When you break it down, creativity is basically our ability to make new things from whatever is around us, right? Although some people may disagree, I believe we are all born with this ability. I believe this is how we make sense of the world around us and why we choose to focus on some things and discard others. For me, creativity happens when I least expect it and it pays no regard to “work hours.” In fact, a lot of my creative moments come at 3:00 am when I’m in a deep sleep or when I’m in the shower singing at the top of my lungs.
So how do you make a living doing something you cannot plan, schedule or predict?
A lot of people think that creatives in our industry have a ton of ideas on tap. And sure, I have a ton of ideas ready to go, but a lot of them are really, REALLY bad. And then there are those days when I can knock out projects and my creativity just flows. There’s simply no formula to ignite creativity and no way to explain why it happens the way it happens or when it happens. We all have a different method to our madness and even during our most blocked moments, creativity may (or may not) be just around the corner waiting to jump out and surprise us. The key is to endure those moments and keep trying.
I found this article about that other side of creativity, the side we often dismiss, incredibly telling and insightful – especially the part about making it through the “creative gap” and working toward our personal cutting edge. Check it out and share with us how you combat creative blocks.