Tips from a Big Sister for Living a Creative Life (wink, wink)

Here is something I wrote to my sister, who has spent her life telling herself she isn’t creative… which is ridiculous.

We are all creative… and even better, creativity can be honed/developed/expanded…

Here is what I wrote to her…

Creativity is for fun. Try to avoid pressuring yourself. That said, some of us do better with some structure (waves hand)

1) Try to *Do Art* – create/draw/write – every day (See Creativity is for fun – above) (See Challenges and Streaks – below)

2) Put a mark/sentence/anything on the paper/project before you start. This will help avoid Clean/Blank Paper Paralysis

3) Date and sign every sketch, drawing, poem, idea/note etc.

3-A) The dates are for you. This means you have an easy reference to see how you have progressed or what idea come first (Really. Trust me on this.)

3-B) Signatures are for your family/descendants

(Really. Trust me on this.)

4) Challenges and Streaks/Daily Practice are your friend

Examples – Inktober, Drawcember, Nanowrimo, Daily Writing Prompt, any dang personal challenge you want

4-A) Challenges – Both Aine (Mary Eliza Bond Boord) and Hob (Harry Owen Boord, Jr) used challenges to great effect.

Story 1 –

Aine belonged to several poetry organizations which offered Monthly Challenges/Competitions. She participated. Every. Month.

One time Hob (her son) came for a weekend visit. The monthly challenge, due to be sent back on Monday, was to write a sonnet. She was frustrated/waffling/fearful and had written nothing. She told him about it when he arrived.

He went out with his friends on Friday night. He came home late, sat at the kitchen table and wrote a sonnet. He left it on the table with a note that said, “If I can do it, you can do it.”

Aine was an early riser and found his note and sonnet when she got up. By the time he woke up — much later — her sonnet was written and waiting for him.

She won the sonnet competition.

Story 2 –

Hob joined a photography club and participated in their monthly competitions. Sometimes he won, sometimes he didn’t. Now, decades later, his family still cherishes and enjoys those images.

Moral of the story – Early or late… Just do it. [Insert appropriate Yoda reference here. lol

4-B Streaks/Daily Practice – A good streak is what gets the Daily Practice done, especially when you remember it right before bed. lol

Doing the minimum just to meet the Streak/Daily Practice totally counts and is always good for a laugh later.

If that happens more often that you like, re-evaluate and adjust, rather than stopping the challenge.