Creativity Week: Step No. 1- Inspiration

Creativity Week 

Step. No. 1> INSPIRATION. 

Inspiration must come first.

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you."~ Pablo Picasso

And in order for it to find you, you must open the door to get those inspirations.

So? How do you open that doorway into inspiration?

Well, inspiration is tricky work...you can't force it.

It requires work, hard work. But at the same time it requires stillness. Yes, it seems to be an oxymoron, but inspiration is found everywhere & in anything..you just have to look....and when you do, it will find you.

Whatever your creative passion; writing, painting, sewing, singing, acting, blogging, running....

we know that inspiration is the essential catalyst to any sort of creativity.  But first...

Daily exercise. Seeking inspiration daily teaches your brain to think differently...see things differently...play differently...work differently.  

One of my favorite things about my 100 Creativity Exercises is that it teaches you HOW to work through these daily exercises. And as you exercise your creative muscle everyday, you get a work out.  

But, they key is: You have to do it. 

You have to actually exert yourself & work hard to open the door to those creative inspirations.  

For example: one of my creativity exercises challenges me to look at things upside down to creatively solve a problem or see it in a different way. 

Ok...at first this may seem like a waste of time, or you may say: "That isn't really going to make me more creative."

1. You're wrong. It will make you more creative if...

2. You just do it. As silly as it may sound, this is tried & true. I've been doing it for 20+ years. It works.

but YOU have to work for it to work!

You can't just sit there & expect the inspiration to find you with a closed door...no, you have to OPEN the way for it to find you.

Yup...go after it with a club. 

Work that creative muscle every. 

single. 

day. 

What are the results of consistent exercise? 

A well-toned-well-oiled machine. And that's what you will get with your creative muscle...your creativity will become a machine. One that is ready to stay still & listen for inspiration.

Sit still & listen. After exercising, it's always good to stretch out that muscle, cool it down so it doesn't cramp up or get injured.  The same goes for creative exercising...once you've done one of the creative exercises, you will need to sit back...listen. look. think. and stay still.  THIS is what opens the door for inspiration.

Like this: One day after my creative exercise (it was very simple: just take a photo of what you see out your window) ,  I took the time to 'cool down' & fiddled with my top ten fave iPhone apps. It wasn't forced, it was just a fun, relaxing way for me to take my photo to a new level.  

Then, it came...the visual colors, textures, & feel of the photo started to inspire me. I was getting inspiration for some of my new designs. It came at an alarming speed...just washed over me. 

Now, if I'd just done the work (or creative exercise) & just zipped on to my next item in my daily schedule w/o taking the time to be still & 'cool down', that door for inspiration would have been closed.

See how you need to be open to the work AND the stillness?

Let's say you go on an 'inspiration' trip....same thing. It won't do any good if you just go & see, hear, or do...you will need to take what you got out of the work & let it simmer, percolate, or marinate. This is critical in letting that inspiration come.

This is when it all comes together...you get that inspiration. You're ready to really dig in...you're ready for perspiration!

...to be continued...