Isn’t it Time You Took YOUR Creativity Back to the Gym?

By Dan Goodwin

We all know the feeling when we’re not quite as fit and sharp as we once were. We can’t write a full page without breaking sweat or stopping for breath every 10 minutes. Loading a new film in our camera causes lightheadedness and palpitations and just breaking the seal of a fresh tube of paint results in us needing a long lie down in a dark room!

Signs like these can only mean one thing: Our creativity has got way out of shape and it’s not the young stallion running endlessly free in the meadow that it once was. If indeed it ever was!

There’s only one solution. It’s time to take our creativity back to the gym…

If we treat our bodies badly, don’t exercise, fill ourselves with junk food, and don’t get enough rest and recuperation, then pretty soon we start to feel the negative effects.

Similarly with our creativity, if we neglect ourselves — metaphorically pile on the pounds and let ourselves burn out — then naturally the ease and regularity at which we create great work, or indeed ANY work, steadily diminishes.

So what can we do about it before it gets lost forever? How can we train and exercise our creativity, nurture it, and give ourselves the best chance of creating the amazing and powerful work we’re all capable of?

Here’s a few tips to help you get your creativity, if not to an Olympic Gold Medal standard overnight, at least to leaner, stronger, healthier state.

1. Start slowly.

If you go from creating nothing to expecting to write a novel in a weekend then you're likely to pull a muscle and put yourself out of action for a long time, maybe even end your career for good.

Begin by committing to just 10 minutes at the same time each day. Invest in a quality notebook or journal you’ll enjoy returning to. Sit down in a quiet place and write or sketch in your journal for 10 minutes. What you express is not important. What’s more valuable is the fact that you are creating a little each day.

When you feel it’s the right time — whether after 7 days or 70 days — build up the time you spend each day. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can do nothing during the week and then cram in a 50 minute session at the weekend. Remember — a little each day is the key here.

2. Create your own personal gym.

Find somewhere you can go to each day to create where you can focus, relax, and won’t be disturbed.

Just as some runners prefer to run through the streets every morning rather than pound the miles on a treadmill, find the routine and surroundings that work best for you and your creativity.

3. Vary your exercises.

When you begin, the most important factor is just that you’re creating something each and every day. Then, begin to vary what you write, sketch or paint.

Just as the complete athlete works on every part of themselves, from their external muscles to their heart, lungs and dietary system inside, to be as creative as possible, exercise your creative muscles in each of the different disciplines you use. And then try some completely new ones.

4. Invest in good equipment.

A top athlete uses the best equipment available to them, whether it’s their training shoes, multi-gym, or their dietary intake.

Similarly, treat your creative self with enough seriousness and respect to invest in materials that will enable you to work at your best. This doesn’t of course mean the most expensive or cutting-edge technology.

Many writers for example may first prefer to write longhand with a favourite pen before going to the word-processor. A photographer may have a treasured camera that they can adjust to give exactly the results they want, rather than have the latest digital technology.

Quality does not mean the most expensive gadget or the thing with the most buttons and features. Ultimately creativity is about imagination and ideas. But at the same time it’s important to give yourself access to the materials that will allow you to manifest these ideas most fully and clearly and create your best work, whatever your creative discipline.

5. Get some support.

Make a pact with a close friend that you will begin this ritual of getting your creativity into shape together and hold each other accountable. Check in regularly with each other to see how the creative gym work is going and give each other all the encouragement possible.

You may be in the position where you live or work with someone who wants to do the same for their creativity and you’re able to set aside 10 or 15 minutes together each day to build your creative habits.

Be devoted though and remember why you’re creative “buddies”. Don’t let your meetings slip into a daily gossip session or a chat about what was on TV last night.

Finally, experiment, have fun, and enjoy your daily workout! The better condition you keep your creativity in, the easier it will be to steadily translate those major creative projects into reality. •

© Copyright 2006 Dan Goodwin.

04/03/06