My partner is a Creative. As a professional classical guitarist + composer, his career largely depends on his ability to create. And boy does he create. R* is the type of person that will mess around on his guitar, stumble upon some sort of melody, then will build that little tune into a beautiful, complex piece of music that has you sitting on the edge of your seat when you hear it. Witnessing this creative process in motion is mind blowing. And slightly unnerving. Especially for those of us (ahem, me) who can’t tap into our creative side as easily.
On Demand Creativity has become a requirement for small business owners which can be challenging for us not-so-naturally creative types. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube + TikTok call for crazy amounts of creative content that must be put out on almost a daily basis to keep one’s very distracted potential audience somewhat engaged.
So, how do we make the creative process – a process that at one time required taking a long stroll in the woods – more accessible? We train. And here are 3 ideas to get you started.
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1. Surround Yourself With Out-Of-The-Box Thinkers
Good luck finding someone in my circle who is living a conventional life. The people I have daily conversations with are other entrepreneurs, surfers, artists, musicians, thinkers, spiritual seekers + travelers. Being surrounded by people who are doing things “differently” has allowed me to see the world through a creative, all-things-are-possible lens. Even when I’m not creating, I’m speaking with + learning from other people who are, which seeps in.
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2. Create Time + Space to Pace (Amongst Other Things)
Like a nice wine, creativity needs time + space to breathe. My go-to creativity combo is working in a quiet place where I can pace from one room to the next. Somewhere in between sweeping the floor for the 10th time + sorting laundry, an idea will pop into my head. Today’s musings happened when I was moving clothes from the washer to the dryer. Notice the environment that your creativity flourishes in + hone in on it.
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3. Know Your Triggers
The fastest way for me to lose an idea that’s starting to form is by getting on my phone + checking my email or Instagram – even if it’s just a quick glance. My phone is – hands down – my biggest distraction, so it gets put in another room when I’m sitting down to write or work on something creative. If it doesn’t serve the creative process, it shouldn’t be around when you’re processing creatively.
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That should do it for now.
Wishing you waves + creativity for days,
K (+ the Saltwater Fix Family)