Tag: creative seasons

Momentum as a Mindset: Make it a Habit and Become Unstoppable

On By Alice StrathernIn Mindset

Momentum is a mindset. It goes beyond the sum of actions to produce a desired result. It’s a habit. It’s a commitment to create impact for the long term. At the same time, it’s hard to find a precise definition. Paraphrasing Solomon Timothy, this concept can be a broad term whose meaning varies depending on the context.

In sports, it’s a great play or a struck of luck. In music, it’s taking a basic idea and eventually turn into a structured song. The best example that comes to mind is Paul McCartney composing Get Back out of the blue.

While Paul makes it look easy, it is important to state that building momentum may take longer than expected. Dan Cumberland, author of The Meaning Manifesto, uses a great analogy to explain how the process works. I’m breaking it into four bits:

  1. Momentum is like a merry-go-round: it will take a good amount of force to get it moving.
  2. You have to push with everything you have to get the first few inches of rotation.
  3. As it gains speed, less force is required to keep it moving.
  4. Once you have momentum, it is much easier to keep going.

It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop, as philosopher Confucius once said. That’s why starting small is a great decision.

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Producing Your Most Impactful Work

On By Alice StrathernIn Miscellany

This Instagram post made me thoughtful and nostalgic at the same time:

Why does it feel like that layout made us more productive?

Maybe it’s because it felt more personal and inspiring. There were still a lot of analogue elements to interact with. These days, technology is more minimalist. Plus, work is result oriented and less fun oriented.

What are your thoughts?

Imperfect creativity: good is enough

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Mindset

Imperfect creativity is natural and good enough.

Anything that requires creativity has a human touch and humans are imperfect. This idea is still hard to assimilate. At some point in our lives, we’re taught to avoid mistakes and get flawless results.

Recently, I thought about my literature teacher in high school. Our discussions in class tended to lead to all kinds of random topics. One day, he expressed his frustration at some students that were obsessed with getting perfect marks. His words were unforgettable:

“In this life, you have to deal with the fact that you’re not perfect.”

He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Maybe that statement sounded too harsh at the time, but the wisdom is there. If you think about it, life itself is imperfect.

So why is it worth hanging onto perfection?

Perfectionism is connected to your self-worth and is something you probably have to keep working on to overcome.

Creatives Doing Business

That’s another hard pill to swallow. In the Western culture, this is a constant struggle. Aim to be perfect or go home. On the other hand, in other cultures of the world, embracing imperfection is normal.

For example, there’s the Japanese idea of wabi-sabi. Leonard Koren, author of Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, defines it as “the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.”

I love the idea of finding beauty in the imperfect. There’s value in creating, doing your best to give it form, and releasing it to the world and let it be in its full glory with glitches included.

Creations are never complete. There’s always an improvement to make or a new version to start from scratch. After all, wabi-sabi is based on the cycles of nature, which are constantly changing. No creation ever stays the same.

With this concept in mind, how can you embrace imperfect creativity in your daily life?

 

The creative process to write books: a series of changes

On By Alice StrathernIn Mindset, Personal, Writing

As I published Kaleidoscope Eyes, I’ve been thinking about the creative process to write books.

There’s all kinds of strange highs and strange lows. On the most challenging days, blocks fill you up with negativity: “Is this good enough?” “Is anybody going to be interested in this?” “Why would someone want to read an unknown author?”

While writing my novella, I went through stages where I thought my work had no potential. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to finish the job for not having a compelling story. Self-doubt was a huge obstacle.

However, part of the creative process to write books involves finding ways to overcome those blocks and stay tuned to your creative seasons. I’d like to share my experiences here.

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There’s a time to flourish: creativity at its best

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Mindset

There’s a time to flourish and a time to be dormant.

A time to play and a time to rest.

A time to socialize and a time for introspection.

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant something and a time to pluck it up.

Creativity is no different. Each step of a process comes with a season, in which times are more active, and others are more contemplative. Contrary to all the ideals of productivity, it’s unrealistic to expect outcomes nonstop.

It is a mistake and a misreading of nature to think that you, a living creature, will be flourishing all the days of your life.

austin kleon

Therefore, it’s crucial to know when to do things.

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A garden in your mind to cultivate ideas

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration, Mindset

Did you know? You have a garden in your mind. It’s possible to plant ideas like seeds and watch them grow as you water them everyday. Fred Rogers, creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, puts it more beautifully:

You can grow ideas in your mind. You can think about things and make believe things and that’s like growing something of your own.

fred rogers

It’s basically like gardening, and it’s no trivial pastime. It’s more than the growing of plants. It’s actually the expression of desire.

Have you ever wondered why certain thoughts are more recurring than others? It’s worth examining why they’re around frequently and under what conditions they tend to pop up the most.

Ideas, like plants, can be dormant in certain seasons. They’re waiting to be activated.

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Creativity and architecture: common principles

On By Alice StrathernIn Inspiration

Creativity and architecture go hand in hand. I don’t think one can be without the other. In theory, and in practice, creativity can find order, form, and structure through the same concepts that architecture uses.

For example, architecture is based on people and shapes its design and function according to the needs of communities. Creativity is used to find solutions to challenges and, at the same time, it can improve people’s personal lives or work environments.

Creativity is an expression that can take many forms. On the other hand, since prehistory, architecture has been used as a way for civilizations to express culture.

If we think about it, building a life or a career requires a solid foundation; a structure that can shape our circumstances in the right direction. Emulating a discipline that involves designing and construction can provide some great benefits.

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Creative seasons: observing your atmosphere to flourish

On By Alice StrathernIn Mindset

We all go through creative seasons. Our focus varies depending on our mood, our environment, and yes, even weather.

Creativity, I believe, works in a similar way. There are periods of time in which ideas flow and exciting projects start; however, other periods are slower and more contemplative.

Jess McHugh, author of Americanon, reminds us of something essential for any creative process:

Things happen in their time and place, and we can prepare and make plans, but frost might come anyway.

Jess mchugh

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Know yourself: a time for introspection

On By Alice StrathernIn Mindset

“Know yourself.”

This is one piece of advice that has been around for centuries. In times like these, understanding this concept is as relevant as ever. I think any day is ideal for introspection.

Why do you need to know yourself? I came across a great answer:

Gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves helps us to be responsible – or response-able- meaning we can respond to life, rather than react.

Joey Hulin

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Seeking a balanced life: you can’t have it all at once

On By Alice StrathernIn Mindset

Thoughts on slowing down have led me to consider the meaning of a balanced life.

What does that exactly mean? It looks different to each one of us.

This poem by Kenneth Koch, though, is a game changer at least for me.

What’s true is of these three you may have two and two can pay you dividends but never may have three. These are the strongest verses in my opinion. It’s a hard pill to swallow, and if you think about it, there’s truth in it. You can’t have it all at the same time.

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