(”Strawberry Drop 2.0″; courtesy of hermanau)
“It was just one of those things . . .
Just one of those fabulous flings.
A trip to the moon on gossamer wings . . .
Just one of those things.”– Cole Porter
1. Look to nature for inspiration. Velcro was inspired by nature. The Swiss Georges de Mestral, inventor of Velcro, noticed how the sticky seed heads of burdock plants attached themselves to his pants and to his dog after walks in the woods. This observation led him to invent the product now called Velcro in 1948.
2. Follow Andy Warhol’s lead. Take a “known” image, and turn it into something new and fresh. Anything can serve as inspiration: old photos, pictures of the circus or a carnival, bathroom wall graffiti, a store display, and so on. Turn the mundane into something special.
3. Write a shitty first draft. Anne Lamott introduced the concept of “the shitty first draft” in her book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
4. Collect stuff that catches your fancy. “Whether we call it collecting, scavenging, accumulating, scrounging, gathering or junking, it’s all about the urge to surround ourselves with our stuff, our loot, our stash, our hoard, our mother lode of treasures, and to read the inspiration that these sometimes inexplicably irresistible objects provide. Whether the collected objects are actually used in works of art or merely provide inspiration, the synchronicity between Artist and Object is undeniable.” — Lynne Perrella
5. Persevere. The Chinese bamboo tree will not sprout for the first five years after you plant it. You water and fertilize it for five whole years and nothing happens. Then sometime during the fifth year the Chinese bamboo tree sprouts and grows ninety feet in six days.
6. Be a tireless warrior for your project. Davy Rothbart – founder of “FOUND Magazine”–started a website, then a magazine, and now has a book that is a collection of notes, letters, photos, journals, and to-do lists that people have plucked up off the ground, found in alley ways, and picked off the floor of the subway. He advises that you have to be thick-skinned when, for example, someone in Cleveland won’t carry your magazine in their bookstore. His enterprise all started when someone mistakenly left the following note on his windshield:
“Mario, I fuc***g hate you. You said you had to work then whys your car HERE at HER place?? You’re a fuc***g LIAR. I hate you.
Amber
P.S. Page me later.”
7. Improve your visual thinking. Visual thinking is about using pictures to help you solve problems, think about complex issues and communicate more effectively. It takes you beyond the linear world of the written word, lists, and spreadsheets, and into the non-linear world of maps, sketches, symbols, and diagrams.
8. Reframe your mistakes. Edward de Bono suggests that there is a need for a positive word to describe ‘a fully justified venture which for reasons beyond your control did not succeed’. The available words such as ‘failure’ and ‘mistake’ are unfair and squelch creativity.
9. Think of new combinations of everyday objects. The Washing Machine/Toilet stores water after each washing cycle, which is then used to flush the toilet below it. In addition to its eco-friendly aspects, it is also a good space saver.
10. Break through writer’s block by writing the same sentence over and over again. Michael Mikalko, author of “Cracking Creativity”, “Thinkertoys”, and other great creativity books, uses a simple technique to get started when he has writer’s block. He simply sits down and writes, “O, lend me to some peaceful gloom,” over and over until his own thoughts and words come. Then he just keeps going.
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Simple Sapien 09.24.08 at 4:51 am
Aww, look what you did. Had to go and get me all inspired and such… great article!
I would like to add another one on there, in relation to the visual thinking. Here is something I do to get the creative juices flowing:
Turn off the lights and and close the blinds in your room. The darker the better. Get in a cozy spot and blast some of your favorite music. As you are listening, let your mind wander and see what visuals pop into your head. Do it long enough to the right music and you will see some incredible things. It becomes almost dream like.
No… I don’t do drugs
- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien
Simple Sapiens last blog post..Why You Should Always Ask Why
Lance 09.24.08 at 8:01 am
Your first one, look to nature for inspiration, is a big one for me. I find that being out in nature really gets the ideas flowing in my head. Now, the key is to remember them…
Lances last blog post..Don’t Ever Give Up
Writer Dad 09.24.08 at 10:03 am
I love writing a shitty first draft. Some of my best posts have come from the worst debris.
Hunter Nuttall 09.24.08 at 10:32 am
I was so surprised to see you swearing in a post, then I saw it was someone else’s term. So I guess you’re still the same nice-talking Marelisa!
Are we up to Strawberry 2.0 already? I finally get used to Strawberry 1.0, and now I have to upgrade!
Hunter Nuttalls last blog post..Win A Copy Of ProBlogger
Carla 09.24.08 at 10:48 am
I really like #3 - about writing first and worry about spelling, grammar, etc later. When I’m writing a blog post, I tend to lose what I wanted to say because I constantly hit the backspace key to make corrections. It’s a good idea to just get it out there first and worry about the details later.
Carlas last blog post..Plastic and its health risks
Cath Lawson 09.24.08 at 11:30 am
Hi Mare - these are great ideas. Bird by Bird is excellent isn’t it? I always right a rubbish first draft though.
Stacey Shipman 09.24.08 at 11:42 am
Nature definitely inspires me, especially walks near water. I’ll add two things: 1) sometimes I just have to write - garbage - and then at some point something starts to make sense and 2) Sometimes I just need a break. To not think about anything in particular, or to do something fun. That often helps my creative process.
Stacey Shipmans last blog post..Enjoy each day…and the weekend!
Vered - MomGrind 09.24.08 at 1:17 pm
Writing a first rough draft has been working really well for me. I just write the idea. Sentences are not even full - I just pour the words out. Once I have that, I can edit to make it readable.
Vered - MomGrinds last blog post..Hospitalized with Meningitis
Mare 09.24.08 at 2:48 pm
Hi Jack: I think that sounds like a good method for accessing your right brain hemisphere. I have a trance CD that I but on sometimes and I know what you mean about closing your eyes and seeing swirls of color and images.
Hi Lance: I actually read of a doctor who enjoyed tending sheep. One time a wolf approached and the sheep starting bleating, which alerted the guard dog that a wolf was approaching. That’s how she got the idea that when cells were being attacked by a disease she was studying the cells of the immune system were alerted by distress calls from the healthy cells nearby. She went on to make important advancements in the cure for that disease. Unfortunately now I can’t remember where I read about this and I can’t recall the particular details.
Hi Writer Dad: The other day I pressed the “publish” button by mistake and what I had was a horrible first draft. I can’t tell you how fast I deleted that post before someone landed on my blog and read it
Mare 09.24.08 at 2:55 pm
Hi Hunter: Yep, it’s taken from a book so it’s not swearing, it’s literature
Hi Carla: You would not even believe what my first drafts look like: incoherent babble. I think editing is where it’s at.
Hi Cath: I think the visual arts like sketching, making collages, and so on can help creativity in any area, including “the sciences”.
Hi Stacey: Allowing time for incubation is definitely an important part of the creative process.
Hi Vered: I want to learn how to create mandalas. I think that would help relax me and make me more creative. (Thought I’d share that
).
Avani-Mehta 09.24.08 at 3:48 pm
I usually make it a point to think about things I would like creative solution or thoughts for before starting with day to day tasks. The ideas start coming to me naturally.
Avani-Mehtas last blog post..How To Pick Your First Anger Management Area - Anger Management Series Part IV
Andre Kibbe 09.24.08 at 6:43 pm
Good collection. I usually prefer a shitty first outline to making my mistakes in the draft. It’s easier to correct the structural errors that can steer a draft off course, and it takes a fraction of the time. But the basic concept is solid: get some raw material out on screen or on paper, no matter how mediocre, then sculpt it into something more refined.
Andre Kibbes last blog post..How to Keep Things Happening When Your Energy is Down
Kelly@SHE-POWER 09.24.08 at 7:49 pm
Number 1, 3 and 7 are a big part of my creative process.
I always feel a million bucks after a walk on the beach or a run around the mountain suburb where I live. Fresh air, trees, that lovely briny scent of the ocean, all of it invigorates me and sets me up well for writing. I swear by shitty first drafts and this is the only way I have managed to write short stories, a short film and two drafts of a novel. As for visual aids, if I really want to do some writing and I feel a bit blah I’ll go see a movie and the visual stimuli kicks my mental story pictures back into gear and I come out utterly inspired to work on my own stuff.
I think it’s really important people know what gets their creative juices flowing because all of us struggle sometimes. The important thing is to know how to pull yoursef into line.
Kelly
Kelly@SHE-POWERs last blog post..An Australian Delinquent in Paris
Chris 09.24.08 at 8:14 pm
Man, I suck at most of these things except of course looking at nature because that doesn’t really take a lot of work on my part…I guess I need a lot of work to do.
Mare 09.24.08 at 10:36 pm
Hi Avani: I think that setting the intent to solve problems creatively is an important step toward more creativity.
Hi Andre: I like just getting everything out there and then rearranging, deleting, adding, and so on. But I see your point that if you can make sure that you start out with an outline you’ve already revised it can make the writing and editing job easier.
Hi Kelly: I like to look through my art books when I need a creativity jolt. All of those beautiful paintings always inspire me.
Evelyn Lim 09.24.08 at 10:53 pm
I like tip#4. Lately, I have been taking photos of scenery, people or things that catches my fancy. I keep them in store. Who knows when they may come in handy for my future posts?
Evelyn Lims last blog post..Mind Travel To Ancient Egypt
Mare 09.24.08 at 11:07 pm
Chris: How can you say you suck at these?
They’re not meant to be difficult. Aren’t there certain objects you’re attracted to, whether it be baseball cards, leafs, sea shells, and so on? And I’m sure there are visual prompts that get your creativity going, whether it’s going to a museum or going to a movie like Kelly.
Hi Evelyn: I like number 4 too. I want to get interesting items together and create a great Halloween centerpiece for my dining room table.
Davina 09.24.08 at 11:38 pm
Hi Mare. This is filled with great tips! Thank you. Nature works well for me as does writing the shitty first draft. Part of the creative proces for me is polishing that shitty first draft.
Davinas last blog post..I’m Over The Moon As NBOTW
Mare 09.25.08 at 12:07 am
Hi Davina: Yes, the shitty first draft doesn’t work without a lot of polishing afterward
Ellen Wilson 09.25.08 at 8:25 am
Hi Mare,
Wow, that’s pretty wild about the Chinese Bamboo tree! I know we are “taught” that plants don’t think, but I wonder what this tree is thinking about?!
Yeah, shitty first drafts are good. In fact, they are usually an illusion because there is usually gold in that thar shitty draft. E
Ellen Wilsons last blog post..The Power of Perspective in Photography
Rachel 09.25.08 at 9:48 am
These are all fabulous ideas! I’ll have to keep them in mind as I run across creative blocks quite often. I’m a huge fan of collections. When I’m burnt out I often find myself at the beach or the river collecting rocks and shells. Now I know it’s good for creativity, not to mention a fantastic way to clear the mind.
Mare 09.25.08 at 10:22 am
Hi Ellen: Are you worried it might be lonely in there for five years? Maybe it’s thinking: “I’m going to sprout now. No, I´m really comfortable and kind of tired”; “Ok, now. Well, maybe I’ll wait until my roots are a bit longer to make sure I can withstand being on the surface”; “Definitely now. No, I’ll wait two more days”.
@Rachel: I collect ideas in my notebook. Then a couple of days later I’ll come across a related idea, and then another. Soon I have a post which would have been incredibly hard to write if I had just waited to do all of the research in one sitting.
Harmony 09.25.08 at 11:04 am
Sorry to arrive late to the scene but had to say this is a great article. I have saved to my clippings for a referral later on…
AND WHAT A GREAT IDEA. The washing machine that won’t quit washing…Good Job M!
Harmonys last blog post..Who Is A Global Citizen?
Harmony 09.25.08 at 11:05 am
PS. does anyone know how i can get my photo to show…so that I am not always some empty box?
Harmonys last blog post..Who Is A Global Citizen?
Natural 09.25.08 at 1:04 pm
Davy’s idea is so common that I always have the “why didn’t I think of that moment”. I’ve seen books come from to-do list, shopping list and now just random notes or letters found on the ground. Simple, just have to keep our eyes open and almost everything we use is mimicked after some animal….looking at nature is a great idea.
Mare 09.25.08 at 2:03 pm
Hi Harmony: I think that washing machine is an excellent idea. Actually, they’re adding a third set of locks at the Panama Canal and they’re adding basins to catch the water that is used to elevate the ships so that it doesn’t get washed out into the ocean. We really need to come up with novel ideas to protect our natural resources.
I think you’re avatar might not show up because of the way I have things configured. I’ll look into it (although I’m not very technologically minded so don’t expect results anytime soon
).
Karl Staib - Work Happy Now 09.25.08 at 2:55 pm
Love that toilet! I’m all about conserving energy. It freaks me out a little (don’t want to mix the water in the wrong direction) I know it wouldn’t happen, just feels weird.
I also love #1 Look for inspiration in nature. I alway spout off about how movies always steal their design from nature. (Well not steal, but become inspired) All the aliens in Men in Black look like big insects.
Great post! Always need a little inspiration for my creativity.
Karl Staib - Work Happy Nows last blog post..Pig-Headed Determination and Discipline
Melissa Donovan 09.25.08 at 2:59 pm
I think my favorite method for getting creativity on track is freewriting, and sometimes, doodling. It seem like these activities open up the right brain and get things flowing. There are lots of techniques, and you’ve listed some of the best here.
Bamboo Forest 09.25.08 at 7:31 pm
Oh man, writing poor first drafts is resonating with me, right now. Sometimes it’s just hard to get it right the first time.
How did you learn about that fact of bamboo tree sprouts? It’s interesting. And I love the concept of “perseverance.” It is the fuel of life.
That washing machine / toilet is a great idea. We should all work to create technology that wastes less.
Bamboo Forests last blog post..7 Ways to Settle a Dispute
Mare 09.25.08 at 8:12 pm
Hi Natural: A lot of the best ideas are simple and could have occurred to any of us. I think the lesson here is to set the intent to do something remarkable, believe that we can do it, and keep our eyes, ears, and minds always open to new possibilities.
Hi Karl: I know what you mean about being freaked out a little by the toilet/washing machine at first, but when you look at it a little bit longer it makes sense. After all, you don’t need crystal clean water to flush the toilet and a lot of water is wasted after doing the laundry. And you’re right, the “aliens” in Men in Black were basically insects
Mare 09.25.08 at 8:16 pm
Hi Melissa: Freewriting and doodling are excellent creativity techniques. The General Counsel of the Panama Canal Commission was always doodling while on the phone and when he was thinking about something. He was actually very good.
Hi Bamboo: I read about the Chinese bamboo in a book called “The Change Your Life Challenge”. You know, I was having trouble coming up with an idea for today’s post, then I went for a walk, and now I’m ready to get started
Al at 7P 09.25.08 at 10:09 pm
Hi Mare - wow, the washer above the toilet is certainly thinking out of the box! It’s hard for me to think of my clothes being clean if the toilet is underneath while I take the clothes out. Creative way to recycle the water, though!
#3 is a great one. The crappy first draft is always a good starting point.
Al at 7Ps last blog post..Guest Post at Write to Done
Mare 09.26.08 at 2:42 am
Hi Al: You know, that washer/toilet wasn’t in the first draft of this article. I tacked it on the day after I published it because I came across it while searching for something else and I thought: perfect illustration of combining to ordinary, everyday objects into something new and creative
MizFit 09.26.08 at 10:35 am
does it come off as too ingratiating if I say reading your posts and comments gets my creativity flowing?
I mean it…
Mare 09.26.08 at 5:33 pm
Hi MizFit: No, it comes off as something that I really appreciate hearing
I’m so glad you find inspiration for your creativity here.