Ah Creativity. You Ruse.
I totally identified with this talk. Creating + efficiency aren’t always best friends. I’m surprised that in my own process sometimes things come quickly while other times they tend to drag on forever.
A few thoughts on Anne’s thoughts:
- I appreciate the concept that every project can… and maybe should… have it’s own creative process. Getting locked into “the way I do it” tends to limit you, especially on a team project.
- There’s something to just getting started. The blank page is the worst part of my process. Even if I completely start over 10 times, having something to start with seems to be my key to getting started.
- Distractions manage you. Like Anne, I sit at a desk most days. Things like social media and a rambunctious toddler distract me from finding creative space. I’ve found that working late at night really helps me shut things down. The key to that then becomes… not working all day.
- The walkabout. Anne references going somewhere. I’ve learned that just the pure action of going somewhere, the going part, is actually what triggers new ideas. The being somewhere else can either be really productive for me or really distracting because I know that eventually Starbucks closes. For me, running an errand or going out to Starbucks to going for a walk with Kristen can be just as effective.
- Filling the well. I loved when Anne said, “time, love, and God” will refill your well. But I also think about that through the lens of my task list. The reality is that I need to be the most creative when I have the least time. Projects pile up, one things runs late and bumps into something else, on and on. The trick for me has been learning to fill the well every day just a little bit… which helps me make it to bigger chunks where I can really concentrate on filling the well. (Vacations, stuff like that.)
What did you like about Anne’s talk? What did you disagree with?
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