Creativity. Get it. Use it.

In order for our writing to Sparkle, I think we have to get in the zone, or in the mood. Whatever that right place is where we feel passion, feel our characters struggle, feel the angst, the happiness, the love--whatever. But a lot of times with busy schedules and only snippets of time to work, it's hard to achieve that certain state of mind. So what do we do? What do I do? Besides have a drink to relax? (Gin & tonic works very well, by the way. Totally relaxes me and shuts off the internal editor).

In my search for the answer, I thought hard about the creative process. How do I get it? And how do I use it? What the hell does it even mean--creativity?

I looked for definitions and found many, which are all true and relevant, but none really spoke to my personal definition of the word. So I came up with my own: Creativity is a natural adrenaline high that enables us to generate new ideas and concepts. By my own definition, I need adrenaline to write. I think we all do, because the best stories are the ones we feel the strongest about. It’s the stories we labor over, and ponder on, and rewrite and think about some more that are the best. The ones that get our blood pumping.

So how do we achieve an adrenaline high every time we sit down to write?

First of all, I think you have to be clear about what you want. Is it to write an outline, a rough draft of a novel, an article or simply a blog entry? Decide. Write it down and then hang it up where you can see it. This small clarification will allow the adrenaline to flow freely, pushing you to the end of your goal. I think if you don’t have a clear idea in mind, an end goal, then you’re going to lose passion, lose patience, lose the belief in yourself and your project (because the goal isn’t clear and you’re confused) and ultimately you will experience disappointment.

And disappoint KILLS creativity.

So for today, think about what you really, really want. Be crystal clear about it. Write it down. And then visit me again next week when I write about the second part of this process.