creativity

I've been thinking a lot about creativity lately and my ability to get things done... whether it's writing or house projects. Here are a few thoughts I came up with. 

4 things that stifle my creativity:

Television:

Hmmm…. So many studies I could cite that show the brain’s activity is basically zilch when watching the boob-tube. (really, who thought of that term? And what does it really mean?) If it squelches the imagination of children, I can’t imagine the effects on this ole’ brain of mine.

Facebook / Pinterest:

I know shocking isn’t it? You’d think Pinterest would inspire me to do great things. In one way, it does give me a lot of ideas. But the longer I’m on Pinterest, the less I actually want to do. It’s so much easier to just sit and click the “Repin” button for things to do tomorrow.  I was addicted (maybe that’s too strong a word) to it in the beginning, but for the last year or so, I mostly use it as a filing system. I typically repin only the first few things that strike my fancy from those I follow. Every once and awhile I’ll go on a pinning spree and spend a few minutes looking at what the world is pinning.

Email:

 Ohmygosh! I get so many emails a day. Spam is included in this. The most timely are the spam comments for my blog. I make it a habit to click on each one and delete the comments that made it past the spam filter and onto the blog. Most of them are ads for other websites (some not so reputable) that bog down the site. This is getting more and more time consuming the more relevant my posts get to the spambots. There’s nothing like logging on to write something wonderfully witty only to be zapped by 20 spam comments that need deleting. My new system is not to get on email until after I’ve written if I can help it. 

iPhone:

Same as above, the iPhone is like Pavlov’s bell and we are his dogs. Everytime I hear that little bing I know someone might be talking to me. As a stay-at-home mom, someone talking to me in order to say something other than “I have to poop” is exciting. I think, too, it gives us the feeling of being needed by something or someone outside the home making us feel important. I’m trying to turn Pavlov off more, especially since 75% of the bings are disappointing spam.

Please don’t hear me saying these things are bad. In and of themselves, they aren’t. I know that if you use them purposefully, they might even be able to encourage creativity, but for me, I mostly find my mind stops creating and starts letting someone or something think for me when these things are on.  I find my creative juices start flowing when I:

Exercise:

Specifically walking or running…. I can’t do anything else so I have to think. Uninterrupted thinking breeds creativity.

Reading:

One of my professors once instructed that as writers, we are part of a conversation. Ideas have been around since the dawn of time and we’re merely contributing to a community of thoughts. Reading spurs us to think of things we’ve never considered or approach a subject from a different perspective. Once we start thinking, creativity takes over and we naturally want to join the conversation.

Classical Music:

 Maybe it’s heavy metal or acoustic guitar for you, but classical music helps me relax (instead of thinking about lyrics) and puts my mind in a good place to DO. Whether it’s writing, painting, or trying out a new DIY project, classical music stimulates my mind to be creative.

Browsing a bookstore:

Here’s where I really go crazy!  Going to the gardening or cooking aisle in the bookstore sets my heart racing. It’s like my crack cocaine. I see all those ideas and I immediately want to go home and start doing something. ANYTHING!  I can hardly sit still thinking about it!

What’s your favorite creative outlet and where do you find your inspiration?