I’m sometimes asked, as I was this week:
- Where does this creativity of yours come from?
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I always enjoy the question, because it’s such a compliment.
Whether it’s from someone experiencing my teaching, writing, or a talk…
Who doesn’t like to be told they’re effectively, enjoyably and entertainingly creative?
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I have a couple of simple answers to where my precious creativity comes from, the red carpet of the title of this blog.
The first is...
- I give it a chance to flourish.
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Now if that sounds too good to be true, for once it isn’t.
If you want to get creative, you have to allow space for thoughts, ideas, and inspiration to come.
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The first problem to face is that the modern world is so darned busy.
You can find yourself overwhelmed with just answering messages, running to meetings, simply keeping going.
Which quickly and horribly crowds out any chance of creativity.
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Likewise, there are so many distractions:
Social media, videos, emails…
All the perils of the alluring distraction box which is the smart phone.
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I know it’s tempting, to pick up your phone and start browsing when you have a spare moment.
But that means your mind is immediately otherwise occupied, when it could instead be happily bubbling with thoughts.
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So my kindling for being creative is to give yourself the opportunity just to drift, to explore your imagination, to leave space to find inspiration.
Sometimes I do it walking, occasionally running, best of all wild swimming.
Just any moment whatsoever where I can escape from the busyness of life, and have a chance to be creative.
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Secondly, I have an important rule, which has always served me well.
- Knowing when you're at your most creative.
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For some people, it’s late at night, for others first thing.
I’m very much in the lark, not the owl camp.
So every morning, before I open up my computer, I think for a few minutes.
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Whether it's about some issue with my teaching, something I’m writing, maybe a talk I’m giving…
Or sometimes just letting my thoughts roam free, to see what comes.
Invariably, in those fresh, quiet, morning moments…
The beautiful butterfly of creativity will visit.
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So, for that inspiration you seek…
Find your own personal right time, and give your incredible brain the space it needs to be truly creative.
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PS. Please forgive me if my blogs temporarily become less regular than the usual weekly helping.
I’m going to (try to) give myself a chance to recharge over July and August.
So many thanks for reading my musings, have a jolly summer, and I will catch up with you when next I spout forth!
