No Pressure: Two Micro-Steps To Creativity

// July 23rd, 2009 // Uncategorized

If you’re anything like me, you find the hardest thing about creating is getting started. If you’re anything like me you also have a small voice inside your head that tells you “You have trouble getting started because you have no talent, nothing to say, and pretty much suck”

Of course, the little voice neglects to say “You have trouble getting started because you have this little voice inside your head that lies to you.”

The thing is, most people have their own version of that little voice. The people who are able to consistently create in spite of their voice are those who have found a way to sidestep it.

What’s the most important element needed for a sidestep manouevre to work? Have nothing at stake. The best possible response to that small voice is “So what?”

So, here are a couple of small sidesteps that can help zig-zag you out of stuck-ness and into creating something.

Scribble:

This first step is for when you’re stuck. Well and truly stuck. Just get a piece of paper and something to draw with, and begin scribbling. All you need is a pen (or pencil,or crayon) and something to scibble on: a piece of paper, lined, unlined, even a local takeout menu will do to if that’s all you’ve got.

If you want to do the deluxe version of this exercise use three different coloured pencils/crayons/markers. I often put some music on as well, and let the rhythms direct my hand.

Next step: This exercise always gets me into a more fluid state, whether I’m about to draw, paint, write a poem, or brainstorm ideas for a project. It’s a great technique to get you into a flowing mood, no matter what activity you’re about to start and often the next step is to simply picking up a brush, or tapping away at the keyboard and keep going.

I’ve also found it useful to keep playing with these drawings looking for shapes, evocative movements, or, if I’ve used different coloured pens/pencils, examining the random interactions of the colours in search of interesting ideas.

List:

No, I don’t mean list as in lean heavily to one side (although, that might be a great starting point for an improvised dance piece). This technique is for creating some scaffolding for creative ideas to take hold when you’re ready to start creating, but lack inspiration.

Take a moment to think about what you would like to write about today. It could be a theme, or a particular idea you would like to explore, if there’s nothing in particular you want to focus on, that’s fine. The important thing is to stop and give your subconscious a chance to toss something up. Next, pick up the biggest, fattest dictionary you own. Flip through randomly and, as you open up to a page, write down the first word that resonates in some way for you. Keep flipping through till you’ve built a solid list of at least a dozen words.

Next step: Sometimes associations will start popping up in the process of writing the list, sometimes nothing will happen (except that you’ll have completed at least one creative act for the day). You can keep any lists you make to go over when you’re looking for inspiration–often a seemingly random list can provide associative leaps that you’d never make otherwise. My favourite example of this technique working is Matthea Harvey’s brilliant sequence of poems ”The Future of Terror / Terror of the Future” She talks about the process a little here: Matthea Harvey interview (there’s some sample poems too).

Have fun trying these exercises out, let me know how it goes!