How To Fuel Creativity
Since I started this blog, one thing I’ve needed to develop is a system which allows me to have a constant stream of ideas to write about. This has proven to be difficult as I am someone who doesn’t consider himself particularly “creative”, but over the last few months I’ve been able to build somewhat of a framework to do so. The framework isn’t specific to writing, and can be used in other areas too, such as coming up with project ideas. To cut to the chase, here are the key ways I stay creative in my writing and other personal projects.
Having Moments of Silence
I feel like a broken record at this point, but it’s no secret that in today’s day-and-age, people are constantly entertained. Modern technology and the internet, particularly social media, allows people to have a source of dopamine right in their pockets everywhere they go. Reaching for your phone at the slightest hint of boredom is a sign that someone’s brain has been rewired to be in a constant state of distraction. Procrastination tends to be a major issue in people like this. Their brains are chronically distracted and are unable to focus for longer periods of time without needing to be stimulated. Due to this, they can shutout their thoughts completely because their brain’s ‘buzz’ is so loud it drowns-out their inner monologue. Research shows that sometimes this can be the reason we procrastinate, because we can’t hear our conscience telling us it’s time to work.
I used to fill every moment of boredom with music. Whether I was walking back from class, going down to my dorm building’s basement to do my laundry, or standing in line to buy something, I wore headphones and never allowed myself to be bored. This constant need for distraction became so bad that I found myself checking my pockets to ensure my phone was there before going to the bathroom; God forbid I spend 20 minutes alone with my thoughts. I’ve since stopped this routine, and now allow my walks and chores to be free of any distraction. The more I did this, the more I allowed my brain to hear itself speak, and through it began having more ideas about my work. Topics to write about, programming projects to build, and ways to improve my schedule all came to me as if out of nowhere. Now, I try to have more moments of silence throughout my day. When I’m taking the train into the city, or waiting for the bus, I try not to be on my phone and simply just observe what’s around me.
Stop and Listen
In his book Show Your Work, Austin Kleon writes about people who simply want their work to be noticed without first being a consumer of what they produce. He mentions how there are writers who don’t read, and a quote by the writer Dan Chaon where he criticizes people for wanting their work published in magazines and journals they don’t keep-up with.
“I call these people human spam. They are everywhere, and they exist in every profession. They don’t want to pay their dues, they want their piece right here, right now. They don’t want to listen to your ideas; they want to tell you theirs. They don’t want to go to shows, but they thrust flyers at you on the sidewalk and scream at you to come to theirs…they didn’t get the memo that the world owes none of us anything.” ~Austin Kleon
The key take-away for me was consuming what you create is just as vital as creating in the first place. It is for this reason that I try to read every day. Maybe it’s a book, maybe it’s an article or a blogpost. It allows me to stop and listen to what other people are saying and have a constant inflow of thoughts, stories and perspectives from others. Through this, I can think of topics I want to write about because either I found it interesting and want others to be aware of it, or it’s something I’ve personally had experience with and want to add-on to. Whatever it may be, being a consumer allows me to output more than if I was simply isolating myself. If I only relied on what I knew, my blogs work would go stale because I wouldn’t have a pantry of fresh ingredients to pick from. A musician needs to listen to music, a programmer needs to read other people’s code, an artist needs to enjoy artwork, and a writer needs to read. Creative work isn’t about simply telling others in the community to listen to you, it’s also about having the humility and respect to hear others.
No Diamonds without Dirt
On my phone, I have a note in my notes app titled “Blog Ideas.” Every day, I sit down and take 10 minutes to write blog titles for the upcoming Sunday (I write on Sundays). I may follow-up with a few bullet points outlining the key topics and ideas I want to address in the blog. The truth is, most of these are complete garbage and cannot be made into blogs for various reasons. Either they’re too shallow and cannot fill more than a paragraph, or they’re simply too boring to write about. Whatever the case may be, it is important I do this because it allows me to flush my brain out and get rid of the bad ideas so I can find the one hidden gem that really sticks. It may be Monday or Saturday, but I usually end up producing one particular title that is exciting enough to write about. My brain instantly starts thinking things to it, and a long stretch of bullet points fills the screen.
I find it crucial to take time to entertain the bad ideas I have in hopes that, if I dig deep enough through the dirt, I’ll hit diamonds. Throwing the idea onto a page or screen makes it real, which then allows me to toy with it a little and have my brain decide if it’s worth pursuing.
Conclusion
Being creative requires dedication. It isn’t something someone is inherently good at. It’s important to have a framework in place to allow yourself to always produce work consistently, especially if you’re trying to build something like a community, business or career. I have no doubt in my mind that this particular framework will change as I move forward, but for now the points above are a few of the techniques I personally use to have a constant flow of creative ideas to act upon. (I’ve left the comments on for this blog so you can share your own methods if you want to. Please, let me know, and keep it clean.)