Thursday, February 21, 2008

18 Myths about Creativity That Are Holding Your Inner Artist Hostage

7:33 AM , , , , 6 comments

MYTH #1: Creativity is about making something out of nothing.
REALITY: Creativity is about making connections between existing things.

MYTH #2: Creativity is something you DO and HAVE
REALITY: Creativity is something you ARE.

MYTH #3: Creativity is about making the material come to you.
REALITY: Creativity is about unblocking the flow of what’s already there. (For the best way to relieve artistic consipation, read this.)

MYTH #4: Writer’s block is the greatest enemy to creativity.
REALITY: Thinker’s block is the greatest enemy to creativity. (If you want to avoid Thinker's Block, read this.)

MYTH #5: There is an official “process” to creativity.
REALITY: There are many processes to creativity, each of which has many different layers.

MYTH #6: Creativity comes (primarily) from hard work and (partially) from inspiration.
REALITY: Creativity comes equally from forcing yourself to create AND harnessing inspiration when it crosses your path. (Read more on The Paradox of Inspiration.)

MYTH #7: You can teach people to become more creative.
REALITY: You can ONLY teach people how to harness their inherent creativity AND create an environment that fosters creativity. (To create that environment, check this out.)

MYTH #8: Creativity is a skill.
REALITY: Creativity is a skill AND an attitude AND a lifestyle AND a thought process AND a way of being.

MYTH #9: Creativity is about getting your “one big idea.”
REALITY: Creativity is about constantly having lots of ideas, big and small; good and bad.

MYTH #10: Creativity is something you apply to your work.
REALITY: Creativity is something you apply to EVERYTHING, as it is a way of approaching and encountering the world.

MYTH #11: Creativity is about thinking.
REALITY: Creativity is about thinking AND listening AND observing AND watching AND surrendering AND noticing patterns AND combining AND asking AND plucking AND scanning AND receiving.

MYTH #12: Creativity is something you control.
REALITY: Creativity is something that you received from a higher power because you selflessly listened and surrendered to it.

MYTH #13: Creativity comes from chaotic, unstructured, non-linear thinking.
REALITY: Creativity comes from chaotic, unstructured, non-linear thinking COMBINED with small touches of occasional structure.

MYTH #14: Creativity is something you just turn on when needed.
REALITY: Creativity is a muscle that gets stronger with increased use and must be practiced as a daily non-negotiable that is as regular and normal as breathing.

MYTH #15: Creativity is about completing specific pieces.
REALITY: Creativity is about contributing to a lifelong body of work. (To see some HOT bodies - of work, that is - read this.)

MYTH #16: Creativity is about coming up with lots of ideas all the time.
REALITY: Creativity is about maintaining a healthy balance between idea creation AND idea judgment.

MYTH #17: Creativity is about making something nobody else has ever made.
REALITY: Creativity is about giving people new eyes, not new landscapes.

MYTH #18: The purpose of creativity is to make stuff.
REALITY: The purpose is to grow your soul.

LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What's holding YOUR Inner Artist hostage?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS...
For a list called "The 10 Best Books on Creativity You've Never Heard Of," send an email to scott@hellomynameisscott.com and I'll gladly motivate your melon ;)

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Tired of waiting around for new customers?
Tune in to The Entrepreneur Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on getting them to come to YOU!

6 comments:

MYTH #13: Creativity comes from chaotic, unstructured, non-linear thinking.
REALITY: Creativity comes from chaotic, unstructured, non-linear thinking COMBINED with small touches of occasional structure.

Some of my clients think that if they get organized they will lose their creativity. Many times it is just the opposite. In working to organize their spaces, I ask them to group like objects together based on what THEY think is the most important trait of those objects.

This allows them to put some structure to their non-linear thinking and it unleashes creativity.

Well done Scott. You make some good points. My only comment is that some of the myths I've heard differently, for instance that Creativity can be Taught. Most people think, in my opinion, that it can't be taught at all. Your point there is a good one though that you can only teach process around it and create an environment for it, which is true I think. Would love to see the 18 books list. I have my own at: http://www.greggfraley.com/booklist.html

Peace!

Wow good stuff. I was looking for some stuff on creativity and mindmapping. I had just posted some thoughts on my blog about how to spark creativity. ( http://www.ministrybestpractices.com/ )

Too often the biggest place where creativity needs to be and isn't is within the church.

scott - i enjoy your perspective and your generosity for sharing so much useful and thought provoking information (not just today). may i link to this post on my blog? i have readers who will love seeing your list.

Post a Comment