Be Creative On Your Demand
It’s great to be creative when inspiration hits you.
It’s awe-inspiring to be creative when you want to be.
Most of us think we are at the mercy of our muses. If they decide to bless us with brilliant ideas we work happily and often to the point of obsession. We feel we have to use it before it flits away.
It kind of makes you feel a little like a slave to a fickle master, because as often as not, your muse is nowhere to be found, or laughing hysterically while you struggle to come up with something that even hints at being a little original. That might be a little dramatic but we do picture our muses as devilish beings that take great pleasure in tormenting us.
So how do you switch roles?
How do you become the master and your muse the faithful servant? How do you be creative when you want to be?
You change your attitude, perceptions and the way you do your creative work.
Change Your Attitude
If you have the attitude that you will only get ideas when your muse wishes to bless you with some, then you will only get them on a whim, if you get any at all. If you actively watch for ideas, you’ll begin to see them everywhere. You’ll store them without knowing you’re doing it and they’ll be ready for you when you need them.
Chase Inspiration
If you wait for inspiration to hit you before you go into your work room, you may wait a very long time between projects. If you exercise discipline and set to work each day your portfolio will grow and your work will improve. Your unique style will become polished and more defined with each project you finish.
And something magical will happen. You’ll begin to see and sense ideas in everything. Your imagination will awaken and you’ll find you can’t get to your work spot quick enough. In fact it’s best to carry a notebook with you to jot down ideas as they come to you.
While we like to romanticise the creative process, and at times it is magical, it is like anything else you do, if you don’t work it, it will go dormant – Use it or lose it.
Use Your Talent Everyday
Getting into the habit of working everyday on your craft can be difficult, especially if you aren’t used to working that way. Give yourself a nudge, be gentle but be firm and persistent, use your talent every day even if it’s only for 15 minutes.
While 15 minutes doesn’t seem like a very long time it’s enough to keep you connected to your work. After a short time that 15 minutes will grow to an hour without you even noticing.
Set Goals For Yourself
You can’t know where you want to go if you just shoot for somewhere in the distance. Make a plan. Refine it as much as you can and then revise it or change it as you get more familiar with what you really want and what you have to do to get it.
You need to have some point you are aiming for or you’ll find yourself wandering aimlessly. Having a detailed plan will give you focus.
In order to be creative you don’t have to wait for inspiration, actually if you talk to folks who make a living with their creativity, or have achieved success, you’ll find out that they rule their muses and not the other way around. You can kick start inspiration, and a lot of the time you have to, it won’t always cooperate if it’s left to it’s own whims.