Creative Process Collective

Following up on the creative connection of the last post, here are some informative blog posts detailing various aspects of the creative process.

1) How to approach one’s goal is described in The Strength’s Way. The difference between the creative thinker and the conventional thinker is that the creative thinking doesn’t usually follow the direct route — they go around conventional paths to ultimately find a way to achieve their goal. They explain three tips for creative thinking: identify what the goal is that you want to achieve, keep asking how are you going to achieve it, and develop a strategy for when you will. They offer J.K. Rowling’s example of how patience and persistence and having a routine to continue producing, despite any sense of failure, will eventually pay off.

2) Nichola Burton discusses maintaining the Creative Balance in her blog. Her advice is that creative balance involves both detachment and involvement and the readiness to learn from both success and failures to build a strong foundation. Having a disciplined work ethic helps just as much as being able to step back and review.

3) The CreativeSomething posts Zen and the Art of Creative Moments, which talks about embracing the time when creative thoughts flow. Meditation helps kick start the creative process and when this flow occurs, the brain is “synchronized” — both the creative and rational sides are working together. Creative inspirations will follow just from the production of work.

4) Robyn posts The Ten Commandments of Creativity on her Art Propelled blog, including the advice to keep an idea notebook. I always have a pen and paper with me to jot down an idea, take notes on something or even to for a quick sketch.

5) Finally, JJ writes in Making on her Tea-Stains blog about her personal account in the dealing with a creative crisis. This is an example of how creative crisis happens and how to overcome it by having faith — faith in oneself and confidence. I would even venture forth to say hope is a key ingredient as well…and then refer back to #1.

Trying to push through on my own creative projects, I’d like to offer that when I feel stumped and or overloaded, the phrase, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” tends to ring through my head. I don’t want to think of this literally because I like cats 🙂 but figuratively, meaning there’s always more than one way to get something done. Applying this concept to observation, there’s also more than one way to view something as seen in this clip from the 1995 movie Smoke, when Auggie (Harvey Keitel) tells Paul (William Hurt), who’s wife has passed away, to “slow down” and he’ll see the photos differently. It’s rather long but it shows that attitude, open mindedness and awareness can throw a completely different perspective on what would otherwise appear to be too mundane and meaningless and consequently overlooked.

Here’s my previous post on tapping into creativity.