CHAPTER
12

Enhancing Your Creativity with Partnerships

In This Chapter

• Prepping yourself to collaborate
• The benefits of partnering
• Growing creatively with a support group
• Using your talents to give back
• Working with a creativity coach

Creating on a regular basis is much easier when you have the proper support. This support may come from friends, family, mentors, instructors, counselors, or community members. What is most important is to get the encouragement and assistance you need to get started and keep going.

While creating in a vacuum is possible, in this chapter you learn the value of ensuring you have a support system. I also talk about being open to how your talents can make a difference in your community, even if that is not your main motivation to create. After all, many lives have been changed when people decide to reach out and share their gifts, which is a powerful part of creativity that awaits your participation.

Making Connections

Some creative projects are a solo act, while others excel as a duo or with an entire chorus of people. This is not a literal translation (although it could be, if you’re talking about music). What I’m referring to are your preferences to create. Do you prefer to engage in creative pursuits on your own, with a partner or group, or involve the community at large in some way? Perhaps you have experienced all of those situations depending on the project. There also may be times you are asked to partner with a person or group of people in a classroom setup, with a volunteer opportunity, or in the workplace. Sometimes working with others can be inspirational as you see how each person contributes to the whole, uniquely contributing her part. When the creative endeavor is completed, you can see how much better the outcome was because of the different ideas that came together. That’s called teamwork.

However, in order to be a good teammate, the first connection you need to make is with you. It’s a good idea to check in with yourself daily to sift through your thoughts and feelings and determine if any adjustments are needed. You may notice doubts that are continuing to pop up now and then or maybe they’re swirling about on a regular basis. Just as being comfortable with yourself helps your creativity when you work independently, feeling free and easy also makes you a better creativity partner.

Also, before approaching a potential partner, notice if there are any voices that pop up in protest saying things like “No, you’re not ready for that” or “Remember the last time you tried that? Look how disappointed you were.” These are among the blocks that were discussed in Chapter 6. You have now been given many tools to use to work through negative thoughts that block you. It might help to realize that collaborating with another person or a group of people relieves the pressure of coming up with all of the answers on your own. Plus, partnering with others can create a synergy that can be fun!

Engaging a Partner

As discussed in Chapter 4, some people feel they’re great at coming up with innovative ideas, while others feel stronger at putting them into practice. Where do your strengths lie? Do you feel you would benefit from working with a partner? While it’s not necessary for every creative quest, there may be times when having another person involved would benefit you. The advantage is that the attributes of you and your partner could complement each other, especially if you each have different strengths.

Partnerships work best if you are equally interested in the activity itself and share a common goal. For example, one of the best collaborations in music history is Bernie Taupin and Elton John. Taupin has written most of the lyrics for the songs that have made the pop star famous; it is a duo that has the shared goal of musical creativity. Other examples of successful partnerships with shared creative dreams are Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of Apple fame; dancing partners Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers; Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who co-founded Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company; and Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives, better known as the printmaking duo of Currier & Ives.

CREATIVITY COMPASS

Don’t be afraid to reach out to others. They may be willing to be a mentor to you. If they can’t help you personally, they can probably point you in the right direction. For example, I have a friend, Nancy, who is a professional painter. I not only admire her work, but I also enjoy her pleasant personality. In short, she’s easy to be around. I became interested in printing some of my photos on canvas and when I mentioned it to her, she offered to show me how to stretch my own canvases. She told me what tools I would need and then showed me her technique. This was a generous offer, as it saved me money and helped me grow as an artist.

Learning and Mentoring in a Partnership

Partnerships don’t necessarily have to be on equal footing in terms of knowledge and experience. Some partnerships come in the form of learning from an instructor, whom you seek for more formal training on a regular basis, or taking a short-term course or workshop. The best teacher-student relationships are those that are viewed as a true collaboration. If you’re interested in learning more about your craft, seek teachers who still have that creative spark in their eyes; just being in their presence can inspire and motivate you to learn and grow as much as possible. Another way to support your creativity is to find a mentor. This is usually a person with skills and talents you admire who is willing to help you. This may be in the form of hands-on support or advice—someone you can call when you have questions or need an emotional boost.

There are different ways you can find a mentor or teacher. See if one or more of these options resonates with you:

• Seek recommendations from people you know who have some knowledge or association in your area of interest. They may not know someone directly but may be able to lead you to someone who does.
• Reach out on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In your post, be clear whether you’re looking for a teacher or someone who is willing to offer you suggestions or advice, which can lead to a mentoring relationship.
• Search the internet with a phrase that addresses your interest. If you’re specifically looking for a teacher, include that in your search terms.
• Find out if there are professional associations or clubs that have local meetings and plan to attend one so you can meet people who share your interest. Meetup.com is an excellent resource where you can start or find the group of your choice.

Once you do make a connection, be informal. Tell her why you’re attracted to the subject at hand and why you would love to learn more. Your enthusiasm may be enough to inspire her to mentor you.

Another way to help your creativity prosper is by you becoming the teacher or the mentor. While you may not feel like you’ve been properly trained or educated, teach or share what you know anyway! Chances are you have something of value you can offer to another. In the process, you may have some a-ha moments that you didn’t realize until you took the time to explain or demonstrate to another person. If you wait until you feel “ready,” you may never do it. Remember, you don’t have to do it perfectly! I am guilty of taking my own knowledge for granted. I think everyone already knows what I know because it seems to be common sense. I then think about accountants and how numbers are a matter of common sense, yet I would probably make a very lousy accountant!

So do not take your knowledge, skills, and talents for granted and share that expertise with others. The following are a few ways that you can become a mentor to another person:

• Consistently show a genuine willingness to help others. That makes you approachable to others.
• Offer to be a guest speaker at different clubs, schools, or professional gatherings to share your knowledge. It’s possible a mentoring relationship could develop from that opportunity.
• Volunteer with organizations that seek mentors, such as your local Big Brothers Big Sisters charity or the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Mentoring an individual doesn’t have to be a full-time commitment. It may be a matter of answering questions from time to time or making recommendations. For example, just recently, while shopping at a clothing store, the young man who assisted me overheard me say I was on my way to meet a television crew. That led to a discussion of him telling me how he’d like to learn more about getting into the public relations field. I gave him a few starter tips and he asked if he could contact me later with more questions. I gladly said yes because I am always willing to help, especially young people who display a passion and eagerness to learn. As you can see, sharing your knowledge could make a tremendous difference in the life of another person.

When Problems Arise

Creative relationships are really no different than romantic relationships in that not all of them will last a lifetime. Sometimes the very qualities that attract you to another person are the very things that can cause dissension and separate you later on. It’s important to recognize if the setbacks are temporary and can be overcome or if the collaboration has outgrown its usefulness.

If you’ve enjoyed working with your partner and tensions begin to grow, before throwing in the towel, carefully analyze the situation using the following questions:

• How long has the relationship been stressful? Has it become a pattern, a way of being that’s not likely to improve?
• Do you still share the same vision but are seeing different roadways that will take you there, or have your egos stopped you from supporting each other because you’re both stuck in your “rightness”?
• Have you accomplished what you set out to do together, or do you feel there is more that can be done in the partnership?

While the partnership doesn’t necessarily have to return to the days of old when it first began, it should be something that feels fulfilling for both you and your partner. If you’ve accomplished what you set out to do or realize your differences are too great, it’s probably time to end things. Hopefully, you’ll be able to appreciate what you did together and will leave on good terms.

CREATIVITY COMPASS

I once ran a small poetry circle in my home. Once a month, about 10 of us would gather, and we would start by sharing a poem that we had written. They didn’t have to be recent poems; in fact, I pulled some from my childhood just for fun. Someone later suggested we begin writing to a theme, so we spent the next month writing fresh poetry based on that theme. At the next meeting, we shared our poems. This suggestion prompted us to write new poems to spur our creativity. Listening to the others’ poetry also inspired us to write even more.

Forming Support and Interest Groups

If you’ve ever been a part of a support group of any kind, you already know the power of sharing with others. A great way to massage your creativity is to launch a group for individuals who also want to develop their creative potential. This can be done with or without a facilitator or the use of a how-to book or curriculum, although they can be helpful. You can pick a particular niche you’re interested in—such as writing, painting, or photography—or keep it more generic with a revolving creative theme. Just know you can fashion your support group however you want. Be creative!

The following are some general tips to help you best establish a functioning and beneficial group:

Decide how many people you think will work best for your group. Usually, you’ll be able to think of a couple people right away who will be interested in participating. Get their feedback on what they think will work. I would caution you from starting out with a large group. The more people you have, the harder it can be to manage. However, if you start out with too small of a group, it may not be long before you find yourself with just a couple other people. That may be all you want anyway, but people often drop out of groups without warning. To keep the flow going, concentrate on inviting people who are truly committed. At the same time, don’t organize it so it starts to feel like another obligation. You can play around with the numbers until the group settles into a comfortable mode.

Consider an ideal time and location. Your group can decide to meet weekly, every other week, or once a month. When it comes to how long the meetings should run, give yourself enough time to make the time meaningful; I recommend two to three hours. As for location, select one person’s home, rotate homes, or perhaps use a free community center with an available room.

Set some ground rules—mostly common courtesy guidelines—for the group. While you don’t want the group to be too structured (as that in and of itself inhibits creativity), everyone should find benefit from being in the group. Make sure every member of the group has a chance to speak and that everyone listens—no interrupting and talking while another already has the floor. For example, some groups use a talking stick—commonly used by indigenous populations and Native American tribes to command respect and quiet attention while voicing their views—to combat this issue. The stick is passed around the group and the person holding the stick is the only one who is allowed to talk.

DEFINITION

A talking stick is an effective visual tool used by Native American tribes and groups to control who is speaking. Only the person holding the stick may talk, while others listen and wait their turn to hold the stick and speak.

Avoid offering advice. The main purpose of a support group is to encourage each other without the need to tell the members what they “should” be doing. It’s more important to show compassion and to listen respectfully to allow the person to share what she is prepared to reveal. You can structure your group to be more of a “talking” group in which you share your challenges and successes. Or you can include an activity that doesn’t have to be involved or even related specifically to your group’s focus. For example, you could use one of the techniques in this book to develop a creative brain game or have one of your members submit a real-life challenge and use one of the creative thinking tools to generate ideas.

Reaching Out to Your Community

There are many ways to reach out to your local community to share your creativity while inspiring others in the process. Depending on your energy and inspiration level, this may be done occasionally or regularly and on a small scale or on a larger, more encompassing scale. It’s really a matter of how you wish to reach out.

For example, one man’s creative vision has fostered connection and caring and connected people of all ages and backgrounds. After observing how rarely people make eye contact with one another and actually speak to each other in public places such as on buses, at parks, or in cafés, artist Hunter Frank decided to take matters into his own hands and developed and launched entire creativity programs to change that. Frank’s premise was that people really want to connect with each other but they don’t know how. Through the Neighborhood Postcard Project, he brought together people from diverse ethnicities and lifestyles through the sharing of postcards that contained positive personal stories.

He also founded the League of Creative Interventionists, a network that involves folks worldwide building community through creative efforts. He organizes monthly interventions that focus on using public spaces to encourage strangers from various social and economic backgrounds to speak with each other. Using the prompt “My first love was …,” people share their sentiments on vacant walls and other spaces in San Francisco; Minneapolis; and Cologne, Germany; by completing the sentence on sticky notes and postcards and posting them on the “Love Wall.”

He recently gained the support of the Knight Foundation, which has enabled him to start a Creative Interventions Tour in which he is implementing and evaluating how these activities can create more engagement. With what he calls creative placemaking activities, he hopes to help people create more spontaneity, playfulness, and connection within their communities that will result in long-term positive change. One activity is called “Vacant Love”; for this, residents write love letters to their neighborhood, which are tacked onto a vacant building. A fundraising event is then held to help renovate the building. He also is conducting workshops and devising interactive activities that are specific to each community.

INSPIRATIONAL INSIGHT

“Art is essentially communication. It doesn’t exist in a vacuum. That’s why people make art, so other people can relate to it.”

—Conor Oberst

Another wonderful example of using creativity to help mankind is illustrated by Mark Bustos, a New York City hairstylist who works at an upscale salon. He spends the one day he doesn’t work giving free haircuts to the homeless, as well as offering food. In a Huffington Post online article by Robbie Couch, Bustos was quoted as saying “I want to do something nice for you today,” which is the line he uses with every person he approaches. Why does he use his creative haircutting skills to help? One reason: Because of the rewarding feeling it gives him. He’s hoping his generosity inspires others who watch him to also offer their kindness.

Just reading and writing about these creative community outreach projects inspires me. What about you? Did it get your wheels spinning? Hopefully these projects gave you ideas for potential outreach programs you could start in your own community.

However, does the thought of doing such large-scale things fill you with fear? Don’t worry! You don’t have to take on such ambitious projects. It’s about what’s in your heart. For example, I once participated in a program that was organized through the local arts council. The other volunteers and I would visit elementary schools and present prints of famous artists to educate and inspire the kids to do art of their own. All that took was a willingness to give my time and to learn about the artists myself.

Like me, speaking to schoolchildren about the importance of creativity is something you can do fairly easily and is a way to give back in a more low-pressure setting. You can do it as a kind of “show and tell” if you have artwork of your own or play an instrument, or you can plan a hands-on activity for the kids in which you guide them. Retirement communities also are prime spots to share your creative work, ideas, and passions. There are organizations—such as AFTA (aftaarts.org) and Generations United (gu.org)—that look to connect people who can participate in programs for older adults.

You don’t even have to leave home to reach out to others. There are many other online communities that have formed as a way to connect with one another. One such online community is creativ.com, where members worldwide are sharing samples of their own creativity, inspiration, and ideas. On another, creativity-portal.com, you’ll find exercises, articles, and other free stuff all having to do with creativity. So even if you’re not meeting with people face to face, you still have a way to impact someone else’s life by sharing online.

Whether you spend the rest of your life helping one person or interacting with the world, using your creative expression to make the community in which you live a better place is a worthy and achievable goal. I encourage you to use your imagination to do just that!

CREATIVITY KEY

Creative partnerships that are based on trust, respect, and a sincere desire to co-create can produce results that surpass what you may have accomplished on your own. Play off of each other’s energy and ideas and have some fun!

Is Creativity Coaching for You?

Creativity coaching is a fairly new profession that came about in the early 1990s. Eric Maisel, a licensed family therapist and author of more than 40 books (many of which are about creativity), founded this new profession as a way to help his clients overcome their blocks, effectively deal with the marketplace, produce more meaningful work, and deal with other issues relating to their creative process. You may have not even heard of this practice until now and you may be wondering, what exactly is a creativity coach, and what can one do for me?

Creativity coaches can assist you in understanding and getting past your creative blocks and barriers that prevent you from starting or completing your projects. They can serve as an impartial sounding board and guide you toward solutions. The operative word here is guide, for a good coach doesn’t tell you what to do; rather, you are led in such a way that you realize on your own what direction you should go. Coaches are there to empower you, not make you depend on them for a long period of time. An effective coach motivates you to pursue your creative goals and dreams. In short, creativity coaches support you on your creative journey. There are some coaches who specialize in certain areas. For example, some only work with writers, visual artists, or actors. Others, including myself, have a more open clientele and work with creative and business professionals, hobbyists, emerging artists, retirees, and homemakers—anyone who wishes to create something new or different in their lives.

Reasons to Work with a Coach

Individuals seek coaching for different reasons. See if any of the following resonate with you; if so, you might benefit from working with a creativity coach.

• You have one or more specific creative projects in mind but don’t know where to start.
• You want to create new opportunities in your life but need help honing in on what’s really important.
• You want to make changes in your life but fear keeps getting in the way.
• You’re feeling stuck and need help working through your blocks.
• You’re in the process of a major transition and you’re feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about what lies ahead.
• You could use support in establishing, focusing, and organizing your priorities.
• You need help with accountability and believe checking in with a coach will motivate you to follow through.

How Do Sessions Work?

Some creativity coaches will give you the option of working together in person, by phone or video conferencing, via email, or a combination of these methods. Regardless of the communication system you choose, most sessions are conducted informally, like a conversation. Every coach has her own style, but the whole idea is that you feel supported by your coach. Your coach should be your biggest cheerleader while at the same time pointing you in a direction that serves you. As the client, you set the agenda for each session.

Expect your coach to ask you powerful questions that will make you think more deeply than you might on your own. Working with a coach also might save you time, as you may achieve a breakthrough more quickly compared to figuring it out yourself. She may even suggest exercises that you do in between sessions to further enlighten you. The goal is to help you achieve clarity and follow through on your intentions.

Where You Can Find a Creativity Coach

One of the best resources is the Creativity Coaching Association (creativitycoachingassociation.com), which trains individuals to become certified as a creativity coach and provides information to those looking to work with one. Founded in 2005, the CCA is a free forum that offers a database of creativity coaches to artists and creative thinkers of all types. You can use the CCA as a resource or sign up to take creativity classes with or without the intention of becoming a creativity coach yourself.

Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching (kaizenmuse.com) also lists a number of creativity coaches on its website. Many creativity coaches offer a free consultation. You can take advantage of an introductory session to see if you feel there is a match between you and the coach.

The Least You Need to Know

• Before you can successfully co-create with anyone else, you first have to make sure you’re connected with yourself. If you find your inner child is expressing concerns, soothe that small voice within by offering words of comfort. Be both gentle and reassuring with yourself.
• If you choose to work with a partner, recognize that some of the best creative partnerships are those in which your skills and talents complement each other. Expect there to be creative differences on occasion.
• You can support and expand your creativity by finding a mentor or an instructor who values you. You also can take on this role for others.
• Support groups are another way to further your creative passion. Getting together with those who share a passion for creativity is often inspiration in and of itself.
• Creating for the betterment of your community can offer rewards that money can’t buy. Start noticing what you can do to creatively enhance your community.
• Consider working with a creativity coach to move through your blocks more swiftly, focus on what really matters to you, help you to be more accountable and follow through, or any number of areas in which a coach can support you.