New year, new creative habits
One of the best gifts I got this Christmas is Twyla Tharp’s “The Creative Habit.”
Like most good self-development books, the premise is very simple and speaks to a universal truth: you want to create more, create more often. Like, everyday.
Of course, most of us know this. But do we practice it? I mean do we really practice it?
For Twyla Tharp the daily canvas is her “white room,” as she calls the dance studio where she starts every creative project; alone, only accompanied by the potential of a great dance. What’s your canvas? Are you working at it daily to stay sharp?
In “The Creative Habit” this accomplished American choreographer, provides great insight into how to make creativity a daily activity to maintain vitality in what you do.
For most of us in business the blank canvas is our job and/or career, with the daily emerging opportunities like the soon-to-be-written plan, next quarter’s sales goals, an empty city lot, a new product introduction, simply a blank page, whatever. But do we see each day as a time for our best thinking? Every single day? That’s what the creative habit is all about. Keeping the creative muscles moving. Keeping them flexible and strong.
This blog has given me a new canvas whereupon to practice my creative habit. When I was the regular advertising columnist for Communication Arts I wrote four, count ‘em four whole columns a year. As enjoyable as it was, it felt like a chore. Today, as I endeavor to feed the creative beast that is this blog, I bet I have 6 to 10 ideas for posts each week. (Are they all good? Hey, I’m working on ‘em.) The more I write, the more I find to write about. And I simply don’t have time to be looking at that blank page.
The creative habit is for everyone who is serious about being your creative best. Look at the highest achieving people in all categories; business and beyond. For Tiger Woods his daily practice is a creative habit, hours and hours daily. He doesn’t just play golf, he works on his game. He puts himself in places that bring out his creativeness. Where we weekend duffers go to the range and work on our swing under a covered tee box, with an unencumbered lie, in near perfect conditions, Tiger puts his ball in the woods, he shoots blindfolded, he goes out in the most brutal of weather. More than practicing golf, he’s practicing his creative habit.
And we sometimes wonder how people of great accomplishment became people of great accomplishment?
So how do you kick off 2007 with new creative habits? It’s actually easier than you might think. Beyond the somewhat inexact “just do it” approach, I suggest an entirely, exact “do more of it” approach. Quantifiably more. If you typically look at three different ways to solve a problem, look at four or five (that’s 33 and 66% more according to the old math). Again, the more you do, the easier and faster it becomes, like any new habit. In Do-it-yourself Lobotomy terms we call this 100MPH Thinking; using the law of large numbers (a mathematical principle), as well as speed to keep judgment at bay.
There are other aspects of creativity that can become habit. Such as making sure you are starting in the right place before you expend all of your creative energy. In DIY Lobotomy language we say “Ask a better question.” Too often business people spend a great deal of time and brain sweat finding the right solution to the wrong problem. This zeroing in on the crux of the issue can be a habit as well.
Another habit well worth practicing is not being so quick to judge an idea as good or bad; others’ ideas, or your own. This is particularly important for those in management, and/or those who “buy” other people’s ideas (or don’t buy, for that matter).
Let’s stop here, before I give you too much to think about as 2007 starts rolling out before you.
The Creative Habit. It’s that simple. And like most habits, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Hell, I just had three ideas for future blog posts as I was writing this one. Honest. I’m not being “creative” when I say that.
© 2007 Tom Monahan, all rights reserved.
