“Nobody tells this to p…

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”
― Ira Glass

12 Fantastic Ways to Bring Creativity Into Your Life-Credit to April of Blacksburg Belle!

12 Fantastic Ways to Bring Creativity Into Your Life-Credit to April of Blacksburg Belle!

Hey people!

 

Its finals time and that means, unfortunately, I will be largely absent from the blogosphere (I know, I’m sad about it, too). But during this rare studying break, I thought I’d share these words of wisdom I discovered via StumbleUpon several months ago. (Note: If you don’t have Stumble, get it. It’s the creative person’s dream use of the Internet. Just be sure you’re not sitting there clicking away all day instead of getting down to business on your own projects!)

I love a lot of these tips. As you will (hopefully) read all of them, I will briefly highlight just a few-morning pages, creative time, and a creativity swipe file. I have made a considerable effort to incorporate these particular suggestions into my own creative work.

I mentioned the morning pages in my first post. Three pages, every morning, stream of consciousness. Doesn’t matter what you’re saying or how you’re saying it. Writing these pages was and is such a release for me. After laying down the pen I always feel as if I’ve gotten up and gone straight to the gym for a vigorous 20 minute workout. There is that similar sense of satisfaction and the surge of energy necessary to start my day.

Morning pages also help you get over your writing inhibitions-you know, those panicky thoughts of Do I suck? Have I lost the quintessential “it”? What ever happened to my flow? I used to have flow! The morning pages help shut down that pesky, troublesome part of your brain. You aren’t given a chance to revise, to rewrite, to worry about your word choice. You’re just writing. And even though it’s not the main purpose of this exercise, I also view it as another form of practice. Sure, you’re not producing sonnets, but at least you are regularly connecting pen to paper. And with writing, it’s essential to do it, and to do it often. Thinking about writing does not generally produce critically acclaimed, emotionally gripping sagas.

Whichhhh brings me to the next tip-creative time. April stresses the importance of setting apart time every day to practice your craft, and the girl’s right. You can only get better with practice. So if you are really a committed writer, write a lot. Gain control over your writing. I personally feel that I am often subject to creative bursts that lead to a chaotic compilation of work. While instincts are a crucial component of the creative process, I believe the most successful artists are those that own their talent.

Start with small goals for yourself: Try morning pages maybe 3 times a week, then up it to 5. Set deadlines for yourself and stick to them. Trust me, I know it is easier said then done. I constantly wage the battle against laziness and self deprecation when it comes to my creative work. But once you get the ball rolling, that sense of accomplishment is fantastic. So just do it! You love it anyway, remind yourself of that!

Creativity swipe file-simple stuff. As April lays out, create a new folder and fill it with whatever you come across that sparks your creative interest. You can reference this folder when sitting down to a new project. My personal creative pick-me-up folder contains everything from music videos to quotes to sample photography. There’s zero pressure with this folder-it’s all for you. If this doesn’t work for you, abandon it. However I find it to a fun, nifty little tool that helps me manage all of the cool bits of inspiration I encounter on the Web and beyond!

Okay, that’s all! I’m a bit behind on my studying now, but as always, it was worth it. I hope you enjoy the tips and let me know if you try any/how they work for you/have other tips to share! Get working!