Home : Creativity Coaching : Dan Goodwin : Creative Focus

Creative Focus: The Simple Secret of the Magnifying Lens

By Dan Goodwin

Like the sun in the sky, our creativity is ever present. Also like the sun, sometimes it may appear to set, going down over the horizon and out of view, but really it’s just shining somewhere else we can’t yet see.

When our creativity does come out and shine brightly, we can bathe in its warmth, make the most of it and enjoy it as much as possible. But for us to use our creativity to produce consistently deep, powerful, stimulating and meaningful work, we need to focus its light and warmth precisely on one small target area at a time.

If we hold a magnifying glass up at the right angle on a sunny day, we can generate a very concentrated beam of sunlight, capable of quickly starting a fire. This intensely focused light is many times hotter than the unfocused, ambient warmth we get if we just lay under the sun’s rays.

By simply adjusting the angle of the lens, we can generate an incredibly powerful source of light and heat, which can be the initial spark for far greater fires and flames.

So how can we apply this concept to our creative lives?

How can we harness the ever present sunlight and warmth of our creativity into powerful burning fires, the meaningful and stimulating creative projects we spoke of earlier?

Well, like the magnifying lens, focus is the key secret here.

With our creativity, the ambient sunlight is like us having creative ideas, thinking creative thoughts, absorbing various different inspiring sources and stimuli, and being open minded to new ways of seeing and doing things.

We can hold up the magnifying lens, and focus this general surrounding light into something far more powerful by following this simple sequence of steps:

1. Choosing. First, choose one particular creative project you’d like to work on. Decide on the specific form or medium this project will take, the materials you will need to use, the outline details, size and structure and so on.
   
   It can be large or small, complex or straightforward, the most important element here is to choose ONE project to begin work on. This provides the magnifying lens through which to focus that creativity.
   
   
2. Beginning. Set a specific date and time when you will start the project. Make sure that everything you need is set up and available to you ready for this chosen time. Ensure you use a location where you’ll be undisturbed so you can concentrate your creativity without distractions and interruptions.
   
   This part is analogous to finding a place where you get a clear view of the sun and making sure your magnifying glass is clean and ready to focus.
   
   
3. Regularly Creating. Commit regular slots of time to your creative project, preferably at a set time each and every day. Adopt the habit of going to your creative workspace, whether it’s a single chair in the corner of a room or an entire studio, at the same time each day and creating for a minimum period of time.
   
   This equates to raising and holding that magnifying glass at the optimum angle to focus your creative light and warmth into powerful and rewarding creative work.

By taking these steps, and following them through, holding the lens up to the sunlight, you can be as creative as you wish to be, there is almost no limit.

It may take a little while to find the optimum angle to create the most intensely focused heat, so be open to making small adjustments like working at different regular times of the day, in different places, or for different periods of time.

Once you find an angle that works well for you, stick with it and very soon you’ll have set those creative flames burning brightly on your new creative project. •

© Copyright 2006 Dan Goodwin

About the Author | More by Dan Goodwin
Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin is the author of “Create Create!”, a FREE twice monthly ezine for people who want simple and powerful articles, tips and exercises to help them unleash their creative talents. Sign up right now and get your FREE “Explode Your Creativity!” Action Workbook, at www.CoachCreative.com.

10/24/06