Viativity

Sundry Musings

How to define creative success?

I was thinking today about something a wise man once said to me. We had been discussing the trials of graduate school and the increasingly dim picture of the financial rewards it would bring. “Why am I doing this?” I asked jokingly.

He forced me to answer the question. And after I did, things were much clearer. It comes down to this: if you do not continuously remind yourself of why you are doing what you are doing you will lose your sense of direction. Stress, hardship, pain and setbacks will crush us and make us lose our way.
After seeing that I had gotten the big picture, he simplified it for me with two goals.

Goal #1: Just figure out what you love to do.
Goal #2: Make as much money doing it as you possibly can.

I thought that was great advice. It seems alleviate a good deal of pressure. There is no fixed amount of money that needs to be made. The hard part is figuring out what you want to do.

Today I also found myself thinking about how this applies to creativity. Creative endeavors breed perfectionism. When we think of writing a book for example, it often comes to mind that if it is a “good book” it will be published. And not just published, it will be a best seller. More than that, it will make Oprah weep on live television. Such thinking does more harm than good however. It smacks of the all-or-nothing thinking that brings about depression.

For me, I think a goal of this kind needs to be relative rather than absolute. Writers should write to be read. Creatives should seek to share their work with as large an audience as possible. After all, creativity is something that you do because you love it, and because you need to.

I know that still leaves a lot of questions unanswered. How do you go about creating the largest audience possible? I don’t have the answer for that one, not yet. But I feel like that is the question I should be thinking about.

What about money? See goal #2 above. But with creativity, money comes (directly or indirectly) from sharing your work with as many people as possible.
I would be curious to know how others solve this problem for themselves. How do you avoid the all-or-nothing definition of success? How do you define success for your own creative work?

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Tagged authors, Creativity, imagination, inspiration, psychology, success, writer's block, writers, writing

Feb 04 2013

Sundry Musings

The Center of the Wheel: How to make the most of creative freedom

I recently completed a very large writing project, one that has taken a handful of years. At first I looked forward to my impending freedom like it would be a vacation. I had made a concerted push to finish what I had slotted for 2 months in less than 2 weeks (I will say more about the project when I can). Some of the final days were tedious as I circled around what I previously described as the Spiral of Revision. During these days I began to look forward to taking a break from writing. I made a mental list of what I would do with my free time. I could catch up on reading. I could make a serious dent in my Netflix queue. I could spend more time with loved ones and friends. A massive creative project does require sacrifices, and all of these other areas of my life have suffered, and I was sincerely looking forward to restoring balance.

But then I did finish. And after two days of re-establishing homeostasis, I found something I did not expect: A groundswell of inspiration. I have been more excited about new creative works than I have been in a long time. But now that all my energy won’t be focused on one project, it is running amok like well-fed gremlins through sprinklers after midnight. I realized that for the past few years I have been a creative monogamist. And I don’t regret it at all (I still love my old project—’sniff’—we’ve just run our course). But now I wand to have a short period of Creative Promiscuity. I want to flirt with new ideas, and take them for a spin. I don’t want to settle on the first one that comes along. When I find the right one, then I might settle down. But in the mean time, I mean to have fun (Yes, I am still talking about creativity).

It feels like being at the crossroads. There are so many directions I can go now. Do I follow-up on my completed work? Do I try something totally different? Do I write for a new audience? Do I force myself to take a hiatus? Do I dust off something old that I have left undone? Do I think about what work stands the best chance of publication? Or do I write whatever excites me most at the moment?

Here are a few rules of thumb that I have come up with to help me resolve this:

1. Give yourself the freedom to work on whimsical ideas, even if you cannot see from the outset what utility they will be. Looking back over the creative works you are most proud of, how many of them began as a serious effort right from the start? How many of them were initially conceived of as side projects or even distractions?

2. Create works of varying lengths. Sometimes finishing a short work can be extremely satisfying and provide motivation to tackle bigger works. Not everything has to be an opus or a novel.

3. Write a sample. Don’t hang on to ideas for too long without giving them a trial run. They might be clogging up your creative process. You might find that when you write the first bit of what you thought would be a larger work, you don’t like it. If you nix it, you are freeing up energy for something else to happen.

4. Capture the ideas in short form. When you have ideas, write them down. For example if you have an idea for a story but don’t have time to write it long form, get down the bones of it. Its OK if there are some pretty huge holes. If you decide to put the idea aside you might appreciate it later. And by the time you pick it up, the incubation process might have solved all the problems for you.

So, taking my own advice (This blog is essentially me giving myself advice after all), I have decided a few things. I will grant myself the freedom to do something whimsical but short. This seems fitting. As for what that is I am not sure yet. I am going to try a few things out. What I have done is to get as many of the ideas down as I can, outlining as I go and switching back and forth between concepts.

So that’s where I am today, in the center of a wheel looking out at all the places I might go. It’s not a bad place to be.

First
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Tagged author, Creativity, imagination, inspiration, muses, psychology, writers, writing

Jan 29 2013

Sundry Musings

Play as the Theater of Creativity: Part 1 (by M.J.Miello)

Finding myself with a few free hours in Rochester NY, I inquired about museums there. The first one mentioned to me was the Museum of Play, and at once I knew that I needed to go. I was very glad that I did. What a bastion of inspiration. I suppose, it is a great place bring a few spirited lads and lasses and turn them loose. But for me, the children at play throughout were just the finishing touch on the exhibits. This place is entirely for adults. Who else would appreciate the treasure trove of ancient toys and game consoles? I gladly walked through the exhibits of comic books, story worlds, muppet nostalgia, arcade games and of course, Star Wars figures. For anyone who had or was a child in the 1980s and early 1990s there will be many well remembered landmarks to inspire nostalgia.

While I was there I was intrigued by the relationship between creativity and play. One message that the museum presented very effectively was that play is the basis of all later creativity. Through play, the child learns creativity. Thinking back on what play was like for me, there is one clear difference. Play is creativity without ego. There is very little attachment to the process of play. Having told a story through imaginative play, children do not feel compelled to keep it. They have expressed it and lived it. It has become part of their world, but having made it so, they do not need to record it or share it further. I am reminded of the Haiku Master, sealing his poetry in a bottle and throwing it in the river, taking no credit for his work what so ever. Children naturally create like this. They do not stop to edit their play. They do not critique their play. They do not judge themselves to be inferior play-ers. They just create, endlessly and with joy. And when the are done, they let the work go, and move on to whatever is more exciting about the next moment.

I do not think I will be throwing my writing in the river anytime soon. But I will be trying to create with a little more reckless abandon and freedom of spirit.

Tagged author, Creativity, imagination, inspiration, Museum of Play, play, psychology, writing

Jan 11 2013

1 Comment

Improving Creativity

Four Principles of Creative Resilience (by M.J. Miello)

I wrote previously about the Doldrums (a kind of depression that diminishes our creative output) and the beliefs that cause (and result from) this state. Here are some beliefs that would protect a creative from the Doldrums.

The Principle of Time.

A work can’t be judged until it is finished. If a work is still in progress, it makes little sense to evaluate its overall quality. Sometimes works change drastically in the revision phase. Furthermore, the identification of flaws is vital to the revision process. If you see flaws in your unfinished work that means you are on the right track.

The Principle of Honesty.

The purpose of creating is to bring something that you have imagined into reality. If your work matches your vision, then you have succeeded. Everything else is secondary.

The Principle of Growth.

You are never done developing your skills (And recall that creativity is in fact a collection of skills). Your skills can only grow by their use. It would be as impossible to master an unused skill as it would be to learn to ride a bicycle by thinking about it. We grow through our actions. Your growth occurs as you walk the Spiraled Path of development.

The Principle of Purpose.

Creativity is done to bring something new into the world, filling the void that was there before. If you think about this long enough, you will find that it feels like a moral imperative. Your work is something that you must do. You do it because it is consistent with your values, and because you see purpose in it. When you remember this, then all doubt, and all self-criticism are irrelevant. When you are fixed on a goal, negative thoughts are just so much extra content that will be edited out in the final revision.

Keeping these beliefs in mind can serve as armor against the doldrums. When you find yourself doubting the quality of what you are working on, remember the Principle of Time. When you wonder if your work will be liked, or when you are stung by un-constructive criticism, remember the Principle of Honesty. When you see that one of your skills is not where you want it to be, remember the Principle of Growth. And when you are finding it difficult to start, or are judging yourself negatively remember the Principle of Purpose. Keeping these ideas fresh in your mind will ward off the Doldrums and keep the winds of inspiration blowing.

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Tagged cognitive therapy, Creativity, depression, doldrums, inspiration, psychology, stuck, writer's block, writers, writing

Jan 05 2013

Sundry Musings

Tales of a 6th Grade Liar

As a child I thought that stories had to be either true, or had to have been written by some distant famous person. So when I dreamed up some proto-version of a tale, I would lie about it and say that it came from somewhere else. The easiest way to do that was to say that it was a movie that I had seen. In the first days of VHS it did seem (just barely) plausible that a movie could be out there that no one I knew had ever heard of. And to my young mind, having seen a movie gave me the right to tell the story. For some reason it never occurred to me that I could have just claimed it for my own. But I suppose that making up a story carried with it a certain amount of responsibility that I did yet not want. For one thing it seemed like a lot of work to get it all written down and have all the words spelled correctly. Strangely no one ever accused me of fabricating these tales.

I went to a small catholic school and in my year there were only perhaps 10 boys; so, for better or worse, we all were stuck with each other. That year (sixth grade) we had a new student join our grade. He was friendly, but rarely assumed the spotlight, until the day I decided to enthrall my classmates with my latest fabricated masterpiece. I began to describe a film that I had just recently “seen”—G.I.Joe the Movie—a far fetched prospect in the mid 1980’s. Just as I had launched into my description of Stormshadow vs. Snake Eyes, my new classmate laughed knowingly. Crap, I thought, he is going to tell everyone that I made this up. But instead, he announced that this was also one of his favorite movies and he, to my sheer amazement, described (invented) another scene! The damned liar was making up parts to my made-up movie! He looked at me in a way that told me he knew that I was lying, but for his own reasons decided to join in. Well I tried to top him by describing another scene, and on the contest went until we had both hashed out most every scene that could have fit into a fake movie. We never discussed it again and he left the school shortly after. But having been called out, mercifully spared public humiliation, and summarily bested, I never fabricated another movie. I would, from that point on, have to take responsibility for my aberrant creativity. And that was the beginning of my taking this journey.

Tagged Creativity, lying, psychology, writing

Jan 03 2013

1 Comment

Improving Creativity

The Doldrums (A psychologist’s take on writer’s block)

The word ‘Doldrums’ has become synonymous with depression. But originally it referred to parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans where the winds died. Without the wind currents, ships could languish, all momentum lost. I use the word doldrums to describe a specific manifestation of depression, where a creative person loses their motivation.

The most extreme form of the Doldrums is writer’s block—when creativity stops completely. But I think it’s useful to have a word for a lesser form of this state. The Doldrums, in my view, are a period of decreased productivity, marked by negative evaluations of both the creative’s work and their skill in their craft, as well as negative predictions of how their work will be perceived by others. The following are the three main types of thoughts that occur with more frequency during the Doldrums (Note that this is Beck’s cognitive triad of depression applied to creativity).

Devaluation of the Work

The creative begins by evaluating their work negatively. They ignore its strengths and focus on its flaws. Moreover they evaluate a draft which can still be revised as if it were a finished product.

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Tagged author, Creativity, depression, doldrums, inspiration, psychology, writer's block, writing

Dec 31 2012

3 Comments

Improving Creativity

Contacting the Muses and other ways to live a more creative life.

By now I have posted the major ideas of an informal model of creativity. Surely it’s not entirely original, I have incorporated several key concepts from well established lines of thought and research. Now I want to share some applications of the model. What follows are some steps for living a more creative life.

1. Expand the palette. Many people fall into a rut of reading the same kinds of books, listening to the same music, and in short, staying in their comfort zone. This limits the experiences we can draw upon for creativity. Challenge yourself to seek out new sources of creative energy— listen to new music, read a book from a section of the book store you have never even been in, try a new kind of food, watch a movie from a decade you weren’t even around for.

2. Minimize depression. This might seem obvious, but creative slumps often involve depression and can be maintained by depressive thinking. Depression interferes with our work flow, and skews our evaluation of the work we have done. Worst of all depression assaults our motivation to start new tasks. If this is happening to you, do something about it. Talk to someone who can help.

3. Build a community. Expand the number of people with which you can talk about your work, and about creativity in general. This might be done through one of the many online communities, or it might be just offering a friend the chance to read something you wrote. Just make sure the exchange goes both ways. Discussing ideas that other people are excited about could go a long way towards inspiring you.

4. Balance your life. Sometimes progress comes from working on problems unrelated to your creative work, especially if other areas of your life are causing you anxiety or worry. Is there something you have been procrastinating to do? Taking care of it might go a long way towards improving your concentration and opening the door to inspiration.

5. Hone your craft. Sometimes working on the basic skills that underly your craft can pay off big. With writing I find that reading about mechanics and usage can be empowering. Or reading “how to write books” can also stir things up.

6. Improve your workflow. Take a look at how you approach the tasks involved in creating. Sometimes organizing a bit can help things get moving. Make a list of projects you want to work on. Break down your current project into a number of steps. Work out a schedule to allow you to put more time into your projects.

7. Protect your attention. Give some thought to how you could minimize distraction. Create a space that will allow you to work comfortably and with minimal intrusion.

8. Contact the Muses. Creativity happens most easily when we are inspired. And inspiration happens when we have experiences that bring us in contact with the basic emotions. Seek out experiences of love, beauty and awe. When emotions occur, let them unfold. Study frustration, excitement, jealousy…anger. Consider both your own organic emotions and those that are fostered by the creativity of others. Effective creativity results when you have a clear experience in mind and want to create it within others. You create using your mind—using your self. Everything that happens to you is your palette. Looked at this way, as long as you are alive you will have a depth of resources to draw upon that no one else could ever touch. Let the muses of your own emotional experiences serve as your guides.

Next: The Doldrums (A psychologist’s take on writer’s block)

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Tagged authors, Creativity, divergent thinking, imagination, inspiration, muses, psychology, writers, writing

Dec 24 2012

Creativity Model

Letting your Work Go: Part Three of the Lifecycle of a Project

In the first part of the Lifecycle of a Project I focused on the portion of creativity that takes place within the imagination. In the second part I focused on the actual act of constructing your project. In this final segment I will discuss the last stage of the Lifecycle of Project in which the artist and art become detangled.

9. Evaluating and Revising. As the Creation/Contemplation cycle continues eventually the piece begins to approach completion. When the piece is more complete than not, the nature of the task changes slightly. Instead of working to create something that resembles what is imagined, it becomes more about evaluating the piece itself. So it is less about, “I need to get this out of my head,” and more about “This thing I made is a mess and I need to fix it.” Evaluation and Revision cycle involves repeatedly experiencing the piece and evaluating the experience that it engenders in the you. This often means putting yourself into a mindset of feigned naivety so as to experience the piece anew. You will notice flaws, inconsistencies and lingering areas of incompleteness. In places the work will vary from your internal concept, and these variances may prompt you to perform further revisions.

10. The Perfectionism Test. It is in the Evaluation/Revision Phase that Perfectionism raises its head. Of course you will want your work to be high quality, but there is a trap of it never being allowed to be deemed complete. But when the work is sufficient to elicit the desired response it is done. You are the one that must say that it is done, so that you can move on to the next task.

11. The Sharing/Feedback phase. Once the piece has passed the perfectionism test, you can share the work with others. Often this is done in several stages. You may create what is often called a “Beta” version of the piece. This is not ready for mass consumption, but can be shared with some trusted allies who will hopefully give you some feedback. This feedback helps you see new problems with your work and send you back into the Evaluating and Revising Phase.

12. Polishing. There comes a point when the work is done, but there a few last item to finish. These are not really revisions, more of tiny technical tasks.

13. Closure. The last phase is when you have determined that a work, for better or worse, is done. There is a sense of completion and relief. If the work is like a child of your mind, this is sending him or her off to college. You have done your part, and now it is time for the piece to have a life of its own. You will notice that if you do have to do revisions after this point, they will be much more difficult. Changes will feel artificial. All incubation of the problems will stop. The mind space will be wiped free of the debris of this work. Eventually you will identify new problems to solve, or new kernels will form, or a new inspiration will strike. Then a new project will be born.

Next:Contacting the Muses and other ways to live a more creative life.