Tools for Creativity - Matthew A. Hawkins

Yesterday I wrote about Creativity versus Technical and gave some Technical Tools you could use. Today I'd like to share about Creativity and some things that might help you along the way. I believe that every person is creative. Before I begin let me explain something. Every person is creative, but not necessarily creative in the art sense and not necessarily in the "you're crazy and weird artisitic creative crazy" sense either. Creativity is often defined as being "good" at art, but really it's not. Here's how I would define it, thanks to Sir Ken Robinson "Creativity is the process of an original idea that has value."

I enjoy being creative, I don't feel good in a day if I haven't had a chance to create something. I went through a time I refer to as the "dark ages" when I was college and my prof's just told me to act like a robot and fill out papers and regurgitate facts, it was horrible, I didn't create a thing. Now I get paid to create, I get to live life the way I believe I was intended to live it.

As I said, I believe every person is creative. My wife is not an artsy person, but I think she is unbelievably creative. She works with autistic children and how she communicates, educates, develops strong behaviours with them is crazy. She is amazing at it. She takes new ideas to work everyday and brings value to them.

In order to let your creativity out, because we all have it inside of us, you need to find what inspires you. For some it's Biology, for others it's Short Films, for others it's Capturing that Moment, for some it's in how you raise your kids - teach them to imagine and to play, teach them to be creative in growing up, for others it will be in their Leadership and others it will be finding their passions. What is your place in being creative?

For me, these are ways I work myself up into the moments I actually create something (yes it can take work)

1) Find Inspiration - find something that inspires you: a painting, old movie, a building, a park, landscape, whatever it is, find it, take a picture of it, write about it, draw it, film it, enjoy it, try to grasp why it inspires you and then use that emotion to create.

2) Be Ready For It - Creativity doesn't happen between 9 and 5. It can, but it doesn't have to. I get moments where I can't sleep at night or I'll wake up in the morning at 4 and begin working on something. It can happen at any moment, in any place. So...

3) Buy a Moleskine - I just bought my first one and I love it. There's an insert they put into them that just makes me excited and I won't share it with you. You'll have to buy one yourself. They're available through Amazon.ca and they have different ones. Get one! Use it! Let yourself be inspired and sketch it out.

4) Harness & Refine - Keep learning how you can take your creativity to the next level. Keep pushing it to where you want it to go. I've found what I thought was a creative thought 3 years ago is now far too simple. Now I want to do more, I want to see it go further. Let your creativity grow.

5) Enjoy It - Simple enough. Let your creativity simply be enjoyable. If it begins to feel like work, you won't enjoy it. That said, it can still be a part of your work, but don't let the work suck the fun out of it. Do it because you love it.

What do you have to say about creativity? Tell me

Matthew A. Hawkins