Creativity is one of the skills most in demand in today’s (and tomorrow’s) workplace. Entrepreneurs, community organizations, and business leaders increasingly recognize the value of creativity and want to work with people who bring highly developed problem-solving skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a desire to make a difference.
But living a creative life isn’t always easy. It can be a challenging, sometimes frustrating, yet ultimately fulfilling, experience. The real challenge is sustaining your creativity—especially in today’s dynamic and highly-charged social, economic, and political landscape.
As a painter, teacher, and college administrator for more than four decades (and as a husband and parent) I know firsthand the tricky juggling act that awaits creative people. I appreciate how difficult it can be to find a balance in life. The demands of day-to-day living can often suffocate the creative spark.
I can’t provide a guaranteed formula for success, but I’ll hazard some first-hand observations and hard-earned lessons for nurturing and growing a creative life.
No. 1. Sustain curiosity. In your work and in life, leave time for observation and reflection. Be mindful of history and theory, but stay open to new and unfamiliar ideas; they can instill meaning and relevance in your work. Reflecting on his own creative process, the photographer Elliot Erwitt said, “I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
No. 2. Take risks. Experiment, test, revise, edit, iterate -- it’s the cycle of the creative process. It’s important to look beyond your particular field or discipline for knowledge and inspiration. Of course with risk there will be failures, but let’s hope they will be productive failures that inspire you to find other pathways and solutions.
No. 3. Make connections. This can be one of the most effective tools fueling your creative process. Your relationships with those who influenced you will inspire you to make those greater connections among people, ideas, objects, and places. And, with creative thinking and persistence, those associations will lead you to those “aha moments” of discovery and wonder.
No. 4. Daily practice. The most successful creative people have developed a deep commitment to their work that comes from the discipline of daily practice. This is their way of relating to the world. Think of daily practice as your real job. It will center you and sustain you in both good times and the darkest moments.
No. 5. Passion. Never forget what launched you on this path—doing what you love. My passion for art has always been combined with a deep attraction to music. I recall reading about the pianist Arthur Schnabel. When asked whether the ideal source for a musical performance all comes from within a person, Schnabel responded, “Love has to be the starting point—love of music. It is one of my firmest convictions, that love always produces some knowledge, while knowledge only rarely produces something similar to love.”
There will be well-trod pathways that beckon you on your life’s journey, and there will be blind alleys that lead you astray, but pursuing a creative life – doing what you love -- is enormously satisfying and rewarding.