This is a very sad quote. Henri speaks as if he had never been a child lying on his back on the grass and making up stories and animals out of the shapes of the clouds. What experience forces a child to do that?
Creativity is effortless.
Our minds can't help but make associations and explanations from the information that surrounds us. That's its job. It tries to make sense of it all, and it has to be sometimes wildly creative in order to translate the impulses received into a perceived and logical external reality.
Maybe this is what Henri means by the above quote, but there's no "only when". There's "all the time".
We really do create our own reality. There's no "forcing" about it. We can't help it.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."--Scott Adams Read
Creativity, giving birth to something new, requires mistakes. After all, there are no rules in the exploring of brand-new territories.
In the old sea maps poorly explored areas were labelled with the words "Here There Be Dragons".
The Dragons we run into when we try something new are the ideas that turn out to be mistakes. They don't work; instead they fall flat. Bummer.
The discouragement that comes from having an unworkable idea sometimes quells the impulse to be creative. Most of us hate making mistakes, and we find ourselves taking off our armor and sheathing our swords because we lack the courage to face that particular dragon again.
We get "dis-couraged". Don't. If you do, you'll shut down a vital part of yourself, the part that longs to create, the part that I'll call your Inner Artist.
Art is not so much knowing what mistakes to keep--since what doesn't work is pretty clear--but which mistakes are not mistakes at all--they're new discoveries that juice your energy and light up your life.
In the old sea maps poorly explored areas were labelled with the words "Here There Be Dragons".
The Dragons we run into when we try something new are the ideas that turn out to be mistakes. They don't work; instead they fall flat. Bummer.
The discouragement that comes from having an unworkable idea sometimes quells the impulse to be creative. Most of us hate making mistakes, and we find ourselves taking off our armor and sheathing our swords because we lack the courage to face that particular dragon again.
We get "dis-couraged". Don't. If you do, you'll shut down a vital part of yourself, the part that longs to create, the part that I'll call your Inner Artist.
Art is not so much knowing what mistakes to keep--since what doesn't work is pretty clear--but which mistakes are not mistakes at all--they're new discoveries that juice your energy and light up your life.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
"The idea that motherhood is inherently somehow a threat to creativity is just absurd."--Zadie Smith
Absolutely true, Zadie.
If you think that creativity involves making some kind of product, and if you don't lose yourself in your studio or practice your instrument 8 hours or more a day you can't be creative, and children would demand too much of your time away from your art--then you're right. Please don't have a kid.
But that's kind of a narrow definition of what creativity is and does.
After all, creating a human being is a pretty amazing creative act all by itself (hello), and it doesn't stop there. You have to be creative in a whole new way if you want to bring up a child effectively. You have to stretch mind and body to productively include this little person in your life. You find yourself you thinking of brand new ways of coping and enjoying yourself that might never have occurred to you pre-child.
After all, when you're a parent your whole life changes, and your creativity in response to that is your ace in the hole. If you're not stretching your creative muscles when they're little (and you will), just wait until they're teenagers.
And all that out of the box thinking just might make your Art (with a capitol "A") a richer and fuller thing; more profound.
Plus, with your wider life experience, you probably won't find yourself saying something as absurd as "motherhood is a threat to creativity".
You'll be wiser than that.
If you think that creativity involves making some kind of product, and if you don't lose yourself in your studio or practice your instrument 8 hours or more a day you can't be creative, and children would demand too much of your time away from your art--then you're right. Please don't have a kid.
But that's kind of a narrow definition of what creativity is and does.
After all, creating a human being is a pretty amazing creative act all by itself (hello), and it doesn't stop there. You have to be creative in a whole new way if you want to bring up a child effectively. You have to stretch mind and body to productively include this little person in your life. You find yourself you thinking of brand new ways of coping and enjoying yourself that might never have occurred to you pre-child.
After all, when you're a parent your whole life changes, and your creativity in response to that is your ace in the hole. If you're not stretching your creative muscles when they're little (and you will), just wait until they're teenagers.
And all that out of the box thinking just might make your Art (with a capitol "A") a richer and fuller thing; more profound.
Plus, with your wider life experience, you probably won't find yourself saying something as absurd as "motherhood is a threat to creativity".
You'll be wiser than that.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
"Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life."--Daisaku Ikeda
Wow. Daisaku makes creativity sound really hard when, in fact, our creativity is instinctive and fills every second of our daily lives.
It's how we use our creative power that gives us trouble.
We wake up in the morning anticipating the day. Our thoughts immediately start to create our present--and future--experience.
In simple terms, if we feel crappy and we don't work to feel better, we'll probably have a bad day. If we feel great, that starts the creative ball rolling in a more positive direction.
The hardest part of creating a better life is taking control of your experience; understanding that YOU--and what you're focusing on--are the essential ingredients in making your life work for you. If you don't think you have that power, then you become a victim of whatever bothers you.
You're not a victim. You're in creative control, but the "heavy, groaning doorway to life" is not labeled "creativity:" It's clearly marked with the words "personal responsibility".
It's how we use our creative power that gives us trouble.
We wake up in the morning anticipating the day. Our thoughts immediately start to create our present--and future--experience.
In simple terms, if we feel crappy and we don't work to feel better, we'll probably have a bad day. If we feel great, that starts the creative ball rolling in a more positive direction.
The hardest part of creating a better life is taking control of your experience; understanding that YOU--and what you're focusing on--are the essential ingredients in making your life work for you. If you don't think you have that power, then you become a victim of whatever bothers you.
You're not a victim. You're in creative control, but the "heavy, groaning doorway to life" is not labeled "creativity:" It's clearly marked with the words "personal responsibility".
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
"Creativity makes a leap, then looks to see where it is." --Mason Cooley
Creativity is an exploration. The words "be careful" have no place in this particular journey. As was pointed out in an earlier post, creativity brings something new into the world. There are no maps to this new place, You have to feel your way. You can have an idea where you want to go, but the end result can look completely different than what you imagined.
It takes courage to begin this journey into the unknown, and it can be a little terrifying, but the fun and excitement of birthing a brand-new anything is worth the risk of self exposure, since what the creative person is actually doing is shining a light onto their own sweet self and saying "look, here I am!"
Ultimately, what you see when you "look to see where" you are is the truth about yourself--and for better or worse--everyone who cares to look can see it too.
It takes courage to begin this journey into the unknown, and it can be a little terrifying, but the fun and excitement of birthing a brand-new anything is worth the risk of self exposure, since what the creative person is actually doing is shining a light onto their own sweet self and saying "look, here I am!"
Ultimately, what you see when you "look to see where" you are is the truth about yourself--and for better or worse--everyone who cares to look can see it too.
Monday, September 2, 2013
"The chief enemy of creativity is 'good' sense."-- Pablo Picasso
A show of hands: Who here agree that the essence of creativity is to give something brand new to the world?
I agree, and that's why Picasso is right. "Good sense" which is based on mass consciousness and social conditioning, has nothing to offer a creative spirit. "Good Sense" serves only as a platform to stand on as you reach for a new and very personal take on what I laughingly refer to as "reality".
Want to go for something completely different? Try nonsense!
I bet you're humming the Monty Python theme in your head right now.
I agree, and that's why Picasso is right. "Good sense" which is based on mass consciousness and social conditioning, has nothing to offer a creative spirit. "Good Sense" serves only as a platform to stand on as you reach for a new and very personal take on what I laughingly refer to as "reality".
Want to go for something completely different? Try nonsense!
I bet you're humming the Monty Python theme in your head right now.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
"Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy."-- Ray Bradbury
This month I'm going to explore the nature of creativity, and I found this quote. A good beginning, I think, because it speaks to what so often and so easily ends the creative impulse: Thinking.
At least for me.
I've allowed myself to abandon some of my favorite ideas because I've thought about them too much. I start with the idea itself, then I run it through a series of (yes, self-conscious) questions:
At least for me.
I've allowed myself to abandon some of my favorite ideas because I've thought about them too much. I start with the idea itself, then I run it through a series of (yes, self-conscious) questions:
- Will it be fun to do? (On the face of it, a good, but really irrelevant, question.)
- Do I have the chops to do it? (Oh, come on!! Just Do it YOUR WAY, you idiot!)
- Will I be happy with it when I'm done? (Oh, now you're just being ridiculous.)
- Will other people like it? (Warning sirens are going off!!)
- Will it make me money? (NO!! STOP!! DANGER, DANGER!!)
By the time I've reached #5 in my internal dialogue, I've all but disregarded my creative impulse. Far better to let my idea show me what it wants to express. Far better to just plunge in, enjoy the experience and let the future take care of itself!
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