I don’t remember where I saw this quote, but I saved it because it is so true – “Creativity is just one of those strange, elusive things. It’s like trying to grab a cloud.” (Danny Elfman)
Being a blogger means being creative, or at least trying to be, on a fairly regular basis. Some days the thoughts and the words come easily, but some days I just sit here grabbing at the cloud and coming up empty.
Many times, I will write for awhile and then erase everything that I’ve written because the train of thought that I was following went nowhere. On other days I will realize at the end of a spurt of writing that what I was writing made no sense or came to a conclusion that I can’t support. Those get erased, too. In those instances, the creativity turned out to be more like cotton candy – I took a big bite that dissolved away when I tried to chew on it.
I like this quote from Steve Jobs because it sums up a lot of what I do when I’m in my creative mode –
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”
It is that ability to take a few things (or ideas) that may already exist and put them together in a way that no one else has seen that can end up creating something new or solving that intractable problem. On those days that I struggle with the creative process, I might end up making no sense at all. Those are the days that I hit the erase button.
Yet, even on my good days of creativity the words of Julia Cameron ring true – “Creativity is always a leap of faith. You’re faced with a blank page, blank easel, or an empty stage.”
Pursuing a creative outlet, like writing or painting or other creative things, can be a satisfying activity. In the end one gets to look upon something that they have created that didn’t exist before. So, let your creative side out. Find that creative activity that you can pour your passion into and take that leap of faith.
Grab for that cloud.
NormsMilfordBlog 