The key to a successful creative practice has very little to do with natural creative ability. Developing your creativity requires an ironclad and consistent work ethic to develop and maintain what I like to think of as your creative muscles. I’ve put together a list of things to keep you motivated as you work your way towards greater – and more consistent – creativity.
Conclusion
Creativity is a wonderful gift but don’t expect it to come in a flash of inspiration. Instead, put together an environment conducive to creativity and carve out time in your daily schedule to actively pursue inspiration and grow your creativity. When it comes down to it, there’s nothing mysterious about creativity. We all have it and those of us who choose to develop it will reap the creative rewards.
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When it comes to successful creativity, there is very little room to indulge in stereotypical “artistic” behavior. The reality is that flighty, irresponsible and disorganized creative geniuses rarely have any significant success. Being organized in your creativity yields measurable benefits above and beyond the obvious ability to find a pair of matching socks. Below are a few important reasons why it’s worth your while to stay organized as you pursue your creative growth.
1. It’s good for business
I feel like I end up saying this a lot but if you’re hoping your creative efforts will translate into financial success, then you’re not just a creative, you’re a business person. The grim reality of businesses is that they don’t run themselves. Staying organized will only make your business (and your career) run more smoothly. Everything from being on time to appointments to keeping a current backup of your computer hard drive counts. To make it more personal, creative ideas are precious and losing them because you’re disorganized feels like an avoidable catastrophe.
2. Inspiration can accessed
The difference between having a creative idea on the rare occasion when all the planets line up versus accessing your creativity every day comes down to being organized. Keeping track of your inspired ideas in a way that allows you to go and find them, will allow you to more consistently create even if the magical inspiration isn’t on a predictable schedule.
3. You’ll avoid missing opportunities
Having an organized folder arrangement on your computer will enable you to find – and exploit – your creative ideas quickly and efficiently. On a personal note, my first big break as a songwriter almost didn’t happen because the artist was in the studio and couldn’t find the demo we’d sent them. Because I was able to quickly find and email an mp3 of the demo, the artist cut the song in the studio that afternoon. I can’t imagine how disappointing it would have been if I hadn’t been able to find the song until a day or two later when the opportunity had come and gone.
4. You’ll be more productive
So much of being effective in your creativity is about getting the maximum amount done in the limited time you have to do it. If you’re constantly rooting around your office or on your computer looking for where you placed your last creative project, you’re not making the kind of progress you could be. Staying organized can take you a long way towards being productive and, ultimately, successful.
Conclusion
It should be understood, of course, that there is no substitute for actively pursuing your creativity. Unfortunately, there are many, many people capable of great creative ideas. The way to differentiate yourself is to not only create but also keep yourself and your ideas organized in a way that will allow you to take full advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. By improving your odds of success, staying organized might be the deciding factor in your next successful creative idea.
-Cliff
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Don’t get me wrong, compared to most work in the world creative work is pretty great even from the beginning. That being said, once you’ve made the decision to take your creativity seriously, there’s so much more to consider than whatever your inspiration happens to provide on a given day. As you progress, there will be plenty of challenges ahead but the good news is that the longer you pursue your creative work, the more fun it gets. I thought I’d put down a few of the reasons why I’ve found this to be true.
1. The technique disappears
When you begin to really study the craft of your chosen creative field, it seems like you can’t create at all without getting bogged down in all of the techniques you’re supposed to remember. Given that there are tons of things to consider when you’re refining your craft, it’s a miracle you can make it through the work at all. But, as with any technique, the more you do it, the more it will become ingrained and the less you’ll find yourself actively thinking about it. Once you’re no longer consciously considering technique, your creative process will get back to feeling as inspired as it did when you first started out.
2. You get better at getting out of your own way
When you’ve only worked on a few creative projects, there’s a tendency to agonize over every detail and to constantly second guess yourself. The more creative work you do, however, the more you’ll come to realize that your instincts are worth trusting and that the details will work themselves out if not in your first attempts then in the subsequent ones. The more you’re able to relax and get out of your own way, the more open your creative channels will become and the less you’ll hinder your own process.
3. Your work will get more consistent
As my friend and hit songwriter, John Tirro, said years ago, “every once in a while you’re going to screw up and write a great song.” What I think John was referring to was the fact that early on we can occasionally show flashes of extreme creative brilliance. The problem is that when we’re new to our craft, the likelihood of consistently repeating that particular feat is low. The more creative work you do, the higher the baseline level of quality. There is absolutely no substitute a large volume of creative projects when it comes to raising the level of your work.
4. The more creative projects you have out there, the more good things will happen
In the end, creative work is a numbers game. I’ve always believed that as creatives we have to reach some mystical critical mass of effort before we start to see success with our work. Not that it’s exactly like this but if you think of each of your creative efforts as a lottery ticket, the more tickets you buy, the greater the likelihood that one of them will be the winning number. On a slightly less poetic note, working on more creative projects simply improves your odds of the work getting noticed and connecting with people in the industry. I feel I should mention that it’s not just the creative work that counts but your effort in getting that work out into the world. In other words, don’t forget to pitch and promote your work.
Conclusion
Given that I wrote songs for twenty years before I had a #1 single and thirty years before I wrote a song on a GRAMMY-winning album, I feel like I can speak with a certain authority about how creative work gets more fun the longer you do it. I’m living proof that if you stick with it, things can – and will – improve. Otherwise put, when in doubt, keep going.
-Cliff
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For those of you who are relatively new to creative collaborations, it can be difficult to know what to expect when you get together with another person to combine your efforts. As a veteran of over a thousand songwriting collaborations, I thought I’d put down a few of the indicators you should be noticing if – and when – your collaboration is working well. Another way to put this is that if you aren’t experiencing these things, it might be time to look for other collaborators.
1. You feel comfortable/secure expressing yourself
The foundation of all successful collaborations is trust. If you can’t trust your fellow collaborator with your suggestions and ideas, then it’s pretty much game over from the start. You need to feel safe suggesting potentially ridiculous things while brainstorming so that you can ultimately get to the good stuff. Conversely, you, too, will need to be patient and trust that while all of your collaborator’s suggestions won’t be great, you’re going to get there together. There’s no room for negativity or nonconstructive criticism in a healthy collaboration.
2. You’ve got complementary skill sets
One of the best scenarios possible arises when you and your collaborator are strong where the other is weak and vice versa. If visual ideas come easily to you but your copyrighting skills are lackluster, you’d be best served working with someone who has a gift for writing but might struggle with visuals. It’s been my experience that the talent of your collaborator in their given speciality will also help you up your game in yours. In other words, your writing will work even better when paired with your partner’s brilliant images. The key here is that you easily fall into your respective roles and, together, create something that is better than either one of you could have done on your own.
3. Things move along quickly and easily
Another hallmark of a successful collaboration is that the creative process is a smooth one. Instead of agonizing over what comes next, you find yourselves steadily moving through the entire process and watching it come together naturally and efficiently. This isn’t to say that there won’t be difficult days no matter how good your collaboration may be but, typically, when a collaboration is good, things tend to move along at a nice, steady pace.
4. You’re having fun
Don’t underestimate the value of enjoying yourself during a collaboration. As a collaborator of mine once said, “We should be having fun here. After all this isn’t air-conditioner repair school.” The reality is that if you’re enjoying yourselves, that’s a great indication that you’re working at your peak creativity and capacity.
Bonus Indicator: You’re both proud of the work
When you’re fortunate enough to be in a great collaboration, you’ll both end up feeling strongly about the quality of the work which is not only great for morale but also makes the less romantic prospect of communicating your work to others more appealing.
Conclusion
Let me be clear. Not every collaboration is a great one. The reason, in fact, that I feel qualified to write this article at all is that I’ve spent enough time in crummy collaborations over the years to know unequivocally how the good ones look and feel. However, just because you’ve experienced a bad collaboration is no reason to give up on the concept all together. Stay at it and if you keep the above indicators in mind, you’ll be sure to know when you’re on to something great.
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Gratitude. It’s a seemingly simple concept. Be grateful for the things you have or are given. It almost seems like it would be difficult not to be grateful when something good happens or someone shows you a kindness and, yet, sometimes we get so wrapped up in our pursuit of creativity that we forget to stop and simply be grateful. Take my word for it. Stop. Appreciate all the good things and the generosity you’ve been shown and everything will almost immediately feel – and get – better.
At its best, developing your creativity comes slowly with relatively little proof of progress for a very long time. In the absence of that major creative breakthrough, it’s up to you to find the good in the little things. A comment by a colleague in appreciation of your creative effort would be a good example. If you’re going to – and we all do – take the less than flattering comments to heart, then please remember to take the compliments to heart, too. It’s a long road to consistent creative confidence so stopping to smell the roses will make that road a much more pleasant one to travel.
I know this seems a little mystical but the energy you put out in the world is tangible. If you’re brought in on a creative project and you make sure to express your appreciation for your collaborator’s work and talent, not only will you be more likely to get another opportunity to work with that person but you’ll also be an easy recommendation for another creative project when the opportunity presents itself.
OK, this one’s personal so bear with me. I’ve been a songwriter for a long time (if you consider writing songs for thirty-plus years as “long”) and over the years I’ve developed a reputation as an expert in the field. As a result, I would guess I receive a dozen or so requests a week via email or my website asking for help on a songwriting related topic. It’s a point of pride that I read – and respond – to every single request. I like doing it and I know how good it feels to hear back from someone in the industry given how few and far between those responses can be. Thinking back to when I was starting out, I still remember exactly how good it felt when my call or email was answered.
Now to my point… I can’t help but notice how few of the people who have asked me for help actually take a moment to send a thank you email in return after I’ve responded to their questions. I won’t even try to guess why this is but I will tell you that it makes me appreciate the grateful replies that much more. On your creative journey, connecting with those who are more experienced and able to help will be much easier if you remember that everyone likes to be appreciated.
Conclusion
We all know developing creative skills is a challenge. That being said, why not avoid the low-hanging fruit of complaining about it or, worse yet, letting it affect your work. Take time to be grateful for the good things and the kindnesses along the way and you’ll be amazed at how your creativity will flourish.
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One of the best parts of working as a creative for as long as I have is that I’ve gotten to observe – up close – the way my successful creative peers manage their day to day lives. Beyond their obvious creative talent, there are lots of other things that these people do day in and day out in order to make themselves successful. I thought I’d list a few things that are worth adding to your daily routine if you’re serious about moving your creative practice forward.
1. Read
As creatives, we spend so much time in “output” mode that it’s easy to forget that we need to feed our creativity, too. Reading great writing and reading about great ideas is just as important as the actual process of creating itself. Make sure you remember to go on “input” from time to time to stoke the fires of your own creative process.
2. Write
This may sound obvious but now matter what your creative medium, it’s a good idea to do some kind of writing. A journal is a simple and easy way to make sure you’re writing at least a little each day even when you don’t have time to dig deeper into your own creative pursuits. I think of writing as a muscle and the more you work it the stronger it gets.
3. Network
I know for a lot of people, networking is an uncomfortable concept. It conjures up images of schmoozing, staying up late and hanging out in bars. That’s really not what I mean. I think of networking as simply building relationships. If I’ve learned anything in my years in the creative world, it’s that relationships are what keep you moving forward and connected to the industry. Networking can mean finding new collaborators, taking the time to send a nice email to a speaker you enjoyed hearing at a conference or any one of multiple ways of reaching out and connecting – either in person or online – with people in our chosen creative arena.
4. Pitch their own projects
Most creatives, especially early on in their careers, think of representation as the answer to all their problems. After all, now they’ve got people who are going to spread the word about them and their work. While, strictly speaking, this is true, the most successful creatives I know don’t sit around hoping that their manager or agent is going to pitch their ideas or material, they’re actively doing it themselves. It’s best to think of representation as an additional means of getting the word out but, in the end, no one is going to care about your creative work as much as you do.
5. Follow up
Ready for a little more unromantic news about the day to day of successful creative people? They tend to spend a lot of time following up on emails, phone calls and other opportunities that they’ve been pursuing. There’s a myth that the more successful you are the more opportunities present themselves to you. My observation has been the exact opposite. In other words, the more work you do, the more opportunities you create. Waiting around for opportunity is not something successful people in any field tend to do.
6. Practice patience
A career in creativity is all about the long game. There is very rarely an immediate result from the effort you make. Being impatient in the creative industry is a recipe for discouragement or regrettable behavior. While we would all like an immediate payoff for our efforts, it is often years between the time an idea is hatched or a project is completed and the time it actually generates any income for the creator. That being said, the better your work ethic and the more patient you are, the more likely you are to have success and enjoy the journey along the way.
Conclusion
If there’s one single point that I’d like to make in this article, it’s that you shouldn’t wait until you’re a successful creative to behave like one. There’s a tendency to think that once you start doing well with your work, then you’ll start taking care of all the other stuff. I’m here to tell you that it’s by taking care of all that “other stuff” that you’ll be giving yourself the best chance of success.
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“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” – Mike Tyson
In my years as a creative professional, I’ve found that it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” you’re going to hit a rough patch. The key, in my experience, is not trying to avoid these tough times but, rather, to learn to navigate them in such a way that you emerge on the other side stronger and wiser for the experience. Easier said than done, I know, but stay with me on this one…
Make a Plan
I think on some level we all enter the world of creativity with a mixture of blind optimism and unrealistic expectations. Both of these are, in their own way, essential. After all, who in their right mind would enter a career where the financial payoffs could be years – or even decades – down the road? The plans we all begin with are based on some combination of myth and dreams and yet they’re somehow enough to convince us we should give it a go.
Get Punched in the Mouth – Take 1
A few years into our creative pursuits, we begin to see the true shape of the road ahead. We now know the landscape, understand our place in it and, at the same time, we begin to see how far away we are from achieving our initial goals. This is, in equal parts, educational and completely demoralizing. This gut check moment tends to thin the herd of creative hopefuls by a significant amount.
Get Back Up and Make Another Plan
For those of us who still choose to continue, our process from this point on is all about refining our goals and looking for the things we can do to keep the joy in our chosen creative field. This can include finding collaborators, experimenting with different styles, reluctantly learning about the business side of creativity, etc. In other words, we’ve begun the process of growing up and into our careers. The good news is that this approach will lay the foundation for what can become a truly fulfilling lifetime in creativity if we’re prepared to stick with it.
Get Punched in the Mouth – Take 2
Despite our newfound knowledge and work ethic, the industry will still conspire to deliver significant valleys between the peaks we’ve begun to experience. The peaks can be everything from our first industry recognition, our work being made available to a mass audience, a big creative payday, or any other of many possible creative high points. These peaks are what will sustain us when the valleys seem to go on forever. At least by now, we’ll have the benefit of some perspective on how we wound up in these valleys and that will help us make a new plan informed by our past setbacks and disappointments.
Get Back Up Again (lather, rinse, repeat)
If there is a common character trait among successful creative people in any field, it would be their unwillingness to give up or stop doing what they feel compelled to do no matter how often they encounter adversity. So much of the success in our business goes to the people who wouldn’t take no for an answer whether it came from an industry decision-maker or from life itself. One of the ways I’ve found to weather these storms is to make sure that I have other interests outside of my creative pursuits. I know exactly how all-consuming a career in creativity can be but, sometimes, it’s the perspective you gain from stepping outside of that world than can be your salvation.
Conclusion
I should close this piece by stating that I am not a cynic. There’s no way I could have survived as a songwriter for thirty-plus years without a pretty good-sized dose of Pollyanna in my DNA. That being said, sometimes it can help to hear from someone who’s been through it that although you will almost certainly get figuratively punched in the mouth, from time to time, you can – and I hope you will – get back up and keep going.
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