As a recording artist, so much of the focus becomes on the business side of your music. It’s a very planned and strategic, left brain process.. however.. when you’re sitting down to focus on writing that next song.. the core of what we are here for.. we need to be able to tap into our creativity.. our right brain part of ourselves. This article will focus on building and developing that creative part of ourselves.
Recently, I sat down for an interview with video game composer, Belinda Coomes.. she touched on a very interesting topic.. that firstly, everyone is naturally creative and then went on to say that we can all develop our creativity.. that it’s a skill that we can build on.. just like any other skill that we learn, throughout our lives.
Belinda had gone through the exercises within Julia Cameron’s Book, The Artists Way… A book with daily exercises, designed and helping you grow creatively.. A book that I have now purchased and absolutely can’t wait to go through the exercises myself!
The discussion, however did get me thinking about the concept of creativity itself and what it means to be creative and live a life of creativity.
The big question is.. where do we begin?
We have spent so much of our busy lives, focusing on rushing from one place to another, focusing on lists and processes and all the things that are expected of us.. how do we begin to unravel this and start to find and develop our creativity?
What does it mean to be creative?
We hear people talking all the time about being creative and living creative lives.. but.. what does it actually mean to be creative?
Martha Graham was an American dancer and choreographer and was considered a pioneer of modern dance.. I love her explanation of what she believes creativity is..
Martha says “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
For the purpose of this article, we will treat creativity as the development of something that comes from within you.. the product or idea born out of your own internal imagination.
It is something that affects, not just your songwriting, but it weaves its way throughout your entire life and touches all areas.. developing a life of creativity.
Why do so many of us move away from our natural creativity?
As children, most of us can reflect and look back and agree that we were creative.. we played.. we imagined.. we built imaginary worlds of wonder that absorbed us and we invited others to join us..
As adults, so many of us have forgotten this trait that we naturally had as children.. but why?
French artist, Henri Matisse once said that “creativity takes courage. ”
I believe that particularly in our busy.. “mature” lifestyles.. creativity takes an incredible amount of courage to live.
There is so much fear of judgement.. when you are being creative, you are baring your soul.. opening yourself up to vulnerability..
We live in a world that teaches us to close ourselves up.. not to reveal too much of ourselves.. to portray the perfect version of self and to hide all the ‘impurities’.
But the truth is that to be truly creative means embracing these parts of ourselves.. they are the parts that make us unique and the parts that will create something truly magical.. something that no one else can create in the same way.
How can we develop our creativity?
1. Build your self belief
“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Sylvia Plath
I had to add this one first.. yet, it’s the toughest to master.. I am still working hard at this one.
Self belief is incredibly important with creativity.. if you doubt your creations, they will never make it past your imagination and become a beautiful song that potentially could inspire all those listeners.
2. Allow yourself to dream
Practice spending time where you imagine what could be if there were no limitations.. If need be schedule time in, where you have nothing to do, other than dream and create.
What would you do if you had no limitations with money or ability?
What would the world look like if you believed that nothing was impossible?
Imagine that you’re a child again and you could create a whole world of possibilities.
3. Save your judgements until you’re done
Create that song or that idea without questioning whether it’s good.. allow yourself to create a bad song if that’s what it will be.. you are creating for the sake of creating and you can change it later.
Author, Kurt Vonnegut said “We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.”
Allow yourself to take a risk.. no one else has to see or hear your creation, unless you are ready to share it.
4. Change your questions
Pablo Picasso, in his book, Pablo Picasso: Metamorphoses of the Human Form: Graphic Works, 1895-1972, says “Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not. ”
Review the questions that you ask for any given situation.. start practicing the art of considering possibilities, rather than seeing only the situation in front of you.
If you find this challenging, why not imagine that you are someone else.. maybe a friend of yours or someone you admire.. how would they see the possible outcomes?.. how would they look at things differently?
5. Write down your ideas
Jot down your ideas.. even if they seem ridiculous.. You never know when a variation of the idea may actually come in handy.
What do you do to develop your creativity?
We would love to hear about what you do to develop your creativity!
Let us know in the form below.
Karen Harding is a Melbourne, Australia based singer/songwriter, founder of Sounds On The Couch, and founder and operator of boutique music PR service for emerging and independent artists, Rise Indie.