Creative Pathways

I was interviewing a world-class glass artist in my public weekly Dialogue program in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico. We were at the Q and A part of the presentation. First up, wildly waving her hand was a colorfully dressed figure in the back row. “This is all very interesting, but I imagine all of you here are other artists and I’m not at all creative and have never made art in my entire life”!

Her words have never left me though it is now three years since the Dialogue series ended. For many of us the fame of celebrated writers and artists is so humbling that we can feel incompetent and hopelessly barren as creative beings. Forget that notion! When I asked for a show of hands of artists, not one person claimed the honor. Having set the stage, I politely addressed the lady in the back row.

May I ask a question of you? She replied yes, with barely a tremor in her voice.  “First, thank you for your honest comment,” I said.

“You expressed a belief likely shared by others here today including me. I am one who tried drawing and painting lessons. I deemed my efforts failures.” Do you have a favorite recipe you make? I asked. With her yes, describing delicious corn bread, I asked if she enjoyed reading, a little gardening and perhaps sewing or knitting? With a passionate yes to all these skills, I had my case made. We are all creative beings.

So why is it so many people feel they lack creativity and those who desire to be more creative are stuck in neutral and can’t move forward? Apple’s former guru Steve Jobs said, “You cannot mandate productivity. You must provide tools to let people become their best.” Tools such as a stove, sewing machine, shovel, chisel, are obvious yet we don’t typically acknowledge the users as artists. They are labeled craftsmen, cooks and gardeners. Maybe the long culturally ingrained distinction between who we describe as artists and the rest of us needs to be modified. If we are mired down in the classical definitions our psyche is weakened, and life doesn’t feel meaningful. The best example is the dedicated woman, wife, mother and mentor to her spouse and children who “creates” for decades, isn’t recognized for her artistry and love.

I enjoyed some of the many excellent art history books, biographies and psychological studies on the subject of creativity. After retiring from prior careers I began writing and soon discovered the practical realities that arise through creative endeavors.  My afternoons in Santa Fe, New Mexico cafes were devoted to espresso, a wedge of fresh pie and a steno pad for jotting down ideas. I wasn’t alone. By four p.m. other writers drifted in and shared the status of their current work. Two issues common to nearly all at some point were feeling burned out and getting idea blocked. None of us had silver bullet cures so we sobbed in our cups until “happy hour” began down the road. With three published books under my belt I want to share with you some lessons learned.

All our actions are creative. All creation is art and all art is individual. When we maintain our passion, it is liberating. We use this energy and imagination to apply the skills we have. We can feel this flow and are inspired, curious and resourceful.  Yet for us to continuously sustain such energy is rare. We tire, become distracted, can experience temporary illness and may be dealing with a close relationship issue. Marie Curie, famed physicist, said, “I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy.”

There is, in my opinion, a key to any of the roadblocks we experience. Simply put, it is attitude. I certainly have not mastered the challenge of changing attitudes quickly to break through malaise but I’m very aware of the value of switching negative thoughts to positive. Thanks to the advice of others here’s my lessons learned inventory. Let’s turn roadblocks into opportunities.

Stay away from groupthink solutions. I love workshops and meetings to share ideas, but more often than not, they produce a confusing blend of opinions that lack innovation. When I want to return to doing my best work, I prefer distance from compromises and mingling with a mass of details. I want to be in a place of expanded opportunities. One that offers me a new approach, and that clears away my fog. The ocean and a sunset are perfect.

Here’s my big five of “what to do” suggestions to explore. Avoid physical burnout by relaxing and eating healthy, keep a short to-do list on paper, rephrase and write down the problem you are stuck on, and get fresh, different stimuli.

Meditation and healthy eating is at the top of nearly all life style lists.

Both are not complicated, nor costly. This does require commitment and practice, but once established in our daily life, they are a powerful barrier to lethargy, illness and even depression.

We can get fresh stimuli by adding a new colorful element to our closet,

buying a houseplant, or doing something out of our routine like getting a massage, trying a different restaurant and slowly savoring a dish, exploring a new neighborhood on foot, visiting a botanical garden in your city, watching children playing for their joyfulness, taking ten minutes alone to visualize yourself doing something amazing, and being open to meeting a new person. Above all, let’s be gentle to ourselves and non critical. The creative juices will start flowing again.

Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” I remind myself to stay curious. When I’m listening to advice, doing research, and searching for ideas I simply ask “Why”? This keeps me open to building on the ideas of others. Often I’ve thought, how can I improve on what I learned or seen? To create and move forward I have to re-start my passion. I may not be a rocket scientist or a budding Picasso but I’m a unique, creative individual. This morning, as I enjoy an espresso and the fresh ocean breeze, I’m visioning adding some black olives and garlic to my savory muffins! Just dreaming, but please remember, imagination is the fuel for our creative engine.