The act of creating isn't just one thing it's everything. As music producer Rick Rubin explains,
Creativity is something you are, not only something you do. It’s a way of moving through the world, every minute, every day.
As a writer, it's not just about writing. As a musician, it's not just about singing. As a sculptor, it's not just about sculpting. It's everything you do. It's what you listen to. It's what you read. It's the people you surround yourself with. It's your awareness of the world. Creativity is everything you do. The act is one big, long, never-ending process.
As with any craft, you're looking for the secret to that process--the truth behind creating timeless excellence. But creativity doesn't have many truths, if any. It's not like science. Do X, and Y happens. There is no method. There is no technique. There is no way. Creating is a mix of simplicity with complexity, order with chaos, knowing without knowing. It's a paradox you live and may never figure out. You just do. Day by day. Moment by moment. Minute by minute.
But what is creativity? Where does it stem from? How does it come to be?
It might help to start with what creativity is not. Creative work is not, hold your breath for this one, original work. Originality doesn't exist. It's not a thing. Creativity is based on imitation. Not entirely, but partially. Athletes imitate other athletes. Writers imitate other writers. Entreprenuers immitate other entreprenuers. Nothing is original, it's all created based on already existing ideas, just in a new way. That's not originality, that's innovation.
But if creativity isn't making something original, what is it?
It's the act of touching hearts. It's the pursuit of following excitement. It's the process of doing something you love. It's what Rick Rubin said,
The call of the artist is to follow the excitement. Where there’s excitement, there’s energy. And where there is energy, there is light.
Creativity is about touching lives, starting with yours. It's following the thing that gives you goosebumps. The activity that you never want to stop doing. The act that gets your heart racing. Because art is about creating something authentic--something that touches your heart--and if it touches your heart, it can touch others. But to create something authentic, you can't just create, you have to love what you create. Alicia Keys said it best,
The magic in any art is not only in its technique but in its authenticity. Truth in its rawest form is what resonates most powerfully.
We've uncovered one of the few truths of creativity. It's not about originality, it's about authenticity. Creativity needs to be rooted in a deep love for the craft. Without great love, you can't make great art. It's the one truth that exists. Everything else is up for grabs.
How you create. When you create. Why you create.
But let's dive further into what the creative process might look like, could look like.
As Rick Rubin mentioned earlier, the creative process isn't the act of creating, it's an act of being. It's how you live, what you do, who you interact with. Everything you do is the creative process. Therefore, an artist is always in creator mode.
Jerry Seinfeld explained that he is always looking for material. When he goes out to eat. When he's talking with someone. When he's on vacation.
I'm never not working on material...every second of my existence, I'm thinking, "Could I do something with that?"
Rick Rubin explains that you need to be aware of everything going on around you.
Material for our work surrounds us at every turn. It’s woven into conversation, nature, chance encounters, and existing works of art. When looking for a solution to a creative problem, pay close attention to what’s happening around you. Look for clues pointing to new methods for ways to further develop current ideas.
For Alicia Keys, the spark an artist desires often comes from the experiences in your life
The spark might come from a line I’ve read in a novel, a conversation I’ve overheard, or an abiding sense of calm I’ve felt during a Sunday stroll through Harlem’s Mount Morris Park. In the case of the latter, I might return home, sit down at the piano, and play around with some chords that embody the feeling I’ve experienced.
The beauty of art is it's like a puzzle, and the world has all the pieces, you just need to find them. Because as we said earlier, creativity is about imitation. It's finding a story, reading a quote, or trying a product that sparks an idea. Creativity isn't about reinventing the wheel, it's about using what's already there.
After cultivating awareness, you might think about your inputs. With creativity, the focus is often on the output. The page that is written. The piece that is painted. The product that is created. But the output comes from something. Is it spiritual? Some kind of hidden energy? Inspiration that hits you randomly? It plays a role. But what matters most is your inputs. What you read. What you listen to. Who you surround yourself with. Since everything is the creative process, it's paramount that you're strict with what you let into your mind. Great art isn't about output, it starts with input. You need ideas. You need inspiration. You need information. You know now that it's not going to come from some original idea or thought, those don't exist, it's all out there in the world. So be strict with what you consume because it affects what you create, how you create, and the quality of your creations. And it all comes back to awareness. Not just being aware of what's going on around you, but aware of the deliberate choices you make and the inputs you allow.
Okay. Okay. Okay. But wait, what about the actual creation? What does the process look like when you sit down and do the work?
Finding the best way to work that works for you is a delicate, deliberate process that requires experimentation. You can mess with when you work. Are you a morning person? A night owl? Creators create around when they are at their best--when mental clarity is at its peak.
How long should you create? Who knows? That's a dumb question. Science puts limits on focus. But you know when you should be done creating. When the brain is running in different directions, when you're struggling to think of anything, or when quality suffers, stop creating. It's not about time, it's a feel. Create until you can't create any longer.
But what about the environment? Take it from Rick Rubin
We’re affected by our surroundings, and finding the best environment to create a clear channel is personal and to be tested. It also depends on your intention…Andy Warhol was said to create with a television, radio, and record player all on simultaneously. For Eminem, the noise of a single TV set is his preferred backdrop of writing ... .There is no wrong way, only your way.
Time. Duration. Environment. There is no right way, only a way that works for you. Experiment. Analyze. Refine.
But there is one thing when it comes to creativity that every artist needs to adopt, or at least try. It's what I like to call the, Do One Thing or Nothing Technique.
When best-selling author Neil Gaiman sits down to write, he can write or do nothing.
When I sit down [to write], I'm absolutely allowed not to do anything. I'm allowed to sit at my desk. I'm allowed to stare out at the world. I'm allowed to do anything I like, as long as it isn't, anything. I'm not allowed to do a crossword. I'm not allowed to read a book, not allowed to phone a friend. All I'm allowed to do is absolutely nothing or write. What I love about that, is I'm giving myself permission to write or not write. But writing is actually more interesting than doing nothing after a while.
It's the same thing Jerry Seinfeld does when he writes
My writing technique is just, you can't do anything else. You don't have to write, but you can't do anything else.
The act of creating is challenging. You'll want to avoid it and there's always something that will seem more enticing. To prevent that, follow the wisdom of Gaiman and Seinfield--you can do the one thing or nothing. And after a while of doing nothing, doing the one thing--your creative pursuit--becomes all you want to do.
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