Charm FX

Archive for June, 2009

Sometimes, creativity is considered a wild, unpredictable thing that you can’t anticipate and is never dependable. This perception causes parents to praise their children’s brilliant expressions while worrying that they may eventually aspire to life as some form of artist, earning their living from creating, only to find a hard road and few luxuries.

That description of the business of a life in the arts has very little to do with why there is unpredictability in the process. It doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t take steps to put yourself in the best possible position to take advantage of creative inspiration. It’s important to recognize everyone has inspiration and should try to take action to see where it takes them. Often inspired insight is a reflection of subconscious awareness of a subject you’ve had a lot of exposure to and a good idea has bubbled to the surface. Those who embrace these insights encourage themselves so it may happen more often.  By taking action to develop routines that help you encourage your efforts you increase the likelihood that creating as a living will be practical and manageable for you.

As with most things, creativity requires you to be ready to act on it. Creating something or even thinking in creative terms requires you to have a good idea of what you can do with a good idea!  Are you prepared if and when the light bulb goes off?

It’s not sexy or fun, but the first thing to consider is what hard, soft or other resources do you have that are relevant to working with and manifesting your thoughts?

• Some ideas require space, some materials, some money, but it’s just as easy to have a ready notebook and pen or pencil to keep track of inspiration so you can assemble what it requires at a later point.
• Make time for yourself! Put yourself in a state that is most helpful, for you, to produce inspiration.  This is individual and you need to keep track of where you are and what you’re doing when you get bright ideas.  Are you most inspired after being physically active? Does exercise help or do you require quiet and few distractions?  Everyone is different, but you must defend what you need to produce your best thinking.
• Have a ready supply of materials. What are they and are they easily accessible?  Do you have them organized in a way that makes it easy for you to find what you need?
• If your needs are for more space or items that require spending funds you’re not in a position to spend, can you use replacements? freebies?  Can you barter for what you need?  It may be that you have to postpone these projects until other ideas produce a result or your situation changes.  Don’t be discouraged by this.  Keep track of the big ideas.

Beyond that, it’s important to remember that the creative process really doesn’t work on an assembly line. It’s not a cookie cutter process.  You can’t simply tell yourself “today I will be brilliant” or able to act on your insights. If you’re not in a position where your living expenses and needs are met, the absolute first priority is to have a skill or employment that you can depend on to supply these things. 

Some can manage that in a way that is close to their goals.  They may teach or work in a museum or do something that is somehow related. Others may find support from other work or directions. It’s important to be as creative with how you manage your productivity and not to give up.