It's April this week (never mind the snow, Boston), and in celebration of a new month, I thought it would be fun to start a new series here on the blog: Tiny Tips for Creativity. I've also started categorizing the existing blog posts, so soon you should be able to use the search box to the right to find past posts, and browse by category as well. Hurrah for technological progress!
Let's dive right in with Tiny Tips. Drum roll, please....
TINY TIP FOR CREATIVITY #1:
Find yourself a small notebook and pen and carry it around with you. Everywhere.
Ok, so it feels a little cliche, and maybe oversimplified, to suggest that creative souls keep a notebook and pen in their pockets (or purses or totes) at all times, but I have to tell you that as a former skeptic, I've tried this and what can I say? I'm a believer.
See, I used to pride myself on being able to remember any creative idea that buzzed into my head. I didn't need to write things down...or so I told myself. On my morning walk to the subway, I'd have caught two or three really interesting ideas only to sit down in my office at my day job and realize that they had flown away. It's easy to underestimate this kind of creative loss--after all, what's one or two ideas gone? But with me, it became clear that I wasn't just losing a few of my ideas I had during the day (or right before bed). I was failing to catch most of them.
Enter a little notebook and pen. The one pictured above was gifted to me by a wonderful friend for Christmas this year, and I've carried it with me everywhere ever since. It's kept me company at the movies, out to lunch with friends, on my commute, and even to the dentist office. I keep it by my bedside at night, too. The point for me is not to distract myself from living or observing life by writing in it constantly, but rather to pull it out at a moment's notice to jot down an idea. This could be a creative to-do list item, like "submit ten minute play for short festival this summer" or a piece of a conversation that I overheard on the train. You never know when you might need an idea for a play you're writing, a web series you are dreaming about making, or a creative problem you are trying to solve.
Did I mention you can also draw in your little notebook? Yes, doodles are allowed, as are song lyrics, half finished poetry, and flow of consciousness journaling, such as "It's the morning and I'm tired and I want to go back to bed." Anything goes. And remember it's ok to keep it short and sweet; in fact, I find that brief phrases are all I need to jog my memory later on when I'm sitting down to work on a creative project and need inspiration.
Thanks for helping me to welcome this new little series! I'm so excited to continue with this series in hopes of sparking some simple but powerful tips for cultivating creativity all day!
Let's dive right in with Tiny Tips. Drum roll, please....
TINY TIP FOR CREATIVITY #1:
Find yourself a small notebook and pen and carry it around with you. Everywhere.
Ok, so it feels a little cliche, and maybe oversimplified, to suggest that creative souls keep a notebook and pen in their pockets (or purses or totes) at all times, but I have to tell you that as a former skeptic, I've tried this and what can I say? I'm a believer.
See, I used to pride myself on being able to remember any creative idea that buzzed into my head. I didn't need to write things down...or so I told myself. On my morning walk to the subway, I'd have caught two or three really interesting ideas only to sit down in my office at my day job and realize that they had flown away. It's easy to underestimate this kind of creative loss--after all, what's one or two ideas gone? But with me, it became clear that I wasn't just losing a few of my ideas I had during the day (or right before bed). I was failing to catch most of them.
Enter a little notebook and pen. The one pictured above was gifted to me by a wonderful friend for Christmas this year, and I've carried it with me everywhere ever since. It's kept me company at the movies, out to lunch with friends, on my commute, and even to the dentist office. I keep it by my bedside at night, too. The point for me is not to distract myself from living or observing life by writing in it constantly, but rather to pull it out at a moment's notice to jot down an idea. This could be a creative to-do list item, like "submit ten minute play for short festival this summer" or a piece of a conversation that I overheard on the train. You never know when you might need an idea for a play you're writing, a web series you are dreaming about making, or a creative problem you are trying to solve.
Did I mention you can also draw in your little notebook? Yes, doodles are allowed, as are song lyrics, half finished poetry, and flow of consciousness journaling, such as "It's the morning and I'm tired and I want to go back to bed." Anything goes. And remember it's ok to keep it short and sweet; in fact, I find that brief phrases are all I need to jog my memory later on when I'm sitting down to work on a creative project and need inspiration.
Thanks for helping me to welcome this new little series! I'm so excited to continue with this series in hopes of sparking some simple but powerful tips for cultivating creativity all day!
