How to be creative
Hi, Im Rand Courtney, from Creative Deviants here to talk a little about the creative process.
What is creativity?
Are you born with it? Can you learn it? And most importantly how in the hell do you actually be creative?
First of all everyone has the capability of being creative. When you hear your favorite song on the radio and the hairs stand up on your arm, thats the beginnings of creativity. Now, it’s just about harnessing it and using it to your advantage, but it takes a lot of practice and finesse.
Now, for the record I’m not talking about personal creativity, because there you have no rules and no boundaries, whatever you create is creative in any way shape or form.
Im talking about being creative for a living, a job, a gig or even a simple one time project. Anything that has stakes involved plus the panel of judges who will ultimately be deciding if your creation is creative enough.
Creative projects involve so much shitting on other people’s ideas, that a lot of people cant hack it. If you are sensitive or very precious about your creative projects then you might want to consider how much rejection is involved in this line of work. For example: back when I was a strapping young actor in the 90’s, when I wasn’t booking as many parts as I would have hoped and inquired as to why, my agent property told me “Rand, your just too ugly for the pretty parts and too pretty for the ugly parts.”
You need thick skin.
You also need to be able to collaborate constructively. Telling the executive in charge of your project that their tastes are questionable is not a good idea. Trust me, I know. So, unfortunately you are sort of whoring your creativity out to someone else for their branding purposes and you just gotta be cool with that.
But that doesn’t mean the work has to suck.
So, how can you get to that headspace where you are indulging your own creative whims but also towing the company line?
Why, lots of Cannabis!!! Thats how.
By partaking in your own personal creative endeavors, you will satisfy the artistic beast within you. I found that once my hobby became my job, I didnt want to do my job as a hobby anymore, so I did something else. Gardening in fact.
“How to be creative” is different for everyone.
I think the common thread is that you need inspiration of some kind. That can be movies, a conversation with someone you admire, a phone call with a mentor, even a walk in the park can spark up ideas or thoughts you wouldn’t have caught standing half naked in your kitchen staring blankly into the middle distance,
There are mornings I would rather be doing anything else, than engaging my creativity to try and think up a catchy marketing phrase for a male enhancement brand’s launch video. So, typically I will get a little exercise, eat a good meal, shower, listen to Busta Rhymes in my office for 15 minutes and Im almost ready to go. But thats just me.
The key is to find a routine that works for you and always be ready to evolve and adapt.