Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Art and Writing

How to be creative (although if you have to ask you might be in trouble)

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

The GapingVoid, one of my favorite art blogs, has a great (and long) post on how to be creative. As the title of this post suggests, if you have to ask...well. It's not my place to judge. I have my dark days, too.

The list on GapingVoid is one of the best I've seen:

Ignore everybody.
The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.
Put the hours in.
If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
You are responsible for your own experience.
Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
Keep your day job.
Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.
Dying young is overrated.
The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
The world is changing.
Merit can be bought. Passion can't.
Avoid the Watercooler Gang.
Sing in your own voice.
The choice of media is irrelevant.
Selling out is harder than it looks.
Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.
Don't worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
You have to find your own schtick.
Write from the heart.
The best way to get approval is not to need it.
Power is never given. Power is taken.
Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.
The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

But don't take my word for it. Go there and read it for yourself. The illustrations and explanations only improve on the list.

To be honest, I've never suffered from a lack of ideas. Quite the contrary: I usually have too many and find it overpowering and distracting. My head is always filled with ideas and I have taken to carrying a small notebook to write them all down just to "free up space" in my mind.

The thing I like about this list, however, is that it really isn't about the natural ability to churn out ideas but instead it's about the little excuses we give ourselves for not producing from those ideas. I have no shortage of excuses for why I do not bring to fruition a great idea.

(Warning: The post linked to above contains words some might find offensive. Just so you know.)