Creativity is hard work.

The common belief is that new work is possible through creativity. Creativity is generally defined as 'the use of imagination and original thought, in relation to the production of work'. Straight forward in theory, yet the creative process seems more difficult to explain. I think there are ways to increase your chances of making creative work beyond that of just being innately “creative”. From my experience, the one I’d like to talk about in this article is the effort of the process itself and getting started.

I’m beginning to realize, more and more, that the creation of new work is possible and more likely due to consistency and the act of trying-- Not “pure inspiration”. The production of work is greatly based on the effort, and obviously so. You must act, to have results. Good or Bad. At least, you then have results.

Of course, I’ve had many times, where I’ve said: “I’m uninspired” or “I don’t feel creative”. Thinking about it now, more objectively, what does that really mean? I’m not sure… Does it mean I don’t have any ideas? I don’t like the ideas I do have? I don’t know how to fix the ideas I have? etc. These feelings are universal, yet still unique to each individual’s thoughts.

You have to think to create, but you can’t think too much. Otherwise, this gets into the danger-zone of over thinking, where you talk yourself out of trying something or get stuck in the infamous land of dreaded hesitation. This is what we don’t want to happen, because it doesn’t help you get out of this uninspired cycle. If nothing is done, then you’re still left with nothing. And, you’re totally capable of more than that! We have to change the nagging voice of self-doubt, or fear. The best way to mute than voice is to start doing. When you are doing, you are thinking about the task at hand. That’s the focus, and that should be focus but hey, our minds don’t always function that way. I understand.

I’m learning, every time I get caught in this situation. In physics, momentum is the force that a body has while in motion. This is a necessary factor to creativity and/or inspiration. Your energy encourages new thoughts and ideas, and thus more work to yield your project's completion. Some things may work, others may not, but the point is your working.

In my latest work, ‘Notions of Change’, linked above, I didn’t have everything planned out visually. When I started editing the shots I had, it gave me motivation to continue on, and think about visualizing the ones I didn’t. In the spaces where I had an idea but didn’t know if was going to work, I started with the basics of that idea and would see how it would go. For example, the animated lips-- I didn’t have a physical video to represent that scene. I wasn’t sure how to showcase my statement. I thought about maybe using a symbol instead. I decided to draw a pair of lips moving. It is 3-4 stills edited in different orders to mimic talking. From there, I thought that a few lines of text would illustrate what was being said. I was happy with the result and moved onto something else. During this whole process, I didn’t really get stuck, because I was always working. If I wasn’t sure what to do, I went back to a basic idea. Drawing a picture, or doodling out my thoughts on a piece of paper. Through these efforts, it was easier to handle and resolve the apparent problems within the film. Even when I was looking for music and nothing I had found previously was fitting anymore, I stepped back from it. I worked on editing my audio that I knew I needed: the voiceover narration. I thought, maybe I don’t need music at all, for a while. I gave it another shot. Through this new search, I found 2 pieces of music I knew I wanted to use. I realized I had to cut them, and piece them within my narration to make them truly work. I tried something new. I learned. I finished the film.

Authors, David Bayles and Ted Orland, wrote: “Those who continue to make art are those who have learned how to continue—or more precisely, have learned how not to quit” (9). Write one new line. Draw one new storyboarded scene. Learn a new chord. Re-sketch your design. Take another photo. Edit what you have, right now, for 10 minutes. That little 'something' gets you one step closer to new ideas and more work. Go on, keep creating.

Works Cited

Bayles, David, and Ted Orland. Art & Fear. Image Continuum Press, 1993.