Creativity

Many moons ago, in another lifetime, I had the pleasure of talking at length with an elderly romance novelist. She was fascinating. And she recognized in me a creative kindred spirit. This may be why I enjoy writers so much, it can be a very similar process in some ways. This writer was very prolific and traveled quite a bit doing promotions and book signings and the like. 

And THE most annoying question was: Where do you get your ideas?

I told her to tell them she puts a penny in the idea machine. I don't know to this day I've ever heard someone laugh so hard, for so long. 

Don't eat the green ones they're not ripe yet. 

I got it though. And that's also what made it so funny. You see, creativity is inspired by everything. It happens in those quiet moments, maybe you're sitting on the toilet (what an image!) or in the shower. Or even just sitting around daydreaming. It's about allowing your mind to drift into 'What if...' or 'What about...' 

Most creative ideas are like pancakes, the first few are quite lumpy and misshapen.

Don't look at meeeeee! Don't loooooook at meeeeeeeee!

I suspect this is where many people give up, or never move past this moment. Once that spell is broken, and the analytical mind starts to examine, it falls apart. Or even worse, some people simply dismiss their flights of fancy and can't even recall them moments later. 

These are seeds.

And most do not land on fertile soil. 

Shit! I thought I planted hundreds. 

When I create my recordings, most of the time I am not working from a script, or even an outline. It's not utterly spontanous though. These are seeds cast over time that gradually sprout into something...magical. The internal process of watering, weeding, and nuturing these wee sprouts defies description. 

Then it takes on a life of its own.

I set aside large portions of time just to think. Simply to sit and think about these ideas, to work grubbily in the garden. I also have to make time for this, sometimes an idea needs immediate attention, and to ignore that means that it is very possible the idea will wither and die, or never reach the potential it could have had. 

It cannot be rushed. It cannot be forced. I have ideas that still have not come to fruitition years later...but they are still growing and developing. Other ideas spring forth like Jack's mythical bean stalk...growing, bursting, demanding immediate attention, rising high as the sky. 

Oh, this isn't going to end well...

I'm off, to put another penny in the idea machine. It's always full you see, because the Universe is infinite. 

How are you nuturing your seeds?