’s going for now, just enjoy the exploration.
Ready to go? In the next post I’ll give you a few simple exercises you can use to get those neurons firing and creative juices flowing.
A cheap pen full of possibilities
Writing is an amazing thing. It’s such a simple act with so many possibilities, yet so few people take advantage of it. As a creative outlet it’s the closest thing to perfect I can find.
The possibilities are practically endless. Poetry or prose; fiction or real life. You can write something serious or something funny; something long or short. Write to friends and family, living or dead. Write for strangers. Write to yourself. Write from your own perspective, or someone else’s. Stick with one style or try them all. There’s no barrier to entry.
There’s no expensive equipment to buy. There are fancy pens and paper to be had if you want them, but remember that old Bic in the junk drawer? That and the back of an envelope will work just fine. Settle for a golf pencil and an old old pizza box if you have to.
It’s one of those few hobbies that you can take with you anywhere. Stick a pen and a notebook in your pocket and you’re good to go whenever the mood strikes. You can write at your office desk or in the coffee shop with a latte. On the front porch, at the kitchen table, or from your comfy living room couch. Commuter train. Empire State Building. The depths of the wilderness. Anywhere.
With so many options and opportunities at your disposal, my question is this: What’s stopping you?
Go ahead. Write something.
The only thing you have to lose is a little bit of ink. You can take it anywhere — see where it takes you.
6 ways to tackle writer’s block
I enjoy writing, but sometimes for me the hardest part is getting started. I have all these thoughts and ideas swarming around in my head, but laying down that first sentence to get me on my way is an insurmountable challenge. Have you had that problem, too? Here’s a couple of tricks that have worked for me.
Start in the middle
If I know what I want to say but can’t figure out the start point, I just jump right into the meat and save the trappings for later. Sometimes getting the “middle” stuff out of your head and in print makes the logical starting point swim into view without much effort.
Bullet point thoughts
If I have a number of points that I want to make, sometimes scribbling out a quick outline or using mind mapping software is invaluable to making some logical sense out of my mental chaos. Once I have the road map of where I want to go, writing out the details is a breeze.
Just start writing. Anything.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got about breaking through writer’s block is to just start writing. About anything. About the fact that you don’t know what to write. About how cold your coffee got while you agonized over that first sentence for the last half hour. Just starting the process of putting words down engages the brain and starts it heading in the right (write?) direction.
Try using different tools
Sometimes simply switching what you write with can give your writing a completely different feel and direction. If the keyboard isn’t cutting it, switch to old-fashioned pen and paper. There are many times I’ve started with one and finished with the other, or switched back and forth every time I got stuck. Works miracles for me.
Do a brain dump
Just start writing out your thoughts in no particular order. Just get all that stuff out of your head. You can always go back and edit it into some kind of sane format later; ”copy/paste” and “delete” are magnificent functions that you should feel free to use whenever necessary.
Change location
Sometimes it’s as simple as changing your surroundings. I find that my writing is most productive in the back yard, restaurants and coffee shops. There’s something about the “public anonymity” that works for me. Find a couple of your own “sweet spots” and use them as needed.
The bottom line is, it doesn’t matter how you do it — just that you do. No one sees anything but your finished draft anyway, so go ahead and write in whatever way or whatever place works best for you.
What tricks take you past the block?
Creative Challenge: what can you do with an old phone book?
Now and then I come up with crazy little creative challenges for myself. (Yes, I’m bored and easily entertained.) Today while rifling through the hall closet for something completely unrelated, I found three — yes, three! — old phone books. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t used a phone book for its REAL purpose in probably a decade. If I need something I either ask around for recommendations or look it up online. Apparently the only purpose they serve for me is taking up space in my already teeny-tiny closet.
So, being the (bored and easily entertained) creative that I am, I thought “hey, what else could I do with these?” Here’s what I came up with:
The Phone Book in its Entirety
- Booster Seat – a tried and true solution. People have been propping their kids up at the dinner table with phone books for generations.
- Bug Squisher – Drop one from on high and the little critter will never know what hit it. As a bonus, you can tear out a page to clean up the resulting splat.
- Door Stop - Provided it’s not a really heavy door, this should do the trick. Be careful not to trip on it, though.
- Umbrella Hat – Stuck in the rain? No problem. Just flop it open and stick it on your head. Voila! Well, okay – it’s highly unlikely that you will get stuck in a downpour while carrying a phone book, but if in the event it happens you’re covered.
Phone Book Pages
- Gift Wrap – Tear out a page for that impromptu gift. If you work it right, you can highlight the person’s very own name right there on the paper. Downside is it only works for relatively small gifts. And it’s kinda see-through.
- Bird Cage Liner – Sounds like a good idea, but I can’t actually test this one out to verify. I don’t own a bird.
- Cat Toy – ball a page up and throw it on the floor for hours of crinkly feline fun.
- Coaster – Fold up and place under drink. I’m testing this one out now, and it seems to be working okay so far. Although I predict that on a very humid day a soggy pile of mush would ensue.
- Origami – meh, not so much. I’m not exactly an origami expert, but I think the paper is a bit too flimsy to really do it well. Also it’s not perfectly square, so there’s cutting involved before you can start folding.
- Hat for the Cat – I did warn you that I was bored, didn’t I? As you can see, Jake was not amused.
Okay, so this creative challenge was largely a bust. I didn’t find any nifty new and useful things to do with a phone book, other than toss it into the recycling bin. But that’s the nature of creativity, isn’t it? It’s not about always coming up with “perfect” ideas. It’s about exploring and re-imagining things in the pursuit of a new idea. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
In the words of Thomas Edison, ” I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
What creative challenges do you set for yourself? (And what do you do with your old phone books?)
