Category — creativity

Do you have to complete a piece of writing but are putting it off? A report, a blog article, or a letter? Are you finding that the moment you sit down to write, your mind seems to go blank? Crap! Writers block! What can you do about it?

Check it at Connect with Your Creative Writer at thinksimplenow.com

Tim Ferris says in his current blog post:

I once asked Po Bronson how he beats writer’s block. His answer was “write about what makes you angry.” It works like a charm.

I like that. It does work like a charm.

Three noted experts on creativity, each with a very different perspective and background, reveal powerful ways to unleash your creat­ive self in the latest Scientific American. Included in the three experts is the Artist’s Way woman herself Julia Cameron. Read on and rock your creativity: How to Unleash Your Creativity

“The value of nothing? Out of nothing comes something”

Author Amy Tan talks about creativity at her TED talk. (If you’ve never watched the talks at TED, be sure to check them out … there are tons of great talks; truly “ideas worth spreading”!)

Here’s Amy Tan:

Creative Something posted “Six of the biggest delusions about creativity”. They are:

1. Creativity cannot be learned
2. Creativity is not logical
3. Only certain types of people are creative
4. Creativity is innovation
5. The best ideas come from thin air
6. Only one side of your brain is used for creativity

Go read what they’re talkin’ about: Six of the biggest delusions about creativity

Copyblogger asked a bunch of folks what creativity means to them via Twitter and in a nutshell, he found found a theme in the responses: creativity is not creativity without execution.

Check it: What Does Creativity Mean to You?

There’s a great, great, great list of tips to rejuvenate your creativity from Lifehack today. My faves: …. well all of ‘em! In a nutshell, if you’re stuck, change things up. See/experience things you don’t normally see/experience. Also, keep capture device(s) on you at ALL times (camera, notebook, etc.).

Go read the tips: 30 Tips to Rejuvenate Your Creativity

Experiencing local and independent art is fun. Sometimes it is inspiring.

Once in a while, you run into a FANTASTIC piece of work. Grade “A” stuff. And that is great.

Most of the time, local and independent work is tolerable to okay, you know, like if you had to give it a grade, you’d give it a “C”. You take SOMETHING from it, but overall, it’s not so memorable or inspiring.

And then the rest of the time, you run in to stuff that is SO BAD that you are embarrassed for the artist. I’m talking about stuff that you’d give a grade of “F”, or maybe “D-” if you are feeling generous.

I’ve experienced my fair share of HORRIBLE musicals, independent movies, sketch comedy, rock bands, paintings, photography, etc. But what always happens to me when I experience this stuff is that I say to myself, “I could do 10 times better than that guy without even trying”. Even if it is an art form that I have zero experience in, I feel as if I could crank out something better than the drivel that I have just experienced. It makes me want to go home and write a movie. Or write a book. Or record a song. Or paint a picture.

Don’t get me wrong, I have all the respect in the world for EVERYONE who is willing to put themselves out there and show the world their work. It often takes balls. Lots of folks who want to publish a song or write a novel or make a movie never even TRY. Usually fear stops them cold … fear of inadequacy, fear of failure, fear of ridicule, whatever. They never even try. So my hat is off to everyone who even tries.

But sometimes it is SO sad when an ambitious project that someone has sunk hours and hours and hours into is SO BAD. The good thing about experiencing this embarrassingly horrible art: it often inspires me.

So next time you’re stuck, go seek out a horrible play or indie movie or rock band. It may just give you the inspiration to produce something that is at least a “C” and who knows, you may produce an “A”.

Next time you need to be creative, go take a shower! BloggingBits.com tells you why: The Shower Creativity: How to be Uber Creative Whenever You Want

photo credit: hi_dr_rat

Joe wrote to show a cool little pamphlet from Mega Blocks. Here’s part of it:

Check out the whole thing at FourHMan: How Creativity Saved the World