Keep Your Creative Juices Flowing

For more information and guidance in developing affirmations, order 365 Daily Affirmations for Creativity. The book includes research on visualization, personal stories, and many more areas of creativity, such as relationships, the imagination of children, innovation in the workplace, creative leadership, and ways to renew the creative spirit. Plus, there are sixty highly effective exercises for individuals and organizations to help you discover and feel confident expressing your originality.

365 Daily Affirmations for Creativity is available at local or online bookstores, such as amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com, or by calling Book Clearing House toll free: 1-800-431-1579.

1. INTRODUCTION: 30 Days To Creative Power

How many people say, "I'm not creative?" Or they may say, "I'd like to be creative, but I don't know how." The premise of my teaching is that everyone is creative and can learn to generate innovative ideas that will improve their professional and personal lives. Sections # 3-9 give the background of research on creativity, and the last section, # 10, lists suggested activities. If you do half the activities recommended in the last section at least five times a week, you will get your creative juices flowing in thirty days.

2. INNOVATION IS A MUST IN TODAY'S WORLD

The need for innovation has never been as crucial as it is today. In an ever-changing environment, constantly forcing us to face problems we've never encountered before, we need to think on our feet. Traditions and old ways of doing things are being challenged as never before, especially after the unprecedented tragedies of September 11th.

I have gathered insight about creativity from people from many fields, having known and researched many visual and literary artists and actors, as well as scientists and entrepreneurs. When we understand the creative process that applies in all fields, we can set up the conditions that allow creative ideas to emerge. The four steps are preparation, incubation, inspiration and verification. If you studied the scientific process you know that there are distinct stages - defining a problem, thinking about it, then the arrival of the aha! or eureka! Next a hypothesis is formed and then the hypothesis has to be tested.

I can speak personally about making art or writing novels, and have found that many artists and writers share the following process. First we are steeped in the material of our art and we think about questions that intrigue us. Then as we mull it over; others may be perplexed by our seeming inactivity while we take long walks or stare into space. Then, if we're lucky, the flash of inspiration arrives, leading to our working out details, sharing it publicly and getting critical reactions.

3. THE FOUR STAGES OF CREATIVITY

A. Preparation.
Read and become immersed in knowledge that is specific to your particular subject, and let your mind explore divergent fields and questions. It's important to have accessibility to information. Know where to go - libraries, the internet, other people.

B. Incubation.
There are 4 states of mind measured by brain waves
1. Beta - distracted and anxious - 14 - 28 cycles per second. Not useful to creativity
2. Alpha - peak performance, daydreaming. 7-14 cycles per second. Ideal for creativity
3. Theta - Dreaming or deep trance. 3.5 - 7 cycles per second. Could be useful to creativity
4. Delta - Deep sleep or comatose. 0.5 - 3.5 cycles per second. Serves deep healing function on the cellular level

You can get into the alpha state of "zoning" by meditating, running, swimming, exercising, listening to music. For me, driving, taking catnaps, showering or working on a painting puts me in the creative mode during which solutions to problems I've been mulling over suddenly arise in my mind.

C. Inspiration
When that bright idea appears to you, capture it! Record it, write it down.

D. Verification
Evaluate and act on your idea. Test it out. Get reactions. Put it into the world.

4. SETTING UP THE CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT

Everyone is creative to some degree, and if we're in the position of developing people, whether employees or students, we need to set up an environment conducive to creativity. That environment has two components, a physical one and an emotional one. Creative ideas often emerge in teams, but teams have to be a manageable size. Creative people need space to hold discussions, and informal areas to gather for coffee or a snack. Natural beauty, especially contemplated alone, will stimulate our creative side. That's why retreats are often held on the ocean, or at a lakeside. Relaxing and reducing stress will stimulate alpha brain waves and will open up our minds.

The emotional environment is equally important. Creativity is squashed by criticism, chaos, disorder, clutter, and rigid rules. It is proven that the brain has a special area called the thalamus, the emotional center which is connected directly to the frontal lobe which is the center of imagination and creative thought. Do you remember an emotional high and how your imagination soared? If we can harness our emotions, they can drive our creative thinking. That brings us back to the importance of being passionate about our work.

5. TWO TRAITS OF CREATIVE PEOPLE

There are two common traits that most creative people have:

1. A belief that they are creative. They are curious; they have confidence in themselves, the courage to present bold ideas, and the constancy of purpose to stick with their idea. Persistence is one of the most important traits for success.

2. They engage in creative introspection. They have a complete understanding of the creative process of others and of their own. They read about other creative people and spend time in solitude attempting to understand their own originality.

I became an artist not because I was the very best artist in the world, but because I was curious to learn about art and I believed I could do it. Conversely, I know talented people who don't believe in themselves enough to actually make and exhibit their art. In order for me to take the risk of putting original ideas into the world I had to have confidence and courage. Finally, what makes the creative idea effective is the constant effort to exhibit, publish, perform or otherwise bring the idea out in the world.

6. INNER AND OUTER CREATIVITY

There are two parts to creativity - inner and outer. The famous photographer, Ansel Adams, talked about pulling ideas from within and without. When he did his creative, pure photography as an art form he pulled from within, on his inner life. When he took commercial jobs to make a living, the outer world stimulated him and he pulled his creativity from without. For me, I have achieved balance between introversion and extroversion. At times I need solitude (not isolation) to tap my inner life; at other times I need to interact with other people to be stimulated and further develop my ideas; after which I return to my inner life in a cycle of creativity.

7. USING CREATIVE FUSION

A creative product often comes about when two divergent facts or things are combined. The creative fusion of two ordinary things can create something extraordinary. The printing press was a combination of the wine and the coin press. Surrealist artists like Magritte combined things like carrots and wine bottles for a dream-like effect. The further apart the two original truths are, the more exciting the new combined truth is. Theories of quantum physics began changing our understanding of science when one hundred years ago it was determined light could be both a wave and a particle. The fact that it was discovered to be both put new revolutionary theories into the world.

8. MANAGING CREATIVE TEAMS

To keep a team creative, you must tap their passion. You need to connect them to the big picture of the project. They need to have access to the latest knowledge. Their curiosity must be encouraged. Then they will garner the courage to present bold and innovative ideas. Relationships matter most, and it's important to know your team members, and to share mutual respect. It's been my personal experience with various organizations that management and leadership needs to lend support or creativity does not flourish.

Consider that Edison, Ford and Firestone used to get together to compare their ideas, usually in an informal setting. A physical environment must allow the space for informal interactions

9. WHAT'S NEXT?

I was reading about the famous CEO Jack Welch, recently retired, who brought G.E. from a $28 billion company to $170 billion, with 100 straight quarters of growth. Welch thought of himself as a teacher and inspired his managers with big ideas. It was said in an article in the NY Times on November 30, 2000 he was always asking, "What's next?"

A creative person doesn't look backwards. A creative person is always asking, "What's next?"

10. ACTIVITIES TO KEEP YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING

Do half of these at least five times a week and you will see an increase in your creativity in just 30 days.

Nurture yourself and spend time alone.
Sleep enough and record your dreams.
Eat well and exercise.
Take time out for fun. Be outrageous.
Read outside your field & point of view.
Close your eyes and breathe. Meditate.
Listen. Observe.
Doodle. Learn an art. Keep a sketchbook.
Record your ideas and feelings in a journal.
Dance. Sing in the shower.
Brainstorm crazy ideas - they may not be so crazy after all!

Sources

Creativity and Innovation from Career Track. Anne Durrum Robinson's Brain/Mind Chart.
The Owner's Manual for the Brain, by Pierce J. Howard, Ph.D.

From: Open Minds Open Doors
Free Electronic Newsletter
Vol. 1, # 2, April 2002

For more information and guidance in affirming creativity in yourself and others, order 365 Daily Affirmations for Creativity. The book includes research on visualization, personal stories, and many more areas of creativity, such as relationships, the imagination of children, innovation in the workplace, creative leadership, and ways to renew the creative spirit. Plus, there are sixty highly effective exercises for individuals and organizations to help you discover and feel confident expressing your originality.