Before the new year, I drafted a blog post about four different ways to approach goal setting. You know, in time for the whole new year resolution thing. I didn't get beyond the draft to editing or posting. I lost enthusiasm for it. As I casually scrolled through social media and viewed curated prompts on Google and Alexa, it became clear that the world did not need more goal setting information. There was nothing I could share that hadn't already been shared literally millions of times.
Not knowing what to write is an example of what might be the biggest blocker to my plan of being a successful pre-retiree next act blogger/ artist /creativity motivator. (Those are the words that came to me today. I think I'm getting closer to defining my next best multipotentialite self.) I can't possibly have anything new or novel to contribute. Everything I want to write or make or inspire has already been written or made or inspired by someone else. Or many someones.
Then, last week, as I returned from a long holiday break to my traditional full-time job, there was evidence that I do have novel and helpful skills and information to share. Hell, in that setting, it feels like every day I'm writing or talking about or leading others to think about how we might do our work differently or better or faster. That's what I like about my job. Being a thought leader. Challenging traditional approaches and considering novel, modern, simpler ones. Being creative. I feel confident enough to do that because I have years of relevant experience. But mostly, I'm confident because I intentionally learn something every day about novel, modern, simpler practices from others.
I was also reminded by Seth Godin (paid link) last week that creativity is not about originality. Creativity and idea generation are acts of building upon previous creativity and ideas. Seth was referencing the advances in AI (artificial intelligence) and the rising ability of "machines" to create--write, draw, code, build, etc. But AI doesn't pull skills out of the air. It learns just like humans do. AI can draw and write because it has learned (copied) patterns from existing drawing and writing. In the words of Pablo Picasso and Austin Kleon (paid link) and others, it "steals like an artist." (Godin suggests it's not theft at all but the evolution of culture. Check it out.)
So I've heard Picasso and Kleon and Godin and I believe what they say. Originality is not the point of creativity. The point is to study, copy, and learn from others, to build and iterate on what's already been done. Do it often enough so that what you do create eventually has your unique voice and style. Practice creativity in this way and you will know what to write (or make or code or craft or design or...). Your style will connect with a subset of humans and it will make an impact on them. That's the point. To use your creativity to bring meaning, connection, support, emotion, etc. to those who get you and appreciate your unique (though not completely original) voice.
So for the new year, here's my suggestion for those of us who want to be more creative:
Read or study something from a creative human every day. Learn, re-learn, or un-learn. Pay attention to who and what you connect with. Think about why.
Act like a creative human every day. Copy what you've read or studied. Change it by adding something or taking something away or scrambling the components. Practice finding your voice.
That's it for now. Let's all keep practicing. And may 2023 be our most creative year yet.
Comments