Creative Something

Does age make you any less creative?

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:29:00 -0600

When we are young our minds are open to new possibilities, experiences, and thought paths.

As we age, we begin to form “ruts” in our way of thinking. As we grow older, each of us begins to accept that things need to be a certain way, or should be a certain way, for whatever reason.

Through age we discover that we will never fully understand the opposite sex, that what goes up will (undoubtedly) come down, and that the best way to solve a puzzle is one piece at a time.

But why?

Why, during our aging process but after a certain level of adulthood, do we accept things “as is” and forget about the possibility that things don’t have to be how they are? Why is it that so many of us are afraid to push boundaries after we reach adulthood?

The answer may surprise you.

There’s a great article over at NYTimes.com called “Exploring the past: Creativity in Old Age” (I strongly recommend you read it if you have 5 minutes to spare, and believe me: you do). In the New York Times article, Dr. Harry R. Moody states:

“Often the decline in creativity comes about because people’s underlying capabilities are not being challenged – they’re locked into jobs or situations that are boring.”

Ah ha! The reason so many adults begin to feel as though they aren’t as creative as they once were is because they lock themselves into situations that are repetitive or boring.

Ask yourself this: when was the last time I did something creatively challening, something outside of my regular routine?

Compare your answer to the one of this question: as a youth, how often did I break with routine using creativity? As we grow older we force ourselves to become locked down into routines, we force ourselves to avoid challenges for fear of losing money, a job, or love. As an adult, we might need to support a family, so we’ll lock ourselves into a job where our creativity is greatly hindered. Or maybe, as an adult, we’ll realize that our future is heavily dependent on retirement (but is it?).

After leaving my job at Fanzter a few weeks ago, I’ve had a lot of time to do new things, to be creative. The results of leaving my job have been incredible (stressful at times, but that’s when our creativity grows the most, isn’t it?).

No longer am I doing repetitive daily tasks. I’m free to experience creativity at it’s fullest, with nothing holding it down… I’ve got nothing to lose so I’m more willing to try new ideas, like posting this on Creative Something.

In conclusion, age brings responsibilities, the false need to “lock into routines”, and the overwhelming feeling of being less creative. But it’s not age that can make you any less creative. Only you can make yourself less creative.

So, today, try breaking with routine. Challenge your creativity. Call in sick and go for a drive to a place you have never been to, go attempt to fly a kite in a field, make chocolate chip pancakes (using blended bananas in the batter instead of eggs) for dinner. Do something that is far from your regular routine and challenges your creativity.

Even if it’s just for today: realize that you are not stuck as you grow older, you are still creative… you just need a way to express it.

As C. P. Fulford Jr. once said: “If you are coasting, it means you are going downhill.”

Not dead quite yet.

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:02:00 -0600

A new version of Creative Something is on the way.

Thanks to Jonathan Munk of Haiku Today, there will be more creative goodness coming your way than ever before.

You are creative. Really.

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:14:49 -0700

Summer days in Utah bring a scorching sun and with it a seemingly endless heat wave.

There were times, years ago, when I would lay down in my home next to an air conditioning vent, attempting to cool off from the fiery air of the day. I remember lying next to the vent and thinking about the person who put it there. Somebody spent time thinking of a layout for all of the vents that would cool the home. Somebody had to put together a plan, gather the parts, and put them together in the houses’ foundation for the air condition.

To me, lying there next to the vent, the person who constructed my home’s air condition system was a creative genius.

Do you think that the person who put that air conditioning system into place thought that it was creative work? Chances are: no. They were just doing their job. They were doing what they had done for years before, and they – most likely – thought nothing much of the work they did that day. But they solved a problem, didn’t they? They had to find a way to setup the air conditioning system.

To me, someone who hasn’t put together an air conditioning system in a home, that was brilliant.

We all have things that we do every day that are creative. We solve our own little problems every day, in work, in our relationships, in our play. To us, the things we do seem regular. We’ve been doing the things we do for so long that we forget to remind ourselves: we are doing something that possibly nobody else can do.

Sure, there are a lot of people who can install air conditioning systems and plan the architecture behind such a system. There are a lot of people who can do what you do, too. But nobody, absolutely nobody can do what you do… quite like you do it.

That’s your creativity, even if you don’t see it.

Take a look from far away.

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Where do you look for news?

If you’re like most people you turn to blogs, television, magazines, and newspapers. And, if you’re like most people, you probably think you’re getting a lot of perspective on the world or events by reading your favorite blogs, watching your favorite TV shows, or reading your favorite magazine or newspaper.

But are you really gaining perspective if all you are doing is learning about things you already know?

You aren’t going to learn anything from your local newspaper or blog or magazine or television station that you don’t already know (or that everybody else already knows). The perspective you gain from turning to local resources is closed and exactly the kind of perspective you are already likely to have.

The same goes for creativity: if you look for creative inspiration in the places you always have looked, you aren’t learning anything new.

Instead of looking to your favorite (and especially local) outlets for inspiration, turn to distant outlets. Newspapers from across the world, bloggers who live in another continent, or television shows (or movies) from a different time and place. Learn about things from a distance.

The best way to become truly creative is to embrace distant learning, because – as all creative geniuses know – distance provides perspective. And perspective is the real key to wisdom.

Seth Godin and what it takes to be creative.

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:53:20 -0700

Famous author and blogger, Seth Godin, is a creative genius.

But Seth is not a creative genius because he is more creative than you or I. Seth is a genius because he knows what it takes to really be creative. He has said in the past that creativity comes from boundaries and knowing where the edge of an idea lies.

Recently Seth wrote a blog post about what it means to be creative, and his description may surprise you.

Again linking back to his original thoughts on creativity and boundaries, Seth writes: “For me, creativity is the stuff you do at the edges. But the edges are different for everyone, and the edges change over time.”

How true is that? What you think is routine, something you do everyday (whether it’s in your work, or not), other’s may find creative inspiration from. The boundaries of our lives, the edge of everything we do, are creative in some way or another. It’s just a matter of finding the edges of everything you do in order to find your creativity.

In order to find the edges of what you do – and to be truly creative – you could simply ask other’s around you for their thoughts.

Ask the people you work with what you do that makes you creative? Ask other’s if there is something you do that always blows them away or makes them say –I wish I could do that!–

Read Seth’s full post here, then find your edges (and if you don’t think you are creative, stretch what you do a little to be creative)!

Creative inspiration in it's purest form.

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:07:00 -0700

The last person you talked to…

What’s their story? What do they believe? What have they lived through, what do they wish for, and what makes them get out of bed every morning?

Finding creative inspiration is as easy as asking these questions of everyone you meet. The people you encounter everyday are all unique; they all have their own perspectives of the world, and that makes other people the perfect source for creative inspiration. The stories of other’s lives is creative inspiration in it’s purest form.

Their thoughts and feelings, the way they answer one, simple question.

Take, for example, what the people over at Crush + Lovely have done for inspiration… they found beautiful, earth-shattering, creative inspiration just by asking 50 people one question.

So what are you waiting for? If you’re looking for creative inspiration, all you have to do is meet someone new, hear what they have to say, see the world from their eyes for a moment.

Creativity: use it or lose it.

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:33:00 -0700

Have you heard the phrase: “Use it or lose it”?

For the past few days that phrase has got me thinking: if you don’t use your creativity, will you end up loosing it?

Creativity is something that needs to be exercised almost daily. While most of us do exercise our creativity on a daily basis, are we doing enough to keep it going strong? And if not, will we end up losing some of our creative imagination? Think about it: if you or I don’t use our creativity – and I mean really use our creativity – for a certain amount of time, will we end up becoming less creative?

Let’s look at an example of how creativity might be lost by avoiding use…

When a school student participates in a math class and does well, but then does not take a math class or do any type of in–depth math for a year, and then goes back to a math class at school, they will almost always have difficulty remembering what they had learned the year before.

Likewise, there are a lot of things you most likely learned early on in your life that – due to not using that knowledge – you have forgotten.

Could the same be said for creativity? If we don’t exercise our creativity each and every day will we end up losing it?

Share your opinion in the comments.

Why do we do the things we do?

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:37:00 -0700

Without a doubt, “Why do we do the things we do?” is one of the most important questions of all time.

The question has plagued philosophers – who’s theories have helped shape entire nations – for centuries. The question of why we do what we do is what inspired Newton, Aristotle, and Picasso to think of ideas other’s could not dream of.

You, too, can find creative inspiration by not only asking “Why do we do the things we do?” but also by observing other’s while asking the question.

The people you see at the grocery store, why do they shop the way that they do? What makes them pick up a box of cereal or a piece of fruit? Why is it so often that shoppers move around a store in a recognizable pattern?

Ask the same question of your family’s, co–worker’s, and friend’s, actions. Why do they do the things they do?

Especially ask yourself why you do the things you do. When you finish a project – or put something off until the last minute – ask yourself why. When you react to a situation a certain way, when you do something you have never done before, and especially when you do something that makes you feel good, ask yourself why you did it.

You can find creative inspiration simply by addressing why you and I do things a certain way. What makes us do the things we do? Is there a better way to do what we do everyday?

Everyday, starting today, I want you to observe the people around you and constantly ask: “Why do they do what they do?”

Not only will you learn a lot, you’ll also find that the question provokes your creativity.

The line between creative genius and you.

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:37:00 -0700

It was about 2 months ago when the creativity quiz was launched.

Since the launch of the quiz over 5,000 people have discovered just how creative they really are, and the results are definitely interesting to look at. Why are the average results of the creativity quiz interesting to go over? Because they show that there is definitely a definitive line between the average creative person, and a creative genius.

Take, for example, the fact that the average creativity quiz score is between 50–70 points, which ranks as “Pretty dang creative!” on the quiz score sheet.

Then there is a huge drop in people who score any score between 70 and 90, almost nobody scored an “incredible creative!” score on the quiz since it’s launch. But then, when looking at people who scored in the creative genius category, there is a fairly large number representing quiz takers.

The line between people with average creativity and those with creativity much like Einstein and Picasso supports the idea that there is a line between creative geniuses and everybody else.

But – no matter where you score on the quiz – the quiz results also show that there is so much potential for you to expand, to learn, and to become a creative genius yourself!

If you haven’t taken the quiz yet, head over to TheCreativityQuiz.com and take the test (it’s REALLY short and won’t take you more than 5 minutes to do), then review how your answers were scored and make an effort over the next year to improve your creativity!

Always remember that you can be more creative than you are! It just takes a little knowledge, a little time, the ability to change habits, and an open mind.

The best of Creative Something 2008!

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:51:00 -0700

Wow.

The year 2008 is just about over, and that means Creative Something is just about to turn a year old!

For the past year we’ve shared a lot of creative insights together, and the blog has grown tremendously! So, in celebration of the past year and how far we’ve come, I want to share eight of the best posts here on Creative Something from 2008.

How creative are you? Take the quiz and find out!
How creative do you think you are?

Do you ever wonder how creative your friends, your boss, and your family might be? Well wonder no more. Creative Something is proud to announce The Creativity Quiz!
Six confessions from creative professionals.
From not really being creative, to thinking that creativity is incredibly hard, these creative confessions are an interesting look into the secret thoughts of some of the biggest creative geniuses of our time.
10 of the greatest web sources for creative inspiration.
Have you ever sat in front of a blank computer screen, or empty piece of paper, or a really white whiteboard, and wished you had some source of inspiration to help you with your creativity?
Seven creative habits you need to acquire.
If you are a creative amateur, professional, or wanna–be, these are seven creative habits that will help you increase your creative potential, and give your creativity more “oomph” when you need it most.
Top 10 ways to fuel your creativity.
Simply coming up with creative ideas can be extremely hard and time consuming, especially for – but not limited to – creative professionals; finding advice on fueling creativity is almost just as hard.
NY girl creates functioning invisibility cloak.
New York City, NY – What scientists have been trying to create for years, Abby Dougal, age 7, has put together in only a few hours.

With some help from her parents, using nothing more but a bed sheet and scissors, Abby has constructed a fully functional invisibility cloak.
Six of the best ways to produce incredible ideas.
Let’s face it, generating ideas is not an easy thing to do. But there are a few techniques you may not be aware of that can make generating ideas easier than you originally thought. In–fact: there are a lot of techniques you can use to help you generate ideas, but not all of the techniques produce great results.
How do you spark creativity?
Creativity is like fire: it can be difficult to start if you don’t know how.

Creativity is also like fire in the sense that one little spark has the potential to turn into something extremely enormous and powerful. All it takes is a little know–how to spark your creativity, and before you know it you will be overwhelmed with creativity. At least, that’s what we all hope for (it doesn’t happen like that all of the time).

So there you have it!

2009 is just about here and with it are some BIG announcements from me regarding Creative Something, including the announcement of a NEW book, creative juice for sale, and more!

See you next year! And thank you for reading!

Original photo by Jon Rawlinson.

Is creativity really just in YOUR head?

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:48:00 -0700

Creativity, in all of it’s glory, is only in your head.

Think about it.

Have you ever tried to be creative for somebody else, for any purpose other than your own desire to be creative? It’s almost impossible to be creative for anyone but yourself (let alone a paycheck or pat on the back).

The actual act of being creative takes place simply because someone wants to be creative.

No amount of money can cause someone to be creative (though it can be a great motivator). Anyone in a creative industry knows this. These people aren’t painting or designing or creating things for a customer or client or business or quick dollar, they are doing what they do because they want to solve a problem; because they want to feel creative. Creative professionals are creative because creativity is what motivates them every single day.

For everyone else creativity is almost alwaysjust another thing.

So what is creativity to you? Do you find yourself dying to do something creative at your job, or do you get by doing what your told? Are you someone who day dreams of ways to be creative or do you just go with the flow? Do you often think of ways to do things differently, to do things that nobody has done before, to question that status quo?

What is creativity to you? A paycheck, or a lifestyle?

Where did all of the creativity go?

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:31:00 -0700

You haven’t seen a new post here on Creative Something in about a week, I know.

Makes you wonder where all of the creativity has gone, doesn’t it? As it turns out, my time has been spent on something that will change your life.

What is it?

It’s a book. Well, more like a guide or a resource that you can carry around in your pocket everywhere you go. But it’s not just any book/guide/resource, it’s one that countless people just like you have been asking for.

Everywhere I go there is somebody who has been looking for such a resource.

Now, nearly a year in the making, the resource is about to be released. Unfortunately the work put into this resource has kept Creative Something on the low, with updates being few and far between.

You can expect things to pickup once again here on the blog shortly, and you can expect to get a SPECIAL discount on the new, upcoming, life–changing resource when it is released within the next few weeks.

Stay tuned, things are about to get interesting!

The absolute best advice for being creative.

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:28:00 -0700

Be fearless.

Finding the time to be creative.

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:59:00 -0700

What’s your excuse for not being creative today? What about yesterday or the day before?

Were you “just too busy to think of different possibilities”? Or maybe you simply “don’t have time to be creative”. While you may have led yourself to believe that these are good excuses for not being creative, these are horrible excuses for not being creative.

When it comes down to it: you DO have time to be creative. Everything you do, every day of your life, is an opportunity to be creative.

You do have time to be creative!

You have time to ask a few additional questions, or do something just a little different, or change your routine slightly, or bring up a concern, or use a different tool, or change your perspective. You DO have the time, you DO have the methods, you CAN find the time to be creative.

Use your creativity right now to quickly jot down a few additional ways you can find time to be creative today.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started on your list.

One creative way to help charity.

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:43:00 -0700

This is unbelievable.

Jacob Cass is currently running a contest on his design blog with prizes totaling over $11,000! But this isn’t your average blog contest. No, this contest is all about helping charity through user donations.

Readers enter the contest by making a donation to charity.

Jacob has come up with an incredible setup for this contest, and it goes to show how a little creativity can really help charities with very little effort. Users offered prizes for the contest, and users enter the contest by paying to charity. Jacob is merely the mediator of the contest entries.

When I say that this is an incredible contest, I really mean it.

There are a total of 67 prizes, with a total value of over $11,000. If Jacob could raise $11,000 worth of prizes for his contest, can you imagine how much he could raise for charity?

Rather than just running an average, enter and win contest, Jacob has created something that doesn’t just benefit contest entrants, but also charities!

The true reach of this contest could be immense!

Does thinking outside the box hinder creativity?

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:27:00 -0700

We’ve all heard it a thousand times.

Think outside the box. It’s a metaphor that seems to have worked for hundreds of creative geniuses in the past. But could thinking outside the box actually be wrong? According to Harry and Christine Clifford Beckwith, authors of You, Inc., thinking outside of the box can greatly hinder your creativity.

Here’s one chapter from the Beckwith’s book about thinking outside the box:

“Your box – you way of thinking, working, and living – has worked for you. It’s the box in which you were born, a product of the DNA with which you were encoded. You can change your box about as easily as you can alter the shape of your head.

You are methodical or mercurial; you are lateral or linear; you tend to be inward, or outward. But from birth, you are who you are. It’s a pretty good box. Most important, it is yours 镃 the box in which you have operated forever.

Don’t try to think outside your box; it’s too hard. Instead, grow it.

For a wonderful inspiration and example, consider the story of singer Paul Simon.

Simon wrote some of our previous century’s classic songs, including an album that became the background music for an entire generation: Bookends. Millions bought it, and millions more heard its songs as the background music to the movie classic The Graduate.

Simon flourished inside his box. His box was filled with the culture of rebellious 1960s America, torn between chasing California girls on the beach on one hand and protesting the Vietnam War on the other.

Simon flourished inside his box – and then he didn’t. He stayed there, and the box that had helped him produce classics started producing fluff… Simon’s box closed in on him.

Simon solved it, but not by changing his thinking. He changed his box by bringing new things into it. To find them he ventured a world away; he flew to Africa. There, his box changed from what he felt and saw. As he wrote in one sone, he sang ‘angels in the architecture, spinning in infinity.’

Africa and its images and sounds startled, moved, and overwhelmed Simon. With his head stirring with these new influences, and inspired by the African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, he wrote ‘You Can Call Me Al’ and one of music’s truly outside–the–box creations, the album Graceland.

Simon didn’t think outside his box; few people can. Simon grew his box. He brought into it new things, studied different culture, and listened to African music rather than his own.

From that he transformed himself, and flourished.

To become more creative – always a good idea – don’t try to think outside your box. Instead, grow it. Bring new things in.

If you read Vanity Fair [magazine], read In–Fisherman. If you read Tattoo, pick up Architectural Digest. If you read People, scan The New Yorker. If you attend the theatre, catch a NASCAR race…

Tinker with your box. Buy an orange sport coat and a pair of red suede shoes; see what changes.

Grow a bigger box.”

To be honest, I could not have said it any better.

How thinking can make you more creative.

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:34:00 -0700

Once a week I take a 45 minute drive up the middle of the state to spend the weekend with two of my favorite muses.

The first muse is, of course, my girlfriend of two years. The second muse, however, cannot really be given a title, per say. Because the second muse is simply my own thoughts, the ones that have crowded my mind again and again for the past two years.

Some people would ask: “Why drive 45 minutes every week, isn’t there a way to meet in the middle?”

And the truth is that: it’s the only time I have to think with myself. That’s 45 minutes of my week that I dedicate to sitting in a quiet space just to think. Sure, occasionally traffic is bad and I can’t really focus on anything but it, but the majority of the time I find myself thinking about problems I had faced that week, or something creative I want to do over the weekend or what I need to get done next week.

For the past two years I have spent one day every week driving and thinking (sometimes at the same time).

Turns out that merely thinking – taking some time to sit alone and let your thoughts run rampant – is a great way to become more creative. Taking just a few minutes every week to think about anything and everything is the easiest way to find creative inspiration.

It’s not really a mystery, more like one of those “Ah hah!” moments. The more you think: the more creative you become. Don’t believe me? Why not?

Think about it.

Creative Inspiration, exclusively for subscribers.

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:29:00 -0700

Things are changing here. Almost a year after launching, Creative Something has closed it’s doors to the general public and will now offer complete, unedited creative articles only to those who subscribe to the blog.

Subscribing is free and easy to do! You can learn more about subscribing to feeds right here.

If you have already subscribed to Creative Something then you can get complete access to the articles posted here by viewing the blog feed in your RSS reader or in your email inbox (if you’re subscribed by email).

The reason for moving to an exclusive, subscriber–based model is simply because I want the information and discussions here to belong to an exclusive community.

Creative Something may be written by me, but it belongs to you. As proven in the recent contest, without subscribers like you this blog would be nothing. So now the value of each post is increased, as only subscribers will be able to get the complete post.

Thank you for reading Creative Something. As we approach our first year together I look forward to you finding inspiration in this blog, and expanding your creative potential every day.

Do open conditions stimulate creativity?

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:33:00 -0700

What is it about high ceilings that attract us?

For thousands of years artists, architects, and everyone in–between has been drawn to high ceilings. The reasons that home buyers, famous artists such as Michelangelo, and general creative people look for spaces with high ceilings has been a mystery… until 2007 when a study reported that high ceilings do, in–fact stimulate creativity.

You can find a short, one page article about the study right here.

“…the researchers used two test rooms, one with an eight-foot ceiling and the other 10 feet high, and suspended colourful Chinese lanterns to emphasize the height. …They showed 100 volunteers pictures of a wine rack and a coffee table that were smooth and sleek except for a few awkward features. When they asked the volunteers to describe the products, those in the low–ceilinged room zeroed in on the imperfections, while the ones in the taller room took a more generalized view and ignored the glitches.”

The study is focused highly on the height of a ceiling in a room, but could the same research be applied to the openness of the outside world?

“…people in a high–ceilinged room are primed to think broadly because of the sense of freedom associated with the space…”

What do you think? Was this study biased in their research? Or is there really something about open space that stimulates creativity?

(via Swissmiss)

Looking for some spooky creative inspiration?

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:13:00 -0600

For the past 13 years Duarte Design of Mountain View, California has celebrated Halloween with a pumpkin carving contest.

When a design firm such as Duarte holds a pumpkin carving contest you can always expect the results to be incredible. Duarte is – after all – a creative design firm. So it’s only fitting that this Halloween you look for creative inspiration at the 13th annual Duarte Pumpkin Contest!

From an M&M character, pumpkins baking pies, Batman, fashion symbols, symbols of the current US economy and a lot of other creative designs, these pumpkins are something else.

But if you’re looking for more than just a few creative pumpkin carvings, you can also browse through the Duarte Pumpkin contest history and view even more incredibly creative pumpkin designs.

Looking through all of these carvings makes me wish I could carve a little bit better.

Happy Halloween to everyone who celebrates the holiday!