The old joke is: People fear the art of “public speaking” so much that at a funeral most people would rather be the person in the box than the guy or girl at the podium.
Finding oneself in need of being creative in a situation can bring about a similar reaction of panic and mental-lock down—help!… I feel buried!… overwhelmed!… in-over-my-head!
Seth Godin calls it deniability:
“How much of the time you invest in a project is spent preparing excuses, creating ‘insurance,’ seeking deniability and covering your ass just in case things go poorly in the end?”
The best protection against actual failure is planned failure. And, ironically, we can express greater creativity in our efforts to undermine ourselves in rationalization than in actually pursuing and achieving our goals. What’s the problem?
Fear.
And in tough economic and social times, Fear rules and reigns…in the home, in the workplace, in the heart. It’s time to face-the-fear.
Try something new:
Writer Carlin Flora suggests some great ideas…
1. Wake ‘n’ Write: Creativity guru Julia Cameron swears by free writing (no self-censoring /The Artist’s Way). Get up, write a minimum of three pages in a constant flow—anything that comes to mind—and dump intrusive worries and ‘shouldas’ out until productive ideas flow freely.
2. Relationship Shake-up: Practice creative loving. If your partner annoys or upsets you, react the opposite way you usually do. You might be pleasantly surprised at the result.
3. Disrupt the Daily Grind: Jolt your brain out of automatic pilot by taking a new route to work.
4. Don’t Compete, Collaborate: Team up with a coworker who has complementary skills. If you’re a detail-oriented person, find a big-picture partner, or, vice-versa and be stimulated by another perspective.
5. Daydream in Long Distance: Psychologically distant thoughts (stuff you don’t feel close to or wouldn’t normally think) spur creativity. Think about designing a new product in Bali, a new line of clothes in Paris, or a new computer component in Hong Kong…visualize your office, picture your staff, imagine a new life…and watch your perceptual abilities soar!
Face the Fear. Climb out of the box. Refuse planned failure. You might just discover fun.
Options to stir creativity: For a night of great music and creative arts: Join us at Antioch—every Friday at 8 p.m. with only a $5 cover.
BLOG: createbeyondreason.wordpress.com or email me: JamesPatrick@hughes.net.