Reviewing and Re-Energizing Your Creative Practices
In This Chapter
- Appreciating your creative accomplishments
- Revisiting your creative blocks
- More ticklers to infuse your creative practice
- The effects of meditation on creativity
Now that you’ve tried some of the creative techniques in this book, it’s time to think about what works for you and what more you’d like to do. Maintaining a creative practice is a continual process of reviewing and appreciating your progress, making adjustments along the way, and finding ways to keep you going when you feel you could use a creative lift.
In this chapter, I cover all three of those steps as you review the progress you’ve made since you picked up this book, which includes recognizing your achievements and revisiting your creative blocks. I then guide you to reflect upon how to close the gap between where you are and where you’d like to be. I end the chapter by giving you a few more opportunities you can draw upon when you need to be re-energized. This includes taking a look at meditating to help get and keep you in a creative space—even if you’ve never tried meditation before. Most of all, I want to continue to cheer you on. I believe in you, and hopefully now you also believe in yourself!
Reviewing Your Creative Progress
To effectively evaluate your creative progress, I suggest you take out your idea journal or any kind of notepad and jot down your thoughts to the following questions and considerations.
To start, recall where you were mentally and emotionally when you first started reading this book. What were your feelings at the time? Were you feeling uncertain, dubious, excited, or energized? Come up with the adjectives that best capture your feelings, and then reflect on your intentions. What was your primary interest in reading about how to unlock your creativity? Did you have a mild or burning curiosity about the subject? Were you feeling stuck, or was the idea of having a more creative life an interest that came about recently? What did you hope to accomplish?
INSPIRATIONAL INSIGHT
“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”
—Mark Victor Hansen
Next, think about what you have achieved along the way. It’s important to recognize how far you’ve come. Look at all the positive aspects first. Do you now believe that everyone is creative, including you? Do you feel more inspired and vibrant and connected to your creative spirit? Have you been turned on by new ideas and pursued them? Have you had any epiphanies? Have you set up your ideal creative space, incorporated any new activities into your daily routine to spur your creativity, found a mentor, organized a new creativity group, started writing the book you always wanted to write, or undertaken any new creative projects? Record your thoughts pertaining to these questions along with anything positive you can identify since deciding to make creativity a commitment.
For the next part of your review, write down any blocks you may have encountered on your path to creativity. I hesitate to have you do this when you’re in a positive space based on the previous considerations, but it is a natural part of the creative process. Obstacles will come into your space; it’s a matter of how you deal with them. What were the biggest, most persistent blocks that materialized for you? Were you able to work through them—and if so, how did you overcome them—or are you continuing to address them?
Did you notice any patterns—the same barriers popping up with regularity? Perhaps you dealt with them and now they’re back; or maybe they’re all gone except for one. Wherever you are now, realize that just because you may deal with your blocks and successfully overcome them doesn’t mean they won’t rear their ugly heads again at some point. Take comfort in knowing that’s a normal part of the process. Write down your thoughts along with any other negative pieces.
Closing the Creativity Gap
Looking at your creative achievements and blocks, notice where there are gaps between them and notate your observations. For example, maybe you accomplished your goal of buying a guitar because you always wanted to learn to how play one, but a procrastination block surfaced and kept you from finding a teacher and taking lessons. Or maybe you took steps to act on your idea for organizing a unique community event but haven’t followed through due to a lack of confidence. Perhaps you have followed a lot of the suggestions in this book but your inner critic continues to tell you that you’re still not that creative.
Once you’ve noted the gaps, look at your gap list and write down what you think it will take to get you to close that space. Be honest in your assessment. For instance, using the guitar example, are you not taking action because you’re telling yourself you are short on money, aren’t good enough, don’t have the time, or something else? Once you’re able to get to the core of your block, ask yourself “What can I do about it?” If you are really interested and committed to your creative idea, you will find a way. If you’ve lost interest in pursuing the idea, now is the time to realize that. Don’t berate yourself in the process! This is where a total reality check with yourself comes into the picture.
Now bring yourself into the present moment. Where are you today with your overall creativity? How do you feel mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically? If you’re not feeling well in any one of these areas, you’ll find it’s more challenging to be creative. Write about your attitude toward creativity, your habits, your frustrations, ideas you’re considering, and your hopes and dreams. Are you connected enough with your creative spirit to hear what it is telling you? You’ll know you’re in alignment with it when you feel you have a zest for life, or as it was said in the previous chapter, you’ll feel like you’re “in the flow.” The following creative play will give you an opportunity to reconnect with and solidify the relationship with your true creative essence.
CREATIVITY COMPASS
On the brainpickings.org website, Maria Popova describes John Steinbeck’s East of Eden book as “a gorgeous meditation on the meaning of life and the essence of the creative spirit.” In the novel’s thirteenth chapter, it reads, in part: “Sometimes a kind of glory lights up the mind of a man. It happens to nearly everyone. You can feel it growing or preparing like a fuse burning toward dynamite. It is a feeling in the stomach, a delight of the nerves, of the forearms. The skin tastes the air, and every deep-drawn breath is sweet.” This is the feeling you’re after when it comes to creating.
Creative Play: Reconnecting with Your Creative Spirit
Read through all of the steps before starting this activity. This exercise is especially timely to do if you’re feeling like your creative energies are scrambled. Even if you are feeling balanced and in alignment, it’s still a worthwhile activity because it will help solidify your connection to your creative spirit, that inner part of you that supplies you with your creative life force. It’s guidance that’s always there if you take the time to access it.
Tools Needed: Paper, a writing instrument, and objects for your “oasis”
Begin with an open mind. Let go of any preconceived notions about your creativity and any attachment you have to previously held ideas. This is an exercise in listening carefully.
Next, create a type of temporary oasis, whether indoors or outdoors, that addresses the five senses. For instance, if you do it inside your home, you may put on a favorite piece of relaxing music for sound and plug in a fountain with gently running water. You can also consider burning a flavored candle or incense for smell before sitting down in a comfortable chair. To address the sense of sight, close your eyes and visualize whatever relaxing images come to mind or place an inspiring piece of artwork in front of you and gaze upon it. Engage your sense of touch by gently running your fingers down your cheeks and up your arms.
If you’re outdoors in nature, either sit on the ground, set up a lawn chair, or bring a cushion. You can tap into the sense of hearing by listening to birds chirping or bring your MP3 player and wear your ear buds to listen to a peaceful song. Become aware of the subtle smells around you, such as freshly cut grass or the scent of fragrant flowers. Take your shoes off, wiggle your toes, and feel your feet upon the earth for a sense of touch, or simply feel the breeze caressing your face. To engage your sight, you might choose to do this as the sun is rising or setting to take in the view of the moon. Whether outdoors or inside, for the sense of taste, allow yourself to have a bite of chocolate or another treat. These are just ideas; use whatever will put you in a calming space.
Once you have all of your accoutrements set up, sit in your designated spot, close your eyes, and take at least five centering breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Connect with your external surroundings, taking as much time as you need to enter into a pensive space. When you feel you have done that, silently ask yourself questions along these lines:
- What is mine to do?
- What shall I create, share, and offer to myself and to the world?
- What will expand my inner being so that I may feel creative, joyful, and alive, both inside and out?
Do this active mind meditation for as long as necessary. Then quickly, without judgment, write down everything that came to mind. You may be tempted to discard an answer you received by thinking, “I could never do that” or “That’s stupid.” Now is not the time to evaluate. You asked for guidance. See if anything new popped up or if you feel you were directed to revisit a creative commitment from your past. Listen to your inner being—your creative spirit. This is a great exercise to repeat whenever you’re feeling scattered, confused, or frustrated with your creative direction.
More Resources to Re-Energize Your Creativity
Connecting with your creative spirit also can be accomplished by engaging in activities that will fill you up. Just as with your car, if you continue to drive it without refueling every now and then, sooner or later it will come to a halt. You don’t want that to happen with your creativity any more than you do with your vehicle. Throughout the chapters, you’ve been given many tips, tools, and techniques to try out. You may have discovered additional methods and props on your own to support your creative efforts. Good for you!
I now offer you a few more to consider, particularly if after completing your recognition and review process, you feel like your creativity could use a boost. Take in these concepts and integrate those that are most valuable to you.
Eyeing Your Creativity
Did you know that the simple action of moving your eyes horizontally can potentially enhance your creativity, depending on which hand or hands are dominant? In a study conducted by Elizabeth Shobe, 62 men and women were asked to do a creativity test where they thought of alternative uses for some common items. She and her fellow researchers noted the participants’ handedness—whether they were “strong-handers” (used one hand dominantly) or “mixed-handers” (meaning they used both hands equally)—since previous studies had indicated that strong-handers had less communication between the two sides of the brain than mixed-handers.
During the study, participants did one round of the creativity test and then were either asked to shift their eyes back and forth horizontally for 30 seconds or stare straight ahead. The purpose was to see if the eye exercise would increase the crosstalk between the two brain hemispheres and increase creativity as a result.
Upon repeating the test, the strong-handers who moved their eyes bilaterally showed a considerable increase in their originality both in more ideas and usage categories compared to the ones who stared straight ahead. While the mixed-handers achieved greater creative results than the strong-handers during the two rounds, the study also showed that doing the horizontal eye movement didn’t make a difference for them. However, the strong-handers showed as much creativity as the ambidextrous group once they did the eye exercise.
While the researchers noted their findings didn’t necessarily apply to those who are deemed “highly creative” and couldn’t conclude that 30 seconds of this eye movement will turn you into an artist or a scientist, you never know what effect this simple exercise may have on you if you use one hand dominantly. It doesn’t hurt to try experimenting with this back-and-forth eye movement to see if you notice any creative improvement or stimulation. You can even try it out using the same test. For example, take a common household item, such as a cotton ball, and write down as many uses as you can. You can then move your eyes back and forth for 30 seconds, repeat the same test, and see if you come up with even more ideas the second time around.
Zentangle—An Artsy Meditation
Another tool you can use to boost your creative energy is to add the Zentangle Method, created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, into your creative practice. It involves drawing structured patterns that blossom into your unique expression. The black-and-white drawings are done on 3½-inch-square pieces of paper, called tiles, and you make your symbols, shapes, and patterns using pens. The artwork is not intended to have an up or down side. In other words, you can view them from any direction because they’re abstract. Each drawing also is meant to be completed in one sitting, which usually takes about 15 minutes. Just about anyone can take part in this practice. In fact, no prior drawing experience is necessary.
CREATIVITY KEY
The creators sell a kit that includes everything you need or you can use your own materials to make your own “Zentangle-inspired” images. You can learn more about this kit and more at zentangle.com.
While this activity may remind you of doodling, one of the key differences is that each stroke is done with a deliberate focus. Most people doodle when they’re preoccupied with something else, such as listening to a lecture or sitting in a meeting, whereas with the Zentangle approach, it’s intended to be an activity to which you give your full attention. It provides a way to shift your focus and perspective while letting go of any expectations of the outcome. It’s akin to a type of meditation because the idea is that you become totally absorbed in what you’re doing in the moment. Just as with intrinsically motivated creativity, you concentrate on the process, not the outcome.
An example of a Zentangle Method drawing.
(Inspired by the Zentangle Method of pattern drawing)
Upcycling
You’ve probably heard of recycling, where you take the primary elements of recyclable materials (such as newspapers, plastic, and glass) and produce a new product that isn’t necessarily better quality or more aesthetically pleasing than the original. But what is upcycling? No, it’s not bicycling uphill (smile). With upcycling, you’re taking materials you would normally trash or recycle and making them into either something useful or eye-catching, which puts your creativity to the test in a fun way. Unlike recycling, upcycling is more about taking a shabby material and making it into something better.
For example, while you could take an old orange crate, flip it over, and use it as a stool, you could be even more creative and paint the crate and turn it into a planter or add other crates to it to make a coffee table. The idea is to give the items that many people see as trash a better purpose—not just a new purpose.
The process of upcycling isn’t really anything new, except that it has a trendy name now. If you look through the annals of history, you’ll see how financially challenged folks from previous generations made the best of the few resources they had. Some people upcycle today because they love the DIY (do-it-yourself) creative nature of this activity and want to help Mother Earth.
So before you throw that old briefcase away or recycle your beer bottles, stop for a minute and think of ways you may upcycle them. A quick scan of upcycling pictures on the internet shows an amazing display of ingenuity. Take a look yourself for a healthy dose of inspiration. Upcycled items can take on an art form of their own; it’s only limited by your imagination. Let yourself go crazy with ideas!
INSPIRATIONAL INSIGHT
“When I say be creative, I don’t mean that you should all go and become great painters and great poets. I simply mean let your life be a painting, let your life be a poem.”
—Osho
Watching Your Language
This is something you can do every day to help keep your creative efforts in check. Whether you’re participating in a creative group process or creating alone, there are a lot of common phrases you use or hear others say when you or they think something isn’t possible. The following are some common examples:
- “That’ll never work.”
- “We’ve tried that before.”
- “Don’t be ridiculous.”
The preceding statements and any like them can put an instant halt to the creative process. So how do you avoid these verbal creativity obstacles?
To start, take a few minutes to think of the ones you hear most often or those you tell yourself. Once you’ve done that, get out your idea journal or a piece of paper and write down everything that came to your mind. Next, write down positive phrases to counteract the negative expressions. An example would be “You never know. Let’s give it a chance.” This is a quick exercise that may not seem like a big deal now, but by paying attention to your language, you will be more aware the next time you’re participating in an idea session and someone blurts out something negative, or you’re creating on your own and your inner critic decides to speak up. You can catch yourself or others in the moment, which may keep your creativity from croaking.
Particularly in a group setting, your words can make a difference when they are encouraging instead of negative, potentially leading to a home run of an idea instead of strikeout. Therefore, be willing to be the “cheerleader” of the group on occasion, especially when you notice your fellow members are slowing down or getting frustrated. Even saying something as simple as “C’mon guys, we can do this” can keep others motivated to continue generating ideas.
Creative Play: Fun with Poetry
Because you’ve been reading about a few additional ways to rekindle your creativity, here’s yet one more way to awaken and call upon your creative expression. Whether you write poetry regularly or haven’t written a poem since your high school English class, this activity is for you. You may be a poet and not know it. Have some fun!
Tools Needed: Paper and a writing instrument
There are no “musts or shoulds” and no rules for writing your poem, other than to challenge yourself in a fun way, which means not judging yourself.
You can pick any style of poetry—rhyming or freestyle. If you want to have a particular structure to your poem, you can search the internet to read about the different forms of poems (haiku, sonnet, list, and prayer poems, to name a few). I also highly recommend the book, Unleash the Poem Within, by Wendy Nyemaster. Your poem may be thoughtful or funny, short, or long. Remember—no rules.
Your topic is, what else, “creativity”! Open up your mind and heart, take a deep breath, reflect, and write! As you’re doing this, notice if any negative “voices” try to get into your head. If so, you might incorporate them into your poem.
Meditating to Connect with Your Creativity
I hope you’ve had some fun in this chapter engaging with new and familiar activities. It’s important to create just for the fun of it from time to time, even if you’re a full-time creative professional. It’s also essential to realize that if you’re not feeling very creative or simply not in the mood that this temporary feeling is just that—it won’t last forever, especially because if you’ve reached this point in the book, your knowledge and awareness of creativity has substantially expanded since you began reading it.
Not every deceleration you experience is due to a block, deep seated or otherwise. Sometimes your body is just telling you that it’s time to take a rest. The ability to calm yourself and be still can be just as vital as taking action to stimulate your creativity. Once again, it’s that fine balance. If you’re always on the go, your energy can eventually get scattered, which can impede your creativity. This is one reason some people swear by a daily meditation practice.
Your first thought upon reading this might be “I’m not into meditating,” “I don’t know how to meditate,” or “I have way too many thoughts on my mind to sit still.” You may never release every thought or any thoughts during a meditation session, and that’s okay and to be expected. It’s quite common for thoughts to come in and out. So what’s the point of meditating? Deepak Chopra, a meditation guru, says meditation is “tuning in … to find peace within … a way to get in the space between your thoughts … a space of infinite creativity, infinite imagination.” So if a thought comes up, simply notice it. No judgment. No resistance.
There are both anecdotal stories and research that have revealed some positive links between the act of meditating and creativity. If you meditate regularly, you may find that your memory, concentration, and clarity improve. You’ll likely approach your day in a calmer state if you start your day meditating. You may even stumble upon an unexpected insight during your meditation or later in the day. A study by cognitive psychologists revealed that divergent thinking was shown to increase when participants used an open monitoring technique, which involves being open to receiving whatever thoughts and feelings enter the mind and not focusing on anything particular. For individuals who used a focused attention meditation (concentrating on a specific item or thought), the study showed no measurable effect on convergent thinking and problem-solving.
CREATIVITY KEY
Approach the idea of meditating without expectation. In other words, do not enter meditation presuming it will make you more creative. Just be open minded as you enter into the quiet space and let the experience be as it is. You may notice benefits immediately, or they may occur to you over time.
There are numerous ways you can meditate. In the back of the book in Appendix C, which contains additional creative plays, you’ll find the Meditation Minute exercise, which details a simple way to meditate. Additionally, I’ll share a couple of ideas with you here, and if this practice intrigues you, I encourage you to further explore it.
One of the more common styles is a sitting practice in which you focus on your breath. The goal is to become present to each moment as it’s happening while concentrating on your inhalations and exhalations. You observe if you’re feeling tension in your body, gently dismiss thoughts as they arise, and notice your feelings and surroundings. Mindful walking meditations are another approach. Some are informal where you can stroll right in your neighborhood. Or you may prefer to meditate walking in nature or along a path. Don’t get hung up on what you assume meditation is supposed to look like in terms of how you sit, stand, think, or breathe. You can’t do it wrong.
Experiment with different styles to see what feels the most comfortable to you. You may want music playing in the background or select one of many guided meditations that are available for free on YouTube and other online resources. Or you may prefer silence. If you’ve never meditated before, start slowly, in a way that feels manageable to you. You might only start with two minutes a day a couple times a week and then build the time and frequency from there. If you can create a consistent schedule, you will begin to develop a routine and the process will become easier. As with all of the other suggestions, find out for yourself if you enjoy this practice and derive benefits from it, which may go well beyond creative results.
The Least You Need to Know
- Check in with yourself at regular intervals to determine if you’re happy with the creative life you’re living. Notice any blocks that still come up and also remember to note all of the positive strides you’re making.
- Allow yourself to be guided by your creative spirit—that inner voice within that may speak gently or loudly, depending on how in tune you are with it.
- If you’re in the 90 percent majority who are dominant-handed, you may benefit from an eye movement exercise in which you shift your eyes back and forth horizontally for 30 seconds. Research has shown that practice can enhance your creativity.
- Be conscious of your language. Both your self-talk and what you say to others can be elevating and encourage creativity or it can slow or stop the flow. Catch yourself being negative and immediately flip the thought to a positive statement.
- You don’t have to be an artist to sketch a Zentangle-inspired drawing. Give yourself permission to partake in creativity-stimulating activities for the fun of it.
- Studies have shown that meditation can improve not only your overall physical and emotional health, but also your cognitive ability and creative thinking.