The #1 Habit of Highly Creative People
I was recently reading on of my favorite blogs, the99percent.com (actually, it is more like a magazine) and they have a section dedicated to helpful links from around the web.
I clicked on one about the “No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People” (of course, I change No. to #, so as to not act presumptuous and contentious).
I thought the habit was going to be something like, staying physically rested. I was wrong.
And then I wondered, “how did they decide on this habit?”
I continued reading, and I found out that they had actually combined the answers of several highly creative people-from renown photographers to award winning actresses.
In my head I was like, dang it, I guess I can’t argue with them… (or I could, as long as I bring my chocolate Oscars trophy to the debate).
Sidebar: I don’t really have one, but I have always wanted an one. A chocolate Oscar, that is.
The #1 habit is (drumroll)…
Solitude.
And the point is well made in this quote from Rollo May:
“In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for contructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone.”
First of all, do you consider yourself to be a creative person? If so, what do you think the #1 habit is?
If you are interested in reading the rest of the post, which includes a discussion about the #2 habit, click here.
I do consider myself to be a pretty creative person….but not in the ways that most people see me as. I don’t do arts and crafts (contrary to popular belief…I really can’t stand them!). I have never written a play or even a short story (I’m lucky to find time to read a book, much less write one). But I am creative with color and repurposing “junk” and with fabric and design. My favorite time of the day is when I curl up on my chase lounge in the living room all by myself after everyone has gone to sleep. That’s when my creative juices flow and the next wall color is selected. That’s when I write my ideas down in a bulleted format so that I can start checking them off. Sew new window treatments…check. Repurpose an old ladder into a magazine rack…check. Hang a chandelier over the tub….check (ok, not yet, but it’s at least painted a fabulous color!). Anyhow, I LOVE solitude. Sometimes I think I love it too much! It defintely recharges me and makes me feel like I can take a few minutes to be selfish.
I would’ve also wrongly guessed that you were an arts and crafts person…
I like how you have identified your creative spot and time of day! I dig chase lounge furniture!
I think moments of selfishness are important for creatives…
I would have to agree. I consider myself to be creative in quite a few areas. I tend the fight the urge of solitude, but I do find it to be the times when I am most successful at being creative. Especially when I am working on a project, I like to be by myself. This allows me to focus on what I’m doing and what I want to do. And besides, I have the most creative ideas so why let anyone else influence me?!?! haha
I love the confidence!
When I read it, I didn’t think of it in terms of a project but instead, ideas and concepts.
Yeah, I also don’t really long for solitude, so this is challenging me!
I like to be by myself…it doesn’t happen often…. usually, when everyone is asleep an “epiphany” comes to me that I am compelled to write down or forever forget!!!! It can be very annoying – especially at 2 a.m.! lol
I don’t either and when I do, I am like…um…now what?
I think that once I master solitude, it well help me in mastering the art of the chill.
You seem like you have mastered the art of the chill.
I feel that I am wired for information and productivity, which makes it difficult to relax.
well i’d say i’m creative and i do like to be alone a little too much.nothing is better than getting the time alone to think about the day and come up with crazy ideas.it also helps me to create a story that i’ve been working on in my head for two years now
Interesting…
You are the first person to say that you like being alone too much!
I want to hear more info on this story!
Come on, any previews?
I enjoy my alone time. Wish i could have a little more of it sometimes. And I can be creative on my own. But I have also discovered that having other people around me can be very helpful too. I used to be part of the creative team at the church and I discovered that someone could say a word in a sentence when they were speaking and all of a sudden the doors would open and WHOOSH! I miss being part of the creative team. It made me feel like I was contributing. I felt involved in what God wanted to say and do. I am still helping, but the distance sometimes makes it hard to feel part of the team.
I don’t know how you do it!
Keeping the creative juices flowing and delivering results while being at a distance from the team and the source of the concepts behind the ideas.
What are ways that we could “bring the team to you” in essence?
I don’t know. The only think i can think of is possibly having video meetings or something once in a while. Not all the time. I think that would be too much. But once in a while would be great.
I am just holding on until April, possibly March. Then we should be coming home. YEAH! I miss everyone.
Give everyone my love and tell them I miss them.
I have been told I am creative, although I don’t feel it sometimes, maybe because like I said yesterday my weakness is being too hard on myself. Anyway I am the opposite of others I suppose I can not think or create when there is silence. I have created some of my best work while blocking out distractions (ie: kids, tv, family noise) I think it makes me concentrate harder to block that sutff out and focus past it. I have never been one that needs quiet to think. Even in high school or college I had to turn on music (mostly heavy metal…I know, I know) in order to “think” I am really thankful for this because I am not one of those people who gets distracted by every noise or movement. I don’t neccessiarily do well in a group creative setting because I tend to keep my ideas to myself because I assume others won’t value them…so it isn’t that I am “jazzed” by others assisting me. I am a lone creator in a hectic enviornment and honestly I am thankful because I don’t have options away from the chaos most of the time
I would have never guessed that you listened to heavy metal! Seriously, what a fun surprise…
As a self-prescribed “lone creator”, how do you stay fresh creatively?
honestly my mom taught me my whole life that we are the created not the creator…we must constantly depend on the creator of creativity (God) to give us fresh vision. He has all the answers, all the newest idea, all the out of the box thoughts. He is my source and I depend on Him to keep me fresh because in myself I can not create…I can only be open to letting His ideas flow through me because they ROCK! (hehe yes that was a play on my metal head days)
I’d say I can be pretty creative. I never really thought about solitude being so important in fostering creativity, but it actually can ring pretty true. But personally I can’t always just sit down and say “ok, time to be creative!” It happens more spontaneously, like I’ll be driving down the road and a song will inspire me. Or I’ll see or hear something that gives me an idea. That’s why whenever I have a moment like this I type it into my drafts folder of text messages and save it for later when I can create it or expand on it. Usually not if I’m driving though haha
I totally agree with you about the whole, I am going to sit and silence and then BAM (enter: creative idea).
I like how you use your phone, because you presumably always carry it with you…great tip!
What creative project have you undertaken that you are most proud of?
You and your questions haha. Probably the one I’m still working on which is a collection of a lot (maybe hundreds or so by the time I finish) of my favorite quotes, song lyrics, sayings, etc written on different colors of paper in different mediums and in different handwriting styles. They are all on scraps of paper right now and I hope to find a way to combine them all on a big background piece of paper.
Solitutde and participation – strange bedfellows !!! But I get it. Thanks.
Solitude is tough for most bloggers I would guess (it is tough for me), but when I commit – it churns our the results like fresh Ice Cream.