My Thoughts: Ideas Are Everywhere

Yesterday, I mentioned the book I’m currently reading by Twyla Tharp:  The Creative Habit.

There is a lot of her ideas that I agree with.  There are several exercises I am going to try.  (Some of them may end up in some fashion here.)

There is something I disagree with, though.

She says:

“I hesitate to wax eloquent about the omnipresence of ideas and everything we need to make something out of nothing–tell a story, design a building, hum a melody–already reside within us in our experience, memories, taste, judgment, critical deamonor, humanity, purpose, and humor.  I hesitate because it is so blindingly obvious.” (pages 95-96, emphasis mine)

I disagree with the last line of that, particularly where I added the emphasis.

It might be “blindingly obvious” to those among us who are accustomed to looking for, finding, and using ideas everywhere in everday life, but there are some people who don’t, haven’t, and can’t.

My friend Nita (of The Road to Scholarships) and I talked about this last night.  She said:

“[H]ow about us who are creative, but don’t necessarily think of ourselves as creative?   I mean, I make quilts, that’s creative. But for a long time I didn’t consider it creative because I was following someone else’s pattern.   The same thing with sewing clothing, I was using a pattern, how could that be considered creative, but it is. “

I think part of the reason behind my disagreement with the author’s statement is because in her book, she is — in a very real sense — preaching to the choir.  The book is aimed for creatives who recognize their creativity.

Later on, Nita said:

“First, I thought of the project and planned it.  Second, even though I’m following a pattern, or directions, the fabric choice is mine, so that’s part of my creative input.  Third, especially with clothing, the outfit looks different on me than on anybody else, so I was being creative in designing an outfit for myself.  And I  have yet to make a quilt that looks like anybody else’s yet all I use are traditional patterns.”

This is the crux of it:

“[A]nd it only took me [this many] years to realize I am creative, and darn good at it too. “

There are a lot of people, in my opinion, who never recognize their creativity.  They are the people who would be lost in reading The Creative Habit.

In that case, my disagreement with the statement is a moot point and not worth the energy put into this post.  My point, though, is that even though we know ideas are everywhere, many times we forget.  That’s when we need to refill our well or use tools such as the Idea Pocket to refresh our memory about the — to borrow Ms. Tharp’s wording — omnipresence of ideas.

Someone needs to remind us they’re there for our use.  Why not the writer of the book?

Tuesday Tip: Don’t Be Afraid to Scratch

In her book, The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp defines scratching as the search for an idea to get you started.

As you look for something to strike that creative spark, look to those that have gone before.  If you paint, look at paintings you admire; if you write, read the masters or read authors you admire; cook, look in old cookbooks.  The list goes on.

Don’t worry that you’ll inadvertently steal someone else’s work.  The spark you get from whatever you look at, from whatever you see or hear or do, will lead you in a different direction than the inspiration.

Go ahead.  Scratch.

Monday Exercise

Yes, exercise.  Don’t run away just yet.  Hear me out.

Just like our physical muscles need to be worked to stay/get in shape, so does our cretivity.  Even though everyone is creative (and I firmly believe that), creativity is not something you can just turn off and on at command. 

Have you seen that HP commercial with Gwen Stefani?  She says something very similar to that.  “It’s not something you can turn off or on.”  (That may not be a direct quote.  I haven’t seen the commercial in a few days.)  She’s very right.

Speaking of Ms. Gwen, here’s your creativity exercise for today:

What is a product you use on a daily basis that you feel like you could not live without?  What if you were asked to endorse it?  What would you say about it to convince someone else to buy it?

Think outside the box.
DO NOT tell yourself you can’t do it.  Yes, you can.

Hint: It would help if you have a picture of this item in your Idea Pocket.

Saturday’s Sources

Every Saturday, I will try to post a website, blog, or book.  I will not be posting anything that I have not been to or read myself.

Our first Saturday Source is Creativity Portal.  It’s an extensive site for creative people of all types.  You’ll find articles and exercises to help ignite that creative spark (and hopefully keep it lit).

As a side note, it’s the main site that gave me the inspiration for the Idea Pocket.

Quotable Friday

This has been a strange week work-wise, which didn’t let me get much blogging or writing in general done.  Next week I will have a schedule for what you can expect on what day.

On to this week’s quote:

Frugality without creativity is deprivation.

~Amy Dacyczyn

Using Your Idea Pocket

Yesterday we talked about how to make your Idea Pocket, but how do you use it?

Here’s a tip:  Don’t over-think it.

Take your Idea Pocket and — without looking — pull something out.  Look at it from all angles.  Turn it over and look at the back, even.

What colors are there?  Shapes?
If it’s a picture, who are the people and what are they doing?

Don’t question why you pulled that one out.  Don’t wish you had picked something else.  Use it.

What is your creativity medium of choice?  Does the item you picked out inspire you to do anything?  What?

Do it.  If it’s writing, write.  Drawing, draw.  Cooking, cook or at least write out a recipe.

Creativity does not discriminate by age, race, religion, location, or form.  Be open to it.

Quotable Friday

Each Friday, I will post a quote pertaining to creativity.  I am working on a schedule of sorts for what will be posted on certain days.  It will be placed in the sidebar so you can refer to it.

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.

-Albert Einstein

Making Your Idea Pocket

An Idea Pocket is an envelop (or part of an envelop) where you can carry items for inspiration.

Here’s how you make one:

1. Take a standard #10 business envelops and seal the flap shut.
2. Cut off the top 1/3 of the envelope. (You’ll be cutting the short side of the envelop.)
3. Put a label with a short nonsense poem on the front of the envelope.
   My Idea PocketI want to write.
   I want to draw.
   Try though I might,
   I can’t think of anything at all!

   I reach my hand in here
   And find something very near.
   It’s just what I need!

   I’ll put it back or put in something new
   So I can use it another time too.

4. Look through magazines and pictures for things to include in the pocket. When you’re going about everyday life, if you see something you think would be interesting, put it in there as well.

A tip: When looking for pictures, try to avoid ones of people you know and/or of celebrities. You have preconceived ideas about them and might not be as open to the spark of inspiration as you might be otherwise.

We’ll talk about how to use your Idea Pocket next time.

My Theory

One of my theories, and the one behind the Idea Pocket, is this:

Everyone is creative, but not everyone knows how to tap into it.

That’s important. Please remember that for anything else you read in this blog.

I’m not going to give you big chunks of information at a time. That just overwhelms you. Besides, “information” is a misnomer when it comes to talking about creativity. Instead, consider anything you see here as a tip or a tool. Something you can use or discard as it applies to you.