You’re Never Alone

Wait, what? How can you work alone, together? Well, we can work together with our thoughts. We all have many ideas floating around in our heads. If you have a creative mind and you’re constantly working to get your thoughts into all of the work you are doing, then it would make sense to try and capture as many of them as you can.

I have written before about taking the time to write down your thoughts in real time, as close as possible to when you actually have them. I have been known to get up in the middle of the night to write down some of my ideas as they come to me. Some of the ideas we have end up being the best ideas to ever come across our radar. When I am out on a walk, or shooting a photo assignment, I always have a notepad with me to write down my thoughts and ideas as they come to me. You could also use any note taking app on your phone to make sure you don’t lose the idea.

There are other times when I will deliberately take some time to think about different creative projects I would like to work on. I like to keep a couple of lists going. One for my writing and the other for my photography. As ideas come to me I make sure to add them to my lists, or at the very least, to make a note to get them on a list when it is more convenient.

What’s That Smell?

I was reading an article not long ago on writing and travel. The author was speaking about writing with your senses. Dave Fox was his name, I came across a course he was teaching on Udemy. In his course he said to use your senses when writing on location. Dave referred to this technique as an incredible tool to help with the creative process while you are traveling and working. He went on to describe how beneficial a tool it is to write about places you have already been. How helpful it is to use your senses as a method of jogging your memory to recall more about your travel, even after you return home.

We often take our thoughts for granted. We try to push them aside and focus on the work which is right in front of us. Often we treat our busy minds as a distraction which becomes an annoyance to our concentration. This may be true, but we should at least try to harness those thoughts as they touch down in our conscious mind. There is a good chance the thought landed there for a reason. You will know which thoughts have weight and purpose, if they do, by all means, write them down.

We overwork our thoughts at times, wondering if our next project should be unique in the sense that people will be seeing or hearing it for the very first time. There are times we look at the work of another artist, or many artist’s and think, damn, I wish I would have thought of that. Hey! You don’t have to be the first to think of a creative project. You don’t have to come up with something that no one has ever seen before.

The Sneaker Guy

Can you imagine how boring sneakers would be if the people who make sneakers changed there mind because someone already made a sneaker? How about cars, or bikes? Even dish soap and perfume, etc., we can go on and on with this stuff, can’t we? You never have to be the first at anything creative. Look at what others are doing, latch onto something you are passionate about and make it your own.

Austin Kleon, in his book, “Steal Like An Artist,” tells us to do just that. Look for something that grabs your attention, something you love, study it, add to it, make it better, and most importantly, make it your own. Ali Abdaal, a medical student, turned YouTuber, turned doctor, said this on a recent video, “Make it exist, make it functional, make it better!” I thought it was brilliant. I used this philosophy when I began to build this website. I have no idea if the thought originated with Ali, but it is where I first heard it.

The Big Parade

Our thoughts can be our best friends if we choose. I know it goes without saying that all of our thoughts are not food to nourish our creative appetite. Many of them come screeching into our creative no-fly zone at the most inopportune time. Let them! Those that arrive with a band playing, spectators whistling and clapping, make sure you take pause from what you are doing. Commit those beautiful ideas to memory, hardwire them in such a way to recall then at will. You will be glad you did!

Talk soon…

G