creativity – Page 9 – Andrew Zahn

Creative Passion

Dear Me,

Just a reminder before you get started: you wrote this post. You wrote this letter.

You. Wrote. It.

***

Now it’s time to dig a little deeper.

Put your fingernails in the the dirt of your creativity. Let them come up grimy and soiled. Feel the cool of the earth and the grounded feeling of the minerals.

Dig in.

Passion begets passion.

Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 were all about getting yourself to feel again. You might’ve felt angry or frustrated at first. But mostly you felt empowered. You realized you’ve abandoned your creativity.

Passion begets passion.

Onward and upward?

No. Deeper and wider. Continue reading “Creative Passion”

In Day 1 you read a letter you wrote and then ripped the lie apart that you had a crappy life and nothing to offer. In Day 2, you wrote another letter and figured out just when you stopped working for yourself instead of just working for others.

At some point you fired yourself from your creativity and said ‘other people can make choices for me.”

So that brings us to today. Day 3. You’ve been through Day 1 and Day 2 of creativity boot camp for slugs. You might still be feeling a bit sluggy. Continue reading “Why Your Dreams Die”

Passion for Your Creativity, Day 2

Dear Me,

So you read your day 1 letter from yourself.

You started dissecting the lie that you have a crappy life, no passion for your creativity, and nothing to offer.

Today is about when, with a healthy dash of why.

When did you start talking to yourself in so much psycho-babble spin-speak? Why not just be honest and see where this will go…

It’s time. It’s totally time.

Do. You. Feel. It?

It’s time to stop talking, time to start doing.

We’re going beyond dreaming. We’re going beyond asking ‘what if.’

We’re going radical here. Right now. Continue reading “Passion for Your Creativity, Day 2”

Passion for Your Creativity, Day 1

Dear Me,

I’m writing you a few letters you can read to yourself.

So remember when you’re reading these letters you titled “Passion for Your Creativity, Day ? ,” that you wrote them.

These are from yourself, to yourself. Because you want you to be the artist, the creative, the innovator you are.

***

[box options]You’ve always wanted something. You’ve always had passion. You’ve always had drive, desire, tenacity. You’ve thought big and acted even bigger. You had passion for your creativity… at one time.[/box]

But now you’re impatient. You’re sluggish with nothing to do and you’re so busy doing… nothing.

What does that TV show amount to night after night? Continue reading “Passion for Your Creativity, Day 1”

World Within A World

Imagination unlocks truth we feel, but can’t yet verbalize.

Creativity frees us to discover what we knew existed, but couldn’t yet see.

Inspiration connects us from the temporal, to the eternal.

[box options]There is a world within a world – within this world. We just have to choose to see and experience it. The joy is is helping others to do the same.[/box]

Dream Job Day Job Dojo

What’s your dream job?

If you could do anything you wanted, what would it be?

What’s keeping you from fulfilling your dream job?

It’s seems all the rage to talk about day jobs and dream jobs.

It’s a great discussion and I’m so glad people are discovering passions, dreams, and purpose. I love the whole Quitter thing (read more about it here), the ‘chase your dream’ mantra, and working hard to achieve a goal.

But there’s something in the word ‘dream’ that might need clarification. Continue reading “Dream Job Day Job Dojo”

Your Creative Spirit

Ideation Marriage Vows: Brainstorming Tips You Can Use Now

ideation – īdēˈāSHən – noun

“The formation of ideas or concepts.”

[box options]In a post a few weeks ago I asked you, awesome readers, what post in my drafts folder you’d like to see materialize into a full blown post. You voted via your comments, and Why Men Make Breakfast got top honors.

A few runner-ups also peaked your interest along with a post originally titled “Ideation Marriage Vows.” So here she is, your requested post on ideas and marriage.[/box]

What is Ideation?

It’s the exciting part of creativity. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the part that is mostly fun, little work and gives you a rush.

Ideation is brainstorming.
Ideation is collaboration.
Ideation is free form creativity.

Everyone wants the idea. Few want to work it out.

I’m fascinated with ideas, creativity and the process of bringing an idea or concept into a tangible form. It’s intriguing that as I sit here, my brain has things it wants to say, it forms those ideas into words, and my fingers put in on the screen in front of me.

“But what if it’s a bad idea?” you might say.

To which I might respond: how do you know it’s a bad idea? Continue reading “Ideation Marriage Vows: Brainstorming Tips You Can Use Now”

Slay the Critic

I’ve been posting on this blog three times a week since September 2011. I’ve talked about artists with day jobs, creativity comfort zones, and lip syncing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

But I often sit down and see all the white on this page…

Edit Post ‹ Creatives — WordPress — Daunting Blank Page

And that’s a bit scary.

Have you felt this way?

We get down to our creative work and we sometimes hear all this crap from ~~somewhere~~ someone inside us that says… Continue reading “Slay the Critic”

Your Creativity Matters Now

Jim Woods recently posted a short, thought-provoking post Is There Good Art and Bad Art.

It got me all riled up. Here’s how I responded to his post:

In a world of numb, art makes us feel and think. As to good or bad, it’s not a good question for art.

Art isn’t math. It’s not formulaic and simple.

It’s as complex as an emotion.

And are emotions good or bad?

It’s a discussion that could go on and on…

As creatives, we make people feel again.

We bring life to the lifeless.

We awaken thought to the thoughtless.

We kindle smoking embers in those who feel their dreams are dying.

Our efforts are good.

Your life, your creativity and your contributions matter. Continue reading “Your Creativity Matters Now”