What is creativity? How do we get it? How do we keep it? How do we get it back when it disappears?
The FIRST thing to know is that creativity is in everyone, always has been, always will be. You can’t get it or lose it. The only thing you can do with creativity is use it, or don’t use it.
The SECOND thing to know is not all creativity is good. In fact, my guess is 99.997% of all creativity is bad, embarrassingly so. It is so embarrassing that most people learn to avoid it. We are social animals, and until very recently in human history, survival was dependent on continued acceptance in the group. The group knows this and likes to use that power to make you be and think just like them. This reinforces their decisions, their creativity, at your expense. You used to do the same to them, admit it.
The THIRD thing you need to know is that even if you are able to dispose of all your horrible creative ideas, and then get some good ones written down in a coherent manner, they aren’t going to be seen as good by other people. You will fail miserably for a long time. If this seems like something you don’t want in your life, give up now. Really, stop reading. Go look at cat videos. They are so cute, aren’t they?
Still here? Congratulations! Welcome to the world of perpetual failure. Sure, mom loves your stories. That’s because she wants you to take care of her in her old age. Truth is, failure is always a good thing. Learning how not to do something is the best way to learn how to do something better. Learn to love your mistakes. Go read some of those year one stories, talk about cringing. This is year one for you? Set a reminder in your calendar ten years from now to go back and read that story you just started. Imagine how bad the ones we didn’t write down were.
The FOURTH thing you need to know about creativity is that it has two sides. It has an ethereal side, mystical and elusive. It also as a logical side, concrete and straight forward. They compliment each other. The logical side determines what creativity is needed and then asks the necessary questions. The ethereal side gives a lot of answers, good and bad, often not the ones you want or need. The logical side calls all of them stupid and asks for more. Eventually the ethereal side gives up, knowing the logical side will never be satisfied. Writer’s Block. Finding the balance between the two sides is how your creativity becomes part of you. Write down most of your ideas regardless how bad they are. Yes, they all suck, but some will suck less than others. Keep narrowing it down, adding more, narrowing down again, and then choose the least sucky option. That is how Rembrandt and Chaucer and Beethoven did it. It is also how the millions of unknown, unpublished artists did it. You might be one of those, face it. Even if you work your mind to the bone for decades, your least sucky creativity may never entertain anyone but mom. If that thought bothers you, cat video time.
The FIFTH and final thing about creativity you need to know is that only one reader, one critic, one person needs to like your work for you to be creatively successful. Can you guess who that is? No, not your mom. It’s you, and you hardly even know you. Seeking outside recognition for your art is the quickest route to disappointment, discouragement, and failure. If you’re next story will only get written if someone likes your last one, you are creating for the wrong person. No matter what, keep on writing.