Creativity usually starts with an idea, and for many of us, it ends there. If we are luck enough to even remember the idea, we don’t do anything with it after having it. I read a great quote today that said:
“Some of us (perfectionists, especially) fuss so much over making the ‘right’ choice, but in life, all that’s really needed is to make any’ good’ choice, believe in it, go through with it, and accept the consequences.” – author unknown
Ideas are similar to choices in that you have to take action for them to come to life. The suggestions below are a few things you can do to keep your ideas flowing and focus your creative juices.
Catch and Store Ideas
I cannot stress enough how important it is to capture an idea when it happens. I always have a notebook and pen with me just in case I see or hear something that interests me. I had not thought to use my cellphone to take pictures of interesting things I see, but this is another way of capturing ideas. For those gadget lovers, consider using your Flip camera to capture ideas, phrases and moments you can refer back to at a later date. The idea here is to catch the idea and store it.
What are you Passionate about?
I have been listening to a podcast called Camera Position and one of the episodes focused on finding your passion and letting your passion inspire you to make better pictures. What better way to focus your creativity than to name and pursue only the things you are most passionate about. I have not created an artist statement since college, but I am starting to do it for all of my photography projects and my art journal series. When you state why you are working on a project, it gives your creativity focus.
Be Active in Your Community
Being around like-minded people who share your interests and passion is great for keeping your creative energy high. Community is what you make it. Whether you start or join a group online, there is a tribe out there for you. Now go forth and find yours. Check out Flickr to get you started. I have two groups there that geared around my two loves, photography and art journaling.
Reconnect with Your Inner Child
Play. That’s right, just play. Remember how it was when you were a kid and you would make up rules as you go. Do the same thing when you create. Get a box of crayons, the biggest you can find and color outside the lines on purpose. Freeing your mind from what you think you are suppose to do will help you focus on what you need to do. You want to get focused, then give yourself time to play.
Focus on Doing instead of Thinking
I tend to feel short on ideas when I spend more time thinking about great ideas instead of acting on what appears to be a small idea. It goes back to the quote above; we get stuck on wanting to make the right choice instead of just making a choice and throwing ourselves into it 100%. You have to do the same thing with your creative fire. Don’t worry about whether the idea you picked is right, be more concerned about the process of acting on it. Focus on giving it life by doing. You can always change midstream, seriously, you can!
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