Want to Create? First, Create a Process
“Process saves us from the poverty of our intentions.” — Elizabeth King, Sculptor
I hear it all the time from people: “I’m not creative.” Because I’m an introverted, generally non-confrontational person, I simply nod in response. If I was bolder, I would say: “How do you know? If you never engage in the act of creative expression, on what evidence are you basing your self-assessment?”
Sure, some people may be born with creative ability, just as others are born with athletic ability. For whatever reason, we intuitively understand that athletic ability must be paired with hard work for great athletic performance to manifest. However, when it comes to creativity, we often assume that there is a magical muse, which only visits certain people like the tooth fairy, that is responsible for their creative expression.
“Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It’s dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great.” — Billie Jean King, Tennis Player
The truth is, creativity is more like a muscle than magic. Creativity grows stronger the more you exercise it. Writers grow stronger when they write; painters when they paint. It seems counterintuitive, because many assume that creativity flows from lightning strikes of inspiration, but successful creatives, like successful athletes, almost always adhere to a disciplined process. They show up to do the work even when they don’t want to. Yes, despite widely held beliefs that routine is inhibiting, creativity requires rigidity.
“I write only when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.” — William Faulkner, Author
As a kid, John Grisham dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. When reality set in during his late teens, he decided to pursue a more practical path. He earned an undergraduate accounting degree, then a law degree. Approaching the age of 30, Grisham was busy with his legal career, working 60 to 70 hours a week at a law firm in a small town in Mississippi.
While he was busy with his legal career, he had an unfulfilled desire to write a novel. Grisham couldn’t afford to cut into his working time to pursue what he perceived as a writing hobby, so he created a daily ritual for himself. Every weekday, he would wake up at 5 a.m. sharp, take a quick shower, and hustle to his office. He would be at his desk, coffee and legal pad in hand, by 5:30 a.m.
He wrote every day. He didn’t write quickly, he wrote consistently—250 words a day, which is the equivalent of one page. In a year, the first draft of his first novel, A Time to Kill, was complete. The rest is history.
“10 Steps to Becoming a Better Writer: Write. Write more. Write even more. Write even more than that. Write when you don’t want to. Write when you do. Write when you have something to say. Write when you don’t. Write every day. Keep writing.” — Brian Clark, Author
When it comes to creative expression, consistency matters. Consistency eliminates excuses and procrastination. If you want to develop a creativity habit, you must show up every day, regardless of how you feel at any given moment. Like any habit, a creativity habit will require discipline and willpower at first. As you consistently produce creative work, you’ll realize benefits and gain momentum. The habit will become ingrained over time—we tend to do more of the things that bring us benefits. Given sufficient time, your creative process will become automatic—instinctive second nature.
“Every artist has thousands of bad drawings in them and the only way to get rid of them is to draw them out.” Chuck Jones, Looney Tunes Artist
I know from my own writing experience that I’m a terrible judge of what ideas will resonate with an audience. As Seth Godin likes to say, the only way to come up with good ideas is to have lots of bad ones. By showing up and doing the work each day, we increase the odds of creativity striking.
“How many pages have I produced? I don’t care. Are they any good? I don’t even think about it. All that matters is I’ve put in my time and hit it with all I’ve got. All that counts is that, for this day, for this session, I have overcome Resistance.” ― Steven Pressfield, Author
In many instances, people keep their creativity pent up because they’re fearful of the judgment of others. “What if I’m no good?” they ask themselves. “What if no one will like it?” Don’t become attached to the outcome of any creative endeavor. The outcome is out of your hands. The only job is to do the work. The more work you do, the better you will become. The better you become, the more passionate you will become about the work you do—regardless of the outcome.
“Creativity itself doesn’t care at all about results – the only thing it craves is the process.” — Elizabeth Gilbert, Author
My wife, Heather, is a creative person. For the last 15 years, she has run a successful creative marketing agency. She designs northern-Michigan inspired clothes and other products. She has created public spaces, such as the Fairy Trails, in our community that bring joy to kids of all ages.
Yet despite all of the evidence of her creative talent, for years she has resisted pursuing her true creative passion, which is painting. As an armchair psychologist (I know, I’m treading into dangerous territory here), I’d say she suffered from “imposter syndrome.”
But no longer. Several months ago, she picked up Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way. She started reading the book every morning, and doing her “morning pages”—a writing ritual Cameron suggests that involves writing three free-hand pages every morning. Morning pages is a daily practice meant to transfer thoughts from one’s head onto paper. By freeing ourselves from inhibiting thoughts through writing, we create space for creativity to flourish.
Heather developed discipline and consistency around a process. And as a result she began to paint. Every week since beginning her daily process she has produced a painting, and sometimes two. It’s no longer a question of if she will paint, but rather: how much? Who knows where this will lead, or what the outcome will be, but there’s no doubt that she’s put herself on a path—reinforced by her rigid process—that brings her great joy and satisfaction.
“As you move toward a dream, the dream moves toward you.” — Julia Cameron, Author
Want to create? First, create a process. The magic that lies within you can only be unleashed by putting in the work.
Set a schedule. Establish boundaries. Take action. Discipline breeds creativity.
