What Gets Your Creative Toes Tappin'?

 I like to experiment with music because I know it has a profound effect on my creativity levels. 

When I was a teenager, I couldn't get enough of Madonna. (Today, I think I am suffering the consequences of listening to her albums over and over again at a blaring volume on my Walkman.)  Sometimes I'd dance around my room, sometimes I'd write like a madwoman, and sometimes I would just lay on my bed with my eyes closed and a smile on my face.

In the 90s, I scored a part-time gig as a karaoeke DJ.  I did shows three times a week, and to get everyone in the singing frame of mind, I was the one who started the show.  Having gone through my fair share of heartbreak by this point in my life, I swore by country. About a year later, my boss told me that although I sang country great, my repertoire was getting a bit stale.  Back to the drawing board.

When I went back to college, one of my general education requirements was a class where we studied different genres of music as it evolved through time.  It opened my eyes to a whole new world. I became entranced by Vivaldi, Bach, Wagner, Philip Glass, and Ravel.  I listened to classical music in the car during my commute (it help soothe the road rage).

Soon after my creative focus moved from singing back to writing.  I read that Baroque music inspires writing creativity.  I decided to try it out, and finally make use of the Pandora app on my iPhone.  It was like finding a childhood treasure that had been hidden away in a corner of the closet.  Warm memories of discovery and contentment came back, and soon my fingers were whizzing across the keyboard.  As promised, I was feeling pretty inspired.  Then I ventured a bit further even.

I found jazz, and not just any jazz, but early jazz.  I'm talking big band, brass, tappin' your toes to the beat, moving and shakin' jazz.  When I listen to it, I can't help but smile.  And sometimes when I'm walking down the street listening to it, I can't stop my hips from shaking a little bit.  (I'm okay with people thinking I'm a bit weird.) 

Baroque music makes me feel warm and fuzzy, but early jazz makes me... happy.  Deliriously happy- the "I've had four glasses of wine and I'm going to dance dance dance all night" happy.

So when I'm feeling flat, and the creative juices aren't quite flowing, I know that I can turn to music to lift me back up.  In fact, this song has been in my head all week as I've been mulling over all the changes here at ThinkBlot:

Do you have a go-to genre of music of theme song whenever you are feeling stuck? 

(photo credit pedrosimoes7)

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Book Review: Gamestorming

A quick review of the book Gamestorming by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo.

As I mention in the video, the one thing that I really liked about this book was that you could pick it up and be using it in meetings the next day.  There are tons of games here that will get the creative ideas flowing and start pulling you out of the "this is the way we've always done it" mentality.

I would definitely recommend it, so check it out here (affiliate link):

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The Place Where You Can Always Find Inspiration

I am consistently in awe of visual artists.  The clarity and the vision they must have to recreate that picture in their mind's eye on paper, canvas, or, like in the picture above, a sidewalk.  The skill that act requires, to translate that inspiration into something we can all enjoy, is amazing.

Tuning Into Creative Strengths

I've tried my hand at drawing a few times.  My pictures were clumsy and awkward- I'm fairly certain a 4 year old could have done better.  I grew impatient quickly, and stopped trying.  I mean, if that was the best I could do, then why should I bother to continue doing it?

Writing on the other hand has always been my go-to means of communicating creatively.  My parents, teachers, friends, and others told me often when I was younger that I was good at it.  The stories I told moved them and that they wanted to read more.

So naturally- where did I focus my creative attention?

On my writing.

Incorporating the Practice

So for something like 25 years I've been slowly but surely honing that skill.  It has been sporadic at times, but whenever I come back to it I hear the same feedback.  That keeps me coming back to my writing chair over and over again.

And in the ritual of writing, of turning on the autopilot of my mind to create words for the page, I have always found inspiration.  My mind knows what to do, and it's not unlike getting into the car and driving to the location of my choice.  Sometimes I change my mind halfway there, but I always arrive at some destination thats interesting and new. 

The Power of the Ritual

If you start reading articles, interviews, and blogs of writers, you'll see debate around the concept of "writer's block"- mainly does it exist or doesn't it?

Struggling to find the right words can be a challenge.  Translating the jumbled image in my mind can sometimes be a real pain.  That's the part that can turn me off.  Not the inspiration, but the roadblocks my mind throws around formulating the story into something meaningful while still staying true to the muse.  So I belive it's not an inspirational block, but a rather a tactical one.

If you bring consistency to your practice- whatever skill you practice, you will not only get better at it, but you train your brain to show up and adhere to the task at hand.  For creatives, that is the act of inception. 

If you need a little bit more help at times, then go find it.  Read, doodle, or daydream.  Turn your creative consciousness to "Open" and see what appears that fleshes out the tiny kernal of an idea that has been pinging around in your head. 

Accept No Substitutes

It's an extraordinary process each and every time. The practice, the ritual you establish, is your secret weapon to being productive and prolific.  (I've just re-released my writing practice workshop: The Writer's Battle Plan for anyone who needs some help establishing a solid writing practice.)

No matter what creative space you practice in, the underlying concepts are the same: show up, dump the inner critic, and let your creative energy loose.  Don't let go until you are spent.  Then come back tomorrow and do it again.  And again.  And again.  Hold yourself to that standard and you will be rewarded.

Have you created your ritual? Add your thoughts in the comment section below.

(photo credit by Michael Caven)

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