Get in Creative Shape
I am an athlete and very active person. Before I start my day, I have to engage in some sort of high impact physical activity whether it be kickboxing, running 3+ miles or dancing. Basically if I don't exercise my body before I do anything else, my day is awful.
How does this relate to creativity?
"Just as an athlete performs better if he's in top shape, ideas will come to you more quickly if you've been putting in the time at your chosen craft" (Tharp, 2003, p. 105). Twyla Tharp's bestselling book,The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life, will challenge you to live life in the creative lane.
It takes time and effort to get in top creative shape. "When it all comes together, a creative life has the nourishing power we normally associate with food, love and faith" (Tharp, 2003, p.243).
While working at my previous job, I neglected my passion for writing. The days following my unemployment, I woke up, went to my desk and wrote tirelessly until it pained me to hold my pen any longer.
Was the material I wrote good? Not necessarily. But during that transition time, I was writing as a form of therapy. It felt so good to get out onto paper what had been locked up inside of me. My creative muscles weren't conditioned properly, so I had to get the yucky stuff out first. After a few weeks of practice, I can now say I feel highly productive in about five minutes (on a good day).
"Whatever your medium, if you've been away from it for a few weeks, the first days are going to be clumsy and fruitless. But things get easier as the rust falls away. The ideas come more smoothly. You are fit and gleaming. You can't wait to attack your work” (Tharp, 2003, p. 106).
I can relate this to someone who starts working out hardcore or playing sports after a long hiatus. That person's athletic performance will be less than stellar. Why? Their muscles have been stagnant due to improper conditioning. They will likely get cramps, side aches and tire easily.
I also started experimenting with myself - messing with my head. I tried to change up my routine as much as possible. Try this:
Tomorrow morning, pick a fight with your wake-up routine. Before heading to work, pick a fight with your rituals. Remember 'Opposite Day' in elementary school? No means Yes. Yes means No. Do the opposite of what your brain is telling you to do.
"That quick jolt of defiance might be enough to rewire your circuitry and deliver something new...you're picking a fight with yourself to generate anger, emotion, combustion and heat...there's something to be said for getting into a warrior's frame of mind, especially when you're troubled by some aspect of your creative life" (Tharp, 2003, p. 135).
The hardest part is making yourself take that first step. As Nike says: Just do it. Get yourself in shape and get on with your life.
Tap into your creativity. Attack your work.
The more you work out physically and creatively on a routine basis, the easier it will become for you. I can attest to that.
"When creativity has become your habit; when you've learned to manage time, resources, expectations and the demands of others; when you understand the value and place of validation, continuity, and purity of purpose - then you're on the way to an artist's ultimate goal: the achievement of mastery" (Tharp, 2003, p. 240).
