ponderings

From Anne Lamott’s fantastic book on writing (and life), Bird by Bird:

We write to expose the unexposed. If there is one door in the castle you have been told not to go through, you must. Otherwise, you’ll just be rearranging furniture in rooms you’ve already been in. Most human beings are dedicated to keeping that one door shut. But the writer’s job is to see what’s behind it, to see the bleak unspeakable stuff, and to turn the unspeakable into words–not just into any words but if we can, into rhythm and blues.

When I am marked by a film, a book, a painting, or any artistic piece, there is a quality to it that captures what Anne Lamott explains here. The best creative expressions are those that usher us into places that we don’t want to go, or places we yearn to go, but don’t seem to know how.

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I cherish the simplicity of a clean workspace on my computer. My wallpaper is a simple black. Almost.

One of the simple joys of parenthood has been the rediscovery of the Dr. Seuss books I read as a kid, plus a few I wasn’t familiar with. Everytime we read Dr. Seuss I come away with a smile on my face and a stirring in my soul. If I have a creative superhero, he is it, and that is why this quote from him stretches boldly across the bottom of my screen:

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.

Creativity comes when you find your voice and let it be heard without worrying how it will be received. There is little doubt this advice worked for Dr. Seuss, and so I try to live this way too.

If you don’t mind.

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Leo Laporte and a few others are writing a collaborative story via twitter called 140Novel. They are taking turns adding to the story within the 140 character limit that Twitter imposes on them.

Who knows if it will be a good story? I am more interested in watching how creativity can be stirred within a collaborative process. It removes anxiety when you know that you are only responsible for what you are going to write at this moment, and someone else will pick it up from there.

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“You’re such an amateur!”

Even if jokingly, these words are often spoken to let us know that our efforts aren’t top notch. It’s too bad, really, because there is something beautiful about the genuine strivings of an amateur.

Not too long ago, someone pointed out to me that the word amateur shares the same Latin root as the word love. Quite literally, an amateur is someone who does something purely out of love for the act itself.

It is love, and not finances, that must drive creativity. It is something we have to get out, a voice that has to be heard, a song that has to be sung, or an image that has to be seen. If your creative outlets help pay the bills, great! If not, remember that an income, or the dream of one, is not what makes your voice worth hearing.

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“We each have to say it, to say it in our own way. Not of our own will, but as it comes out through us. Good or bad, great or little: that isn’t what human creation is about. It is that we have to try; to put it down in pigment, or words, or musical notations, or we die.”
- Madeleine L’Engle

HT: Joshua Longbrake

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At the core of creativity is finding the space to bring ideas to life. Creative expression doesn’t happen for me unless I give it the space to take shape.

I’ve already mentioned it, but I use GTD methods to help my creative process. Not only do they help me diligently capture ideas as they come to me, but they also help me free my mind of details to focus on forming and expressing those ideas.

More and more, I am learning that a good physical space is just as important as a cleared mental space. When my desk or office is cluttered, it is not only distracting, but it also is like slow emotional leak that drains motivation. I recently read Peter Walsh’s It’s All Too Much. The book is mostly common sense and a few new ideas, but it provided the motivation I needed to clear away the clutter for a fresh workspace. On the same note, I get a regular reminder to battle clutter from the daily posts at Unclutterer.

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In about 90 minutes, the output of the creative collective will be diminished. For a few hours, Apple lovers will madly refresh liveblogs followed by lots of technolust when Apple’s online store updates with the new product info.

I’ll likely be following Engadget’s coverage, though I usually find one or two other sites to refresh as well. See you on the other side!

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The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. - Plutarch

I am enamored with the concept behind this quote. In this age of information, it is commonly concluded that the chief role of the human brain is to remember and store all that information we come across. While that may be one function of the human brain, it is not the most distinctive or the most useful.

We spend so much time trying to remember details that the brain’s primary function is lost in the mix. At most, the brain should be used to store information short term until we can move it to a more permanent home. This frees up our mind for creating and shaping. The more we can free our mind of details, the more creative it frees us to be.

This might sound counterintuitive, but it is true. All of us need a system to record reminders of things we need to do and people we need to see. If we have a reliable system, this frees our brain to focus on creating and shaping rather than remembering.

Three years ago, I read Getting Things Done, by David Allen. The quote above came from that book, and it shaped a fair amount of the thinking I have shared above. The original idea for this blog came from me wanting to explore how David Allen’s ideas can be helpful for the aspiring creative. (In fact, the title of the entry is also the original working title in my mind for this blog, and gettingthingscreated.com points here as well. ) Much of what I blog here will be about my own processes of clearing my mind of details so it can be set free to dream, innovate and problem solve.

For more on the Getting Things Done workflow (commonly known as GTD), take a look at the wikipedia entry. I’m also adding links to the sidebar of some of the GTD sites I have found most helpful.

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This blog definitely has a target audience. I would say it is, oh, everyone.

One of my core assumptions about humanity is that everyone is creative. Spend a little time with a child, any child, and you’ll see my point. Children have no trouble dreaming, imagining and delighting in what is not. A few days ago, I sat on the couch with my toddler and we made up a story…I should say that she made up a story. I just got her started: “Once upon a time…” Within a few minutes, she had told me all about a bird that was learning to fly, but afraid. The bird wore a helmet for safety, even though it ended up just walking most of the time. She’s a Seuss in the making!

Creativity is not something we outgrow, but it might be something we outrun. As we grow up, risk becomes more apparent. The potential of having our thoughts or ideas rejected begins to feel dangerous. Fear of being or thinking different leads us to stuff our creative selves away.

One does not have to work in some kind of artistic expression to be creative. I’m convinced that opportunities for creativity exist in just about any job. Every chance to find a third option, a new or better way to do something, or a different perspective is a window for creativity to breeze its way in.

But even if you can’t see that possibility in your current job, I would bet that there is a tiny voice inside you saying something that needs to be expressed. Are you willing to help that voice be heard? Let me help you get started:

Once upon a time…

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