The misunderstood work of creativity

I often find myself wondering if people think I am a slacker. I spend vast hours staring at my computer screen, perusing websites and Google searches and to the average person I look like I am just pissing my time away. But the truth is, I am solving problems.

Creativity is a mystery to many. Most people cannot imagine what it would take to paint every stroke of a Monet. They would be terrified by the blank canvas and would never start. Terrified because they have a preconceived idea that their painting has to be exactly as good as the original Monet. As an artist, I can tell you with 100% certainty that not even Monet could reproduce an original Monet.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but let's think about that. There are a million different outcomes with each brush stroke. The color, saturation, depth, smoothness of the stroke, length, condition of the brush, condition of the canvas and so on. Now multiply that by the millions of strokes it takes to create one painting and you can start to appreciate why an original masterpiece is so valuable. Because not even the original artist could recreate it. But the creative genius lets go of those restraints and doesn't care. They are on a mission to pioneer their own direction and to create their own masterpiece.

Creativity is the ability to let go of the norms, the rules and the idea that the intended outcome is unattainable. To allow yourself to bathe in the ridiculous, imagine the impossible and to accept whatever outcome results. Then to allow yourself to do it a million more times with minor modifications until the intended result is achieved. Creativity at it's core is only problem solving.

When I am staring at the computer my mind is going a million miles an hour tapping into experiences, rules, process, and inspirations. It is like a blender mashing all the data of my life together. I imagine as many outcomes as I can until I have one that explodes in my brain. The old analogy of a light coming on inside your mind is not far from the truth. There are times that I get so excited about an idea that my adrenaline kicks in and my heart starts racing. Then I start blasting off in 3 million tangents exploring as many outcomes as I can to test the viability of the idea. When I am confident I am close or when my hubris asserts itself, I start doing the visible work others see.

The process is actually simple and very complicated at the same time. We start with experiences, then apply the rules, work the process and search for inspirations. Simple, right?

Experiences are are like a map we use to start the process. Our experiences have given us outcomes that we remember and therefore do not have to repeat to understand the result. There is no need to go down dead end roads. The typeface Cooper is a prime example. No need to go down that road. Develop a way to catalog and reference your experiences. One who does not know history is destined to repeat it.

Rules are a little more complicated. They are like moving targets. The rules that apply today may not apply in 12 months. Know the rules, be aware of them but be willing to break them. Push the envelope and see where it goes. This is where the line is drawn between following a trend and setting a trend. But beware, vette your ideas thoroughly. The rest of the world may not see your brilliance as clearly as you do.

Process is where the work starts. I usually start with a previous file (experience) and start making adjustments to update to current trends (rules) and then start tweaking (breaking the rules) to go in a new direction. I keep this process up until I get a result I am satisfied with. Some days I am very confident what my client wants and the process is quick, other times, I feel like trying to burn water. One thing I am certain all creatives will agree on, for every idea they present, there are thousands that have been discarded in their mind before the pen ever hit paper.

Inspiration is for the times the water is not burning. They say plagiarism is the best form of flattery. Most creatives have "borrowed" ideas from others in one form or another. What is important is adding your own ingredient to the mix. Push it to the next level. Do not get hung up on the idea that you need to steal ideas from others every time you get stuck. This could get expensive in the form of lawsuits. Look for inspiration in other places. Nature, other industries, mistakes of your own and most importantly daily life. These are the places you will get inspired and not become a creative vampire. Just learn how to look for it.

Harnessing your creativity is nothing more than sitting down and doing the work. Solve the problem. Imagine every possibility, break all the rules, remember every success and mistake and let the world inspire you in the most unlikely places.

And NEVER believe your own bullshit.