Even as I've forced myself to learn to be creative on command at work, I've somehow failed to learn the same thing in my personal creative life. Part of this, at least, is a "path of least resistance" problem. It's much easier for me to lapse into the consumption of creative work (e.g. playing a video game or reading a book) than to create. I value those activities, as I love to have my imagination and emotions fired by the creative works of others, but we can't allow something good to rob us of something great.
Another problem may be that I seem to be slightly defiant most of the time, even to myself. As soon as a yoke of any kind is placed on my shoulders (even a self-imposed one!), I immediately want to do something else. This has been a recurring problem throughout my life. I can't fully explain its genesis, either. I especially don't understand why I resist even my own projects and goals. It's really self-destructive and I have no explanation.
Finally, something of Søren Kierkegaard's "despair of the infinite" rings in my ears. I sit down, knowing that I can do anything I want, and end up doing nothing. Sometimes, I don't even do anything else (like watch TV or play a game). I just sit there, overcome with the infinite possibilities, and end up doing nothing. It's really silly.
Anyway, I'm really just complaining to all of you. Any tips or suggestions?
I also struggle with being prolific! My interests always go scattershot, and I jump from the one to another all of the time. When I learn a guitar song, I often stop just after I learn the first verse and chorus. Writing fiction is one of the most difficult for me to follow through on. This is especially difficult because here I have very high standards for my work. Having read tons of literature as an English major, as well as enjoying "creative consumption," I have a very strong sense of what is good and what is not. I will often note when I watch/read something what I liked about, and then I demand that my work that I will create will also do the same. This often slows down my writing and creativity. I have had a book project for quite some time on Korihor in the Book of Mormon that I just can't take off of the ground for this reason I think (I am sure there are others). I think I need to accept that I will initially write a bunch of crap and that is that.
ReplyDeleteAs for how to help this? Pick smaller projects; then you have a higher chance of getting it done before you lose steam. Second, pick something non-fiction to write/draw about. When I draw my son, or write about my family, or obviously philosophy, I do not have the same sorts of hang-ups. If you wanted to write creatively, a non-fiction narrative might help. The plot is already there since it happened, but you can think of how to portray and tell it creatively, allowing you to focus on one area where you need growth. And what you are sort of already doing--talk to people about it to get new ideas and to give you encouragement. Perhaps limit your creative input and output (only so much of tv/vids a day + at least 1 paragraph of writing a day)? I hate that too, since it feels like a yolk like you said. The one I have found the most successful is to set myself a list of things I will do for at least 15 minutes. I have to do them all, and so relationally speaking (not quantitatively speaking), it limits how much I can spend in the other activities. I don't know, just some beginning thoughts.
Thanks for your thoughts/ideas, Marty!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I've always had a hard time coping with goals as such. I never feel great being constricted by goals I set for myself that I don't feel are as important later. In consequence, I've found focusing on habits to be more effective than goals. I try to get myself living in ways that are conducive to the sort of person I want to be.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit like sleeping. It is of little effect to set a goal to go to sleep at a specific time, but placing yourself in the surrounding where sleep comes naturally can work wonders!
Eric, why do I get the feeling you are referring to church?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the habit-setting, and for me the at least 15 minutes is a way to get that in place. There are probably other ways to do this as suggested in your surrounding idea. You could try to shape your space, so that certain behaviors come naturally. So that the tools you wish to use are at your disposal, so that chairs where activities occur are/are not comfortable, and so forth. I have noticed that I tend to use what is in my family room (the guitar, the wii, my books under the coffee table) and bedroom, but what is my craft room (where the creativity is supposed to take place) gets little use. So there is definitely something to working out a space for you to do these things easily.
Jake, I keep checking your prolificity blog! I want more entries, dangit!
ReplyDelete