Idea Tango

Creative Saboteur Navigation - Why We LOVE Our Saboteurs

Last week we began a discussion about internal creativity saboteurs and how to move from creative panic to creative power. We talked about the fact that no matter how far we get in managing our internal naysayer voices, they have a tendency to stick around. We may hear them less and less and, ideally, we get to the point where they are mere annoyance. But they rarely disappear completely. We just get better at managing them. That’s why we say “navigation” and “management,” rather than “obliteration” or “abolishment.”

The idea behind internal creativity saboteur management is simply to become so adept at navigating through saboteur territory that your saboteurs lose the power to stop you from creating.

No matter how nervous or downright terrified we get, we’re okay as long as we move forward anyway. Even though we do want and need to learn to navigate our saboteurs effectively, acting in spite of them is what’s most important. In fact, we don’t even necessarily want our creativity saboteurs to go away.

WHAT??!! Wait a minute! Isn’t that the whole point of this? To shut those internal voices up? Of course, the answer is yes – and no. Just ask yourself this question:

When do saboteurs (of any kind) generally show up?

If you’re like most people (and, now, really putting the focus on the creativity saboteur), your answer is probably something like:

When I’m doing something unfamiliar, new or scary. When I’m uncomfortable.

Think about that.

Internal saboteurs show up when we are stretching ourselves. They get louder when we are moving beyond our comfort zones. And they get especially BIG when we're about to get especially BIG. Like when we have a big idea or are going after a big dream.

When we’re about to do something so incredibly bold, forwarding and remarkable, our saboteurs appear on the scene. The bigger and bolder our ideas or planned actions, the fiercer and more menacing the saboteurs can become. 

In this way, internal saboteurs are actually a great sign. They tell us that we are playing a bigger game, and they show up en force when we want to, are about to or ARE creating FULL ON.

Ultimately, we want to be able to see that the saboteur would not show up if we were playing it safe. If we can see our creativity saboteurs this way, they can lose some of their power over us. Of course, there’s much more we need and will do with our saboteurs, and there’s much more we’re going to learn from them, but for right now let’s each just remember this:

When my creativity saboteurs show up it’s a very good indication that I’m going in the right direction.

To BIG, BAD-ASS saboteurs and BIG, BAD-ASS ideas,

Susan B.

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s. Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.

 

Beyond "I'm NOT Creative" - Even Practiced Creative People Have Fear

Welcome to everyone coming from WomanTalk Live - you'll find the common saboteur sayings at the end of this post - under the sign off.

Philosophizing about internal creativity saboteurs when a creative undertaking is NOT in front of you is a totally different ball game from confronting and navigating that same saboteur when an actual creative opportunity has presented itself.

The reality is we can talk about our fears forever, but unless we put ourselves in fear-inducing creative situations and practice navigating the saboteur voices, we stay stuck. We miss chance after chance to take the next step toward developing saboteur navigation skills we can count on.

The very genuine responses to February’s Sandbox suggest that many of us spent at least some time staring our creativity saboteurs square in the face. Some may have even wondered if they’d ever be able to make the “I’M CREATIVE!” claim for real. 

And this is great. It means we have the chance to take that next step – because:

If you felt any level of fear at all about the Sandbox (or any creative opportunity you’ve had recently), you took a risk.

You opened the door (no matter how far); you moved out of your comfort zone (if only by a step); you allowed yourself to go far enough to put your saboteurs on high alert: 

“Hey, GUYS! She’s about to stick her neck out!

Everyone to your posts! Stop her by whatever means necessary!!!

DO NOT LET HER MAKE A FOOL OF HERSELF.”

Even those who contributed a comment – experienced some level of saboteur harassment.

The only difference is how much practice and skill a person has in navigating the saboteur onslaught. The reality is we’re all in the same boat.

And that does sound true, doesn’t it? Yet our human tendency to judge our insides by other people’s outsides means that, at times, we can feel like we’re the only ones who are scared.

So, it can help to know that even though the creativity saboteur singing in the practiced creative person’s ear may not be straight-up saying, “You’re not creative,” it is saying SOMETHING. And to move forward that person still has to navigate the fear. After all, any saboteur voice has the potential to steer us into the rocks, stopping us from taking life-enhancing, game-changing, goal-getting creative chances.

Shifting from panic around creativity (or whatever the emotion is for you) to power (the ability to move forward despite the saboteur) is one of the most important works of our lives. Sleeping within our inherently creative selves are tangible gifts of our creativity. Gifts so magnificent, they’re worth taking the next step. Starting now.

Engaging the Saboteur Week One:

• Ask someone you consider highly creative what fears she or he encounters when faced with a creative challenge, idea or project.

• Take a look below my sign off for a few of the common saboteur voices practiced creative people hear.

To leveling the playing field,

Susan B.

BEYOND "I'M NOT CREATIVE"

The limiting beliefs, negative self-talk and internal critic sayings that can run through even the most experienced creative person's mind.

• Sure, I was creative last time, but I got lucky.
• Sure, I was creative last time, but I had help.
• Everyone liked what I did last time, I can't risk losing their good opinion of me by trying something new.
• Okay. Everyone says I'm great, but I know the truth.
  
• I have to be brilliant - EVERY TIME.
• I'll never be as good as those guys.
• They don't know that it's easy for me. It doesn't count if it's easy.
• I'm struggling with this, I've lost my spark.
• I took lessons. That's the only reason I'm good.
• I better not (do, say, create) THAT! I'll look (stupid, silly, amateurish).
  
• I should be better than this by now.
• My (poem, painting, meal, formula) was rejected. I suck.
• If they don't like my work, they don't like me.
• If I'm successful, I'll have to do it again - and that's too much pressure.
• It's not the right time.
• I don't have the (money, time, talent) to pursue my creative dreams.
• I'm a phony.
• What if I fail?
  
• I'm not creating ENOUGH. Everyone else is so prolific.
• Thanks, but I'm not a real (poet, artist, chemist, chef).
• ABSOLUTELY ANY AND EVERY "SHOULD," "COULD," OR "WOULD."

So, this list is very incomplete. I SHOULD have researched it more. What are the REAL creatives going to say? They're going to find out I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! Maybe I COULD just hit DELETE. 

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s. Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.

Sandbox: Debriefing Goethe

If you're coming from the WomanTalk Live article, WELCOME! Just scroll down for the debrief questions.

Last week, I introduced the Sandbox Challenge and invited you to take part. If you didn’t have the chance to play in the first Sandbox, it’s never too late. Just visit the Editing Goethe post. And, of course, check out the comments sections to read the contributions.

For those who did play, or almost played, or even thought for a mere second about playing, or just checked it out: A BIG THANK YOU and KUDOS. Let’s complete this Sandbox with a little self-reflection and celebration.

In short, let’s debrief! 

Whether you’re working on building your creative confidence, or have already claimed your inherent magnificence, a simple debrief can catapult you to the next level much faster than, well, remaining unconscious.

Most importantly, reflection gives us all the chance to discover and name what we want to celebrate about who we are and who we were being in the experience.

This alone is worth the price of admission. After all, how often do we ask: What am I celebrating about me today?

Because no matter who we were or what the outcome, there is always something to be learned, celebrated, remembered. All we have to do is become aware: To simply notice – without judgment and with great love and compassion for the beautiful being living within our skin.

Sandbox Debrief: What were YOUR deeds and sufferings of Editing Goethe?

SYNOPSIZED FROM THE WIKI: Experiential trainer and researcher, Ernesto Yturralde, defines the debrief in this way: The debriefing is a semi-structured process that occurs after a certain activity is accomplished in which the facilitator asks a series of progressive questions that invite participants to reflect on what happened and share important insights with the goal of linking the challenge to the future.

In other words, reflection in service of growth - of determining what was learned and applying that self knowledge to "next time."

Here are your debrief questions - I invite you to spend a little time reflecting on each:

What did you notice about your first reaction to the Sandbox Challenge?

What did you notice when you found out what the specific challenge was?

What/which internal saboteurs showed up initially (if any)? What did they say to you?

Once you made the decision to play or not play with the Goethe quote, what happened? Emotionally? Behaviorally? In your body?

Once you began to create, what did you notice? (If you chose not to play at all, but perhaps read the reminders about the challenge, what came up for you?)

What worked and what didn't work in navigating your internal saboteurs during the Sandbox experience?

What do you want to honor or acknowledge about the way you participated in the Sandbox?

What new knowledge do you have about yourself and your creativity?

Who were you being during the Sandbox exercise?

What do you want to remember from your Sandbox experience?

Based on this Sandbox experience, what will be different next time?

What commitments will you make to yourself? 

What are you celebrating about yourself and your creativity?

Thanks again to everyone - here's to paying attention,

 Susan B. 

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s.

Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.

 

Sandbox: Editing Goethe

I’m really excited to introduce a new feature of Idea Tango – a creative challenge. A chance for us to exercise our inherent creativity, get our hands dirty and have fun creating together.

How it Works: In each Sandbox, I’ll invite you to take part in a new creative challenge. They’ll cover all types of media (words, pictures, ideas, sound, etc), and all types of creative doings and beings. So, if one challenge isn’t your thing, you might go nuts over the next. Okay. Let’s play!

Your Sandbox Challenge: Editing Goethe

Try your hand at re-conceiving/re-writing a quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German writer, artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, poet and all-around person of neat ideas. Here’s your quote:

Colors are the deeds and sufferings of light.

                     - Goethe

I heard this quote for the first time just recently. It really sent my brain spinning at the possibilities. I thought about what it means at face value; what it means under the surface; why he chose emotionally charged words to describe something of science; and, ESPECIALLY, how other things or ideas might be described using the same structure:

____ are the ___ and ___ of ___ .

___ are the deeds and sufferings of ___. 

How to Submit Your Creation: Simply share your Sandbox creation in a comment to THIS post. You can use either structure from the examples above – or try something completely different. Whatever inspires YOU. And don’t forget that the creative process we’ve been discussing applies to sandbox challenges. If you’d like to play, but don’t know where to start, click on the “creative process” category at the right and start at the first step – by being a sponge while holding this particular Sandbox in your mind.

Winning the Sandbox: Sandbox is a safe space to play with creativity and share ideas and creations. If you take part, you are clearly a winner! I’m looking forward to celebrating ALL the responses and I’d love for us all to support each other using the “like” and comment buttons.

Is it Worth the Risk of Ridicule? I moderate this blog. Nothing negative or mean will be posted. Plus, the only people who read Idea Tango are those who are also interested in exploring creativity – and typically openhearted and kind to each other. In short, people who understand the guts it takes to put your ideas out there and will cheer you on, not tear you down. 

The point is to simply participate in the great sandbox of creativity; to practice extending your comfort zone; and, most importantly, to build a foundation that supports an “I’m Creative” perspective. The best way to believe in the fire of your own inherent creativity is to experience it by walking through the fire.

More Sandboxes to come – but not too often! So, don’t miss this one!!!

To the playful creativity that comes from borrowing someone else’s genius as a starting point,

Susan B.

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s.

Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.

 

 

Creativity is NOT a Contact Sport

A couple of weeks ago, we discussed silence and space in relationship to creativity. This week, Ann Quasman shared an interesting New York Times article with me that not only supports that idea, but moves the conversation significantly forward via the reporter’s discussion of the benefits of solitude in fostering creativity versus the very real and long-in-the-works movement in our society to take away that solitude in service of expanding creativity – a practice that has been shown through research, as well as anecdotally by some history’s greatest thinkers and creators, to decrease creativity, learning and the quality of ideas.

Anyone who’s heard my diatribe against sharing ideas too soon has gotten a glimpse of my beliefs about the importance of alone time and solitude in creating. I’m also not a fan of brainstorming sessions (they are great for sharing thoughts, but not for developing the best final product) and typically retreat into my own little world when working in a group in order to come up with the actual ideas. After reading this article, I know I’m not alone.

As reporter Susan Cain states, collaboration and teamwork are important for certain aspects of creation, and certainly have their place, but these concepts as realized by open-space offices, group work in schools and as a replacement for solitude, are simply not generating the outcomes expected in terms of greater creativity and innovation. Per Cain, the best-producing teams come together to share ideas, make critical human connection, but do the actual creative work solo. Cain has also written a book about the power of introverts that I can’t wait to read.

Enjoy her article. It really says it all: The Rise of the New Groupthink

To the wonder of walls,

Susan B.

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s.

Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.

Creative Process - Making It Done

Special Note for those coming from the WomanTalk Live website Spark Factory article: Scroll down past the article for a list of tips and tricks for Getting the Grit to Get it Done

This past Saturday night I had the honor of joining Ann Quasman on the WomanTalk Live radio show for a conversation about the four steps of the creative process - what I titled in previous blog posts: 1) Sponge Work; 2) In The Flow; 3) Inspiration & Insight; and 4) Making It Real.

However, there’s one aspect of creative process that we didn’t get a chance to cover deeply – and one I also promised to re-visit in the article on the third step Getting the Big Idea: The idea that, under certain circumstances, we need to make a conscious choice to move to the next step whether we feel ready or not, especially:

• The conscious choice to “force” the inspiration or insight.
• The conscious choice to begin the hands-on creation work.
• The conscious choice to stop working and call your creation done.

While some may argue that the creative process by it’s very nature can’t be forced, anyone whose worked as a creative professional knows differently. So does anyone who has ever written a blog, or crafted a tweet. Or, anyone who needs to get dinner on the table by 6pm.

Obviously, there’s nothing that can force the next phase of the creative process faster than a deadline. But moving forward before we are ready, or finishing before we are “done,” is also a way of practicing a very critical aspect of creativity in general – letting go. To be even more specific, letting of perfection.

As imperfect as our creation is; no matter how much better it would have been if we had spent a few more hours, weeks, months or years; or despite the fact that infinite outcomes really are possible from any single inspiration or insight; there is a time to stop.

To paraphrase Julia Cameron creator of The Artist’s Way: No creation will EVER be done - and learning to finish is key to unlocking even greater productivity and, more importantly, greater confidence around our creations.

Below are a few tips for practicing and getting comfortable with the Making It Done aspect of creativity. I see the application of this practice as essential in countless situations and for all types of people. Entrepreneurs are a case in point. It seems so obvious that revenue will not be earned if your product or service is always in progress, and yet so many of us tinker so long, trying to perfect every aspect that we lose the chance to earn a living from our passion. Our competition soars through the finish line with a lesser product, perhaps, but more guts.

To achieve any dream or goal, we have to consciously choose to cross the finish line. If we look hard, we might see that those who have achieved success and fulfillment are those who have been willing to cross imperfectly, eons before feeling ready.

Getting the Grit to Get It Done

The following tips and exercises can support you in practicing making your creations real and getting projects done:

• Set a deadline and stop at the time you set - no matter what. Deadlines are a fact of life, but they typically don't apply to our personal projects. Having "forever" to finish is not always helpful when practicing building the Make It Done muscle. By setting a deadline and sticking to it, you can practice accepting that "finished" is subjective and that what's unfinished in your eyes is very often perfectly finished to other people.
  

• Embrace imperfection in all aspects of your life. Not just around specific creations, but in everything you do. Practicing allowing imperfection is a great way to become more comfortable with the imperfect and to actually begin to see the perfection in all things, including your own creations.
  

• Notice imperfection, and let go of judgement around that imperfection, in other's lives and creative works. Judging others less harshly, or even better, not judging at all, has a boomerang affect. If you can be less hard on others, you can learn to be less hard on yourself simply by applying the exact same thought patterns internally - and sometimes it's easier to begin with non-judgement of others than it is to stop judging ourselves.
  

• Display your creations (all your creations from what you wear and what you cook for dinner to art or anything else) without explanation, excuses or apology. Learning how to allow your creations to simply be is one of the most valuable lessons in all of creativity. It helps separate self from work and, over time, saying simply "thank you" or nothing at all builds confidence like nothing else. It is the practice of "acting as if" - acting confident before feeling confident.
  

• Avoid the second guessing game initiated by other people like the plague. Answer remarks from others such as "did you think about ...", "you could have ..." and "why didn't you ..." with: "I chose to do this [fill in the blank] this way and I'm quite happy with the result." And say nothing else. Be silent. You will likely be very surprised by what the person making the statement says after you refuse to play the "it could have been better" game. Usually, it's something very supportive and celebratory of your creation.
  

• Separate Self from Work. This is an ongoing practice for many creators. The idea that we are our work becomes ingrained in us from an early age (think about the kudos a child receives over a finger painting from a proud parent - or the shame/guilt he or she might feel when told not to draw outside the lines). We are what we create has a seed of truth within it - under certain instances, but we are NOT our physical creations. I work on this concept often - and I'm not always where I want to be (I know because of the pit I sometimes feel in the face of criticism). But I have made huge strides, and the best ways I've found to practice are by using simple mantras, visualizing the separation between myself and my creations and physicalizing the separation by creating physical space between myself and my creations for a period of time.
  

To finishing already,

Susan B.

Unlocked Box – coaching for risk-takers, box-breakers and wannabe’s.

Sign up for the eZine Guts at UnlockedBox.com and get the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity.

 

 

The Creative Process: Silence & Space

Creativity always feels different for me during the first week of a new year.

Life is like a blank canvas: Full of potential, ready for yet to be realized and wondrous imaginings – a fresh start. 

So, what better time to build on the topic of Creative Process (read the first articles) then as we all stare down our multiple and metaphorical blank canvases for 2012?

I was recently on a coaching forum when a fellow coach known for his classes on basic coaching skills asked the forum to share those skills we thought needed emphasis in the coaching community. One respondent’s answer, in particular, caught my attention:*

"Silence and space around questions

(no matter how often it is discussed there is never enough).”

I don’t think you have to be to be a coach to understand – or to know why this hit me so profoundly.

Our society can be so cluttered. How desperate we sometimes are to fill up the spaces in our lives with stuff, noise and superficial connection. Our wants, our addictions, our often frenetic way of being. The running to here and to there; trying to do this or that. And quickly. The feeling of no “real” time. No time for ourselves; no time for each other. 

The pervasive loss of silence, space and time to ponder.

Creative process is the process of giving silence and space to questions. And I think the responding coach is right. No matter how often it’s discussed, we coaches (and all of us) neglect to offer enough: A deep enough silence or a long enough space around the questions we ask our clients, our friends, our families, our lovers and ourselves, for truth and beauty to emerge.

This is a new year. A blank canvas is before you. You, too, might be feeling the excitement, anticipation, even anxiety of your creative self, all fresh and clean; her or his eyes, ears and mind open to the magnificent and brilliant creations to come.

With silence and space, I’m asking: What do you want to create in 2012?

 

*Marion Franklin, MCC, Life Coach, Mentor, and Trainer

Creative Process in Action: This American Life Peels Back The Onion

Back in February I was lucky enough to be driving during the time This American Life airs on my local public radio station.

Those of you who listen to This American Life know what I mean by "lucky," and those who don't are in for a real treat!

This particular episode of This American Life was called: Tough Room and was basically about self expression in the face of a difficult audience. The entire show (per usual) was provocative and engaging, but the first act/story was especially not to be missed for anyone interested in creativity or working as a creative professional: a front row seat for the creative process that results in each new issue of The Onion - a hilarious satirical newspaper.

Listen Here

Within this one story, there so much insight into so many aspects of creativity: courage, nuance, judgment, rejection, acceptance, revision, subtly, work, play, originality, letting go, holding on and more.

The primary reason for this post is simply to share a rare experience with you - the opportunity to listen in on the creative process. Then, I would love to hear your reaction, thoughts and insights about what you heard.

And, of course, I also want to share just a couple of my own:

Words Fail (or it can be hard to explain why something is good): This story drove home for me something that I've always struggled with as a creative professional creating "things" for other people. The sometimes impossibly difficult to describe reason why one idea or "thing" is RIGHT, PERFECT, WILL WORK whereas another similar idea or "thing" is not right, not perfect, won't work - or, at least, not as well. In the audio story, there is an example of this:

One of the writers tries to explain why a certain headline for The Onion is better - why it works. Words fail her. That's me!!! a lot of the time. I get a gut feeling about a creation (why it works), and I can have a hard time articulating that why. I almost want to say, "Just trust me!" but that is not a good reason for ANYONE to follow me down a certain road.

The editor at paper takes on the same headline that the writer was trying to explain and is able to get to the nuance and meaning of it - the reason why it works and why another version doesn't. He reveals that he did not get it right away. He had to spend time thinking about it, processing it and through that WORK discovered what the headline had to say. This is something a lot of the people I work with creatively are great at - something I want to work on. Taking the time to figure out why you are choosing one creation over another. If this is done in the inpiration and insight phase of the creative process, I beleive it can only improve what happens as you are making your creation real.

Invisible Creators (or separating self from the ideas your "self" puts out there for other people to stomp on or embrace): Is The Onion a Tough Room? Yes. But only because of the scruntiny each headline is put under. Not because of how the people in the room treat each other and each other's creations.

Objectivity. Distance.

There is a clear understanding that the creator with a bad idea is not bad - that the work is separate from the person.

In other words (and this is something covered in the 10 Un-Rules of Creativity that you can get at www.unlockedbox.com), an idea is just that, an idea. Not necessarity right, not necessarily wrong - and definitely NOT indicative of the quality of creativity inherent within the creator.

There is no doubt that each person creating for The Onion is valued as a creator by the others around the table. The question is: How does the creator get into the space where his or her ideas are separate enough from self that rejection is more about, "Darn, I LOVED that creation, and now it's going away! Okay, let's move on to the next thing." Instead of, "Darn, they HATED my idea, they probably hate me too. They think I'm HORRIBLE! I'm never putting myself out there again."

Do creators at The Onion get their creative souls squashed at times? I know they do. They may not show it, and they may. Many of them may be way better at separation and others not as much.

But from what I know from my experience as a writer in countless group idea sharing sessions and presentations (and what I know all of you who have the courage to practice creativity out loud know) is this: You learn how to separate. You just do. Over time.

And once you have chiseled your "self" away from your work, it's a beautiful thing.

You are free.

Creative Process - Making It Real (despite technical ability)

As we discussed last week, Making it Real is the final step in the creative process. It’s where your Inspiration & Insight are transformed into a final “product” – your creation.  

But what happens when you have great ideas, brilliant insights, but not the technical ability to pull them off? My guess is that this belief stops many of us from going forward – it may even prevent us from pursuing a creative endeavor we are very interested in – whether that’s painting, decorating our homes, creating a sculpture for our gardens or writing a poem. If we lack so-called talent, we can get stuck at Making it Real. We become someone who has thousands of great ideas that never see the light of day.

The question is: How can we get around the talent and technical ability conundrum and get our ideas out into the world in concrete form?

In general, there are two paths around talent and technical ability roadblocks. The first path is about allowing help. The second path is about allowing imperfection.

Allowing Help Many famous artists have a team of people with the technical ability to execute their work. Many authors with ideas for a book hire ghostwriters to write for them. Editors, craftspeople, woodworkers, seamstresses, painters, framers, mechanics, social media experts, personal shoppers, designers, brainstorming partners, etc., all work in tandem with creators everyday to execute ideas that are not their own. The point is there is NOTHING WRONG with getting help with the execution and production of your ideas. When you bring your idea to another person for help, it does not make the creation any less yours. And, often, it’s the smartest, fastest, most reliable way to ensure your creations come to life and have the chance to impact others. The idea that we have to do everything ourselves when it comes to creative endeavors is just plain ridiculous. Just as we hire specialists to help in other areas of our lives, why not hire specialists to help with producing our creations? If you have an idea that you’d like to see produced, but you find yourself saying “I don’t have the technical ability to create this the way I see it in my mind,” get help. Allow yourself the support you need to be brilliant. 

Allowing Imperfection All that said, there is also great value in creating in a way that allows for imperfection. For one thing, it is practice. Very few of us are born a savant in certain area of creativity. We work at getting good. We keep going even though our hand-crafted table is crooked or we loose control over our paintings. We serve dinner at our crooked table and hang our crazy painting anyway. And then, we move on to our next creation. Each time, we get better. Or we don’t. But either way, we are allowing ourselves to enjoy the creative process from start to finish. I’ve told you before that I love to paint. I have no intention of becoming good at it. I just love coming up with ideas for paintings and creating them. I’m not going to take a class. I’m not going to paint every day to hone my skill. So, my commitment to myself around painting has to be to allow for my work to suck – and still be proof of my talent. Each painting is an idea. And that idea is pure and good no matter what the finished piece looks like. If you love creating and you lack technical ability, think about making a similar commitment to yourself. Allow yourself to Make it Real without frustration, knowing that at the core of whatever is produced is your amazing idea. Right there, at the core of the iambic pentameter gone awry; right there, at the core of the roux that never thickened; right there, at the core of the lumpy bumpy vase – is you. 

To crazy creations that are proof of the creativity at the core of us,

Susan B. (formerly Susan O.)

 

Creative Process - Making Ideas Real

Making it Real is the final step in the creative process. It’s where the creator takes her or his ideas from the Inspiration & Insight step and begins to see where they can go. And it’s where the big idea becomes real: The song or poem is written. Clay turns to sculpture. Ingredients become meal.

Even though Make it Real is the final work step. It’s also an exploration step in that the creator may be playing out several ideas to discover which ones work and which ones don’t.

Whereas there are no judgments in the Sponge Work step, only slight judgments in the In the Flow step, and varying degrees of both judgment and non-judgment in the Inspiration & Insight step, in the Make it Real step, there is judgment for certain. But what the creator has to watch out for is judgment that’s coming from the wrong place.

In general, there are two “wrong” places judgment during Make it Real can come from: others and a saboteur-ridden creator.

Judgment from Others: Even though Make it Real is about finishing an idea, turning it into something tangible, hang-able, eatable, readable, etc., it’s also a process. The finished painting is not going to look so wonderful and finished in the early stages of making it real. It may not even look so wonderful during the last 15 minutes. Show “others” (the wrong others) your creation early in the Make it Real step and one thing is highly likely: The “other” is not going to be able to see your vision, and because of that, they are also likely to judge your unfinished creation unfairly, causing you to doubt your work. At this point in the creative process, it is vital to guard your creation – with claws and fangs if necessary – from others that have the potential to cause you to kill your own idea. Or, if you are a creative professional and they are your boss, to kill it themselves before it has a chance to become brilliant.

That said, there are two instances when it’s safe to share what you are making real with another person:

1. When the “other” is a pure of heart creator too; a kind mentor; someone who is good at visioning where a work is going and is a person you trust; or someone who is simply your total fan (for times in the creative process when you are dying to hear “Wow! You are amazing!” – a statement which I am a fan of seeking out. After all, the authentic cheerleaders in our lives give us strength, and no matter how Polyannish a cynical observer might our cheerleaders are being, in truth, we are amazing. Simple as that. Good cheerleaders who’s wow’s come from the wisdom that there is only magnificence to be found in each of us, deliver authentic love and support. There is no doubt in our minds that the wow is real. It’s easy to tell the difference. I feel lucky to have a handful of fantastic cheerleaders in my life and I’ll tell you, if you want to stir up and express your creativity at a louder level, good cheerleaders are worth finding.
2. When you are strong in general. When you believe in yourself and your ideas and know that the world is full of nay-sayers and that they do not have absolute truth about the viability of your work; when you are skilled at hearing criticism without allowing penetration; when you are able to toss what you don’t agree with in the trash without hesitation and without allowing it to fester into a big ball of doubt later, then you can share. Which leads to the second instance when it’s not such a great idea to share your great ideas too early in the Make it Real step.

Judgment from Saboteur-Ridden Creators: When your internal creativity saboteur is running amok (even if you are saboteur-free most of the time), avoid sharing your work like you would avoid a dark alley packed with gang members. This is not an over statement. Internal saboteurs are not cute little negativity monsters. They carry harmful weapons. They have the power to literally kill pieces of us. They stop us dead in our tracks and keep us away from our most powerful selves. Although their evolutionary purpose is to keep us safe from harm, we just don’t need their brand of safety today. Especially around our creativity. If you are working on navigating your internal creativity saboteur, be your own best bodyguard. Don’t share your work early. Create in peace. Allow your ideas to become FULLY realized before they are shared. Consciously protect yourself – and know that there’s a difference between the auto-pilot kind of keeping self safe and the conscious kind. The conscious kind is an empowered choice to give yourself the gift of a safe and courageous space in which to stretch yourself. It is not playing it safe, it’s playing it smart. You also want to guard your work from other creators who are, themselves, saboteur ridden. The critique you get is likely to come directly from their internal saboteur. The judgments will be more about the other creator than about your creation.

So, what’s the “right” place to allow judgment to come from during Make it Real? Obviously, from you. But not just any version of you. It needs to come from one of two versions of you. Either the most objective and saboteur-free you, or from the kindest, most self-loving you.

If you are a practiced creator, the objective you is likely the choice. But if you are working on expressing your creativity for the first few times, the kind, loving, forgiving, easy-going, non-perfectionist version of you is the one to pull out. This you will allow your creation to live even if it’s not “perfect.” It will be proud of you no matter what. It will want to hang up your painting, play your song, eat your falling apart sushi roll with gusto.

There is nothing wrong with imperfection in creativity. Your most self-loving self knows that what is important is not the quality of your creation, but the fact that you created. All over my house is my own artwork. None of it is “quality” in the sense of technique. All of it is brilliant to my self-loving self. Thrilled to be on display; thrilled to be seen. Thrilled to be proof of the creative force that lies within me – and everyone else.

Next time: More on the Make it Real step - The talent aspect and how to work with and around it.

To making your big ideas real,

Susan B. (formerly Susan O.)