Many people believe creativity is a trait you're born with. It's a gift. You either have it or you don't.
This is simply not true.
Each of us is creative. It's our natural state of being. As children, we don't hesitate to use our imaginations in every aspect of life. We welcome creativity and embrace it as an integral part of who we are.
Unfortunately, too many of us stifle that sense of wonder and suppress our imaginations as we grow into adulthood. Caught up in the daily grind, we forget what it was like to be creative.
Even writers suffer from this problem on occasion. We get into a slump and begin to suspect we're not as creative as we once thought.
Today, I'm going to give you three simple steps for boosting your creativity. Follow these steps and you'll soon discover how easy it is to embrace your creative nature.
Step 1
Give yourself permission to be creative. Turn off the inner voice that says "I'm not a creative person."
This sounds like a simple thing to do, but it's the most challenging step. With creativity, mindset is everything. How you talk to yourself about being creative is nine tenths of the game. Your inner dialogue matters. From now on, make an effort to only allow thoughts that affirm your status as a creative individual.
Recognize creativity in everyday activities. Realize your creative nature is present at all times, not just when you're writing.
Step 2
Respect your muse. When you get an idea, don't immediately dismiss it or tell yourself "This idea stinks. Nobody is going to want to read this." If you tell yourself over and over again that your ideas stink, your muse will decide you don't appreciate its input. It will go into hibernation and the new ideas will stop coming.
Does this mean you have to pursue every story idea that pops into your head? No. It means you accept each idea as something worth considering.
Jot down every idea in your notebook or journal, or create an idea file on your computer and add a few notes about any new ideas that come to mind. I have a Word document named "Story Ideas" on my computer. Whenever I get a new idea, I open the file and add the details. I don't worry about whether the idea seems crazy or not. I can worry about that later when I'm deciding which ideas would make great stories. I also carry a pocket-sized notebook with me at all times for making notes about new story ideas, characters, scenes, or dialogue.
Step 3
Explore new situations. Eat something you've never eaten before. Visit new places. Listen to music from artists you're never heard of.
Get outside your comfort zone. Do things you wouldn't normally do. Go for a walk in the rain. Try an activity that intimidates you.
Feed your mind. Every new experience will nourish your creative soul.
The past two weeks have been eye-opening. My mother was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery. It was a harsh wake-up call and forced me to think about an important detail I sometimes fail to keep in mind:
We're not immortal. We don't live forever. Our dreams have an expiration date.
Read that again. Your dreams have an expiration date.
If you want to be a writer, go after that dream now. Don't wait. Don't put it off until later. There might not be a later. Yes, it's a morbid thought, but it's the truth that comes with being human. We're mortal beings with a finite amount of time to spend on this earth.
How do you want to spend that time?
You can spend it procrastinating, thinking about the day you'll finish your novel, dreaming about your name appearing on the bestseller lists. Or you could spend that time writing. If you spend all your days dreaming and not doing, you'll grow old and look back on your life with regret over the things you never did.
Dreaming is essential, especially for writers, but taking action is just as vital. It's the only way you'll ever turn those dreams into reality.
Here's a little technique to help you along. It takes only a minute or two but it's a great way to jolt yourself into action.
Step 1 – Sit back, close your eyes, and imagine what your life will be like five years from now if you've spent those five years taking action to achieve your dreams. In this scene, you've taken concrete steps toward your goal. You've succeeded at writing and publishing your novel or selling your screenplay. Spend a moment picturing this in vivid detail.
Step 2 – Now, imagine what your life will be like five years from now if you haven't taken those steps, if you haven't taken action toward your goal. Picture it in the same vivid detail. This version of your future stinks, doesn't it? I'm betting it's not nearly as exciting or fulfilling as the future you imagined in Step 1.
That's it. That's all there is to it. You've seen future #1 and future #2. Which future do you want for yourself and what are you going to do to make that future a reality?
I finally had a chance to see Tales From the Script last night. Every screenwriter should check out this documentary. It features interviews with forty-four screenwriters -- including William Goldman, Frank Darabont, Steven de Souza, and Shane Black -- who discuss the film industry, the development process, and the ups and downs that come with being a writer.
It is at some points discouraging and at other points motivating and inspiring. You'll hear from writers who have penned more than thirty scripts but only sold one or two, and you'll hear from Academy Award winning writers who have sold one screenplay after another.
My favorite part of the film was Kris Young's comment comparing screenwriting to the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan -- thousands of soldiers land on the beach and are mowed down by gunfire, but a few make it through and survive. Yes, it's a dramatic analogy, but if anyone is allowed to be dramatic, shouldn't it be a screenwriter?
I also loved this quote from Dennis Palumbo: "Writers are egomaniacs with low self-esteem."
You can get Tales From the Script through Netflix, and it's also available on DVD through Amazon.com
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Here's the trailer:
