Many young professionals lie awake at night, convinced that our creative talents are being stifled. Our lives have become too formulaic and we feel as though our energy is being zapped by uncreative careers.
The “lie awake” phase is not healthy. The lack of sleep is not healthy. The frustration is not healthy. The subsequent cycle of food, alcohol, and infomercials is not healthy.
So, how do we shake it? How do we find something to think about in bed that’s more inspiring our own self-pity and recycled episodes of “Real Chance at Love”?
I have a few ideas.
1. Stop Whining (to yourself). When we focus on self-pity, it’s more difficult to brainstorm and generate ideas, kind of like trying to accelerate with the parking brake on.
2. Make Something.
3. Work harder to incorporate creativity into your existing job or activities (note: this will likely require you to put in some OT)
4. Find your people. Take a class, look for discussion forums online, or get in touch with someone you know who does creative things. The more you surround yourself with creative people, the easier it is to complete a creative project.
5. Make Your Something Better. Editing (or redesigning) separates productive creativity from casual creativity. Critiques, rejections, and amendments are essential.
Comments