Torley Lives

 
Photo courtesy of Ravenelle
 

Ever wanted to make something to rock your world but you were feeling stalled? I agree, writer's block and its bastard siblings are a damn shame! Continuing from "13 tips to maintain & boost your creative inspiration", I've got more tips 'n' tricks to share in the evergoing war vs. lack of artistic output. I may not be "the bad boy of productivity", but I do have an attitude to be passionate about such matters while valuing your time, so let's get started.
 

1. Sequels don't have to suck. Lack of creativity often sets in when you feel lost, and don't have a direction to go in. But think of your previous work: you got that done, didn't you? Look at it closely, and gradually put yourself in a non-creator mindset: if you were the reader/listener/viewer/audience, what would you like to see happen after this? What happened to the characters after the story ended? Sometimes, creating a work that's a direct or loose followup of a previous one is rich grounds for possibility — it builds on something you're familiar with, and leads into fresh territory.

An alternative approach, especially if you haven't had much creative output: think of art made by other people you enjoy, and consider what they could've done, AKA missed potential, that they didn't. Use that as a basis for a new work. If this still sounds too vague, here's a specific example: I often ask myself,

"What would this look like if it was in watermelon colors?"

It's a simple standard, and sure to get me juiced up.
 

2. Work in another medium. OMG, I know, obvious but also true! (Easy to forget when you're feelin' down. *hug*) If you mainly write, dabble in painting. If you mainly paint, try plunking guitar strings or tickling ivories — a piano/keyboard. There's an ocean of free/affordable software like ArtRage 2 and celtx to play with! In my youth, I mainly did music as an expressive medium but my hopes (as of age 16) was to be a multimedia designer. Since "multi" means many, I got my hands on computer art programs, wrote a lot of short stories & poetry in high school, and wasn't afraid to explore — how could I be afraid when creatively-speaking, there was nothing to lose and everything to gain?

New developments in different artforms will consequently support each other, building what I envision as a "lattice" where lines cross and strengthen the whole. For instance, if you don't know what text goes next on the children's book you're writing, try drawing a picture to illustrate it, and it may jog some new ideas, or even convince you that you should be doing both the textual + visual parts of the whole package! And from my experience, I'm thankful I've been able to use my own music compositions in my video tutorials — I have full rights to them so there's no legal hassle, and I have an intimate understanding of how music affects moods and how I can use that to enhance my presentations. Wearing different hats has worked well for greats like John Carpenter and JJ Abrams, and altho I have no idea how Lost is going to conclude, parodies of that show's writing sessions have been inspirational in themselves. Which leads me to…
 

3. Be anti-yourself — just for a day! And what does that mean? Well, are there artists out there you really don't like, and you swear you'd never do something like them? In a "classical snobs don't like Britney Spears" or "Harold Bloom will never eat at Stephen King's table in a trillion years" way? Less harsh, if you were going to poke fun at yourself, how would you do it? Give yourself 24 hours, which is enough space to flow, but not too long as to be discouraging.

How about discarding pretentions and prejudices you may have, and then setting out to emulate those styles, and maybe even do them better? Such as, if you were producing Britney Spears and had to make the best of it, what kind of song would you have her sing? Or if you woke up in Thomas Kinkade's body (he's an unfairly easy target to knock, and I earnestly do like his "paintings of light"), what would you paint? Post-rhetorical questions such as these have a place: they help you transcend your discomfort zone and consider possibilities you haven't before. They may even help you laugh your ass off out loud, and that may "break the ice" for what you do next, because you aren't taking it so seriously… nor should you!

Key lesson: make something you normally wouldn't make. And live with it.
 

4. Use your critics for fun and profit. This doesn't apply to everyone, but is certainly true if you've achieved some popular success and are afraid of making a wrong next move. That tends to be a serious creativity-blocker.

In life, in retrospect, a lot of events look smaller than they appeared when walking towards them as part of your then-future.

Here's news for you: EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS EVER DONE SOMETHING WORTHWHILE (OR NOT) IN PUBLIC HAS CRITICS. And many private people, unless you're hermiting in a cave, also have critics or people who viscerally disagree with their opinions — be it art, politics, favorite sexual position, whatever. (And even if you're in a cave, your milk-making goats may not agree with your lifestyle, but I digress.)

So what can you do that's easy and practical? Remember this: EVERY TIME A CRITIC MENTIONS YOU IN PUBLIC, THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO YOUR CAUSE, YOUR ART, AND THE THINGS YOU BELIEVE IN.

"How can that be?"

you might ask, especially because there are jerks who aren't really constructive critics per se, but just out to slam and bash you… as an artist, that's downright discouraging! (I understand!) Well, consider this: while individual artists' goals differ, most artist(e)s prefer their art to be experienced by others and appreciated. So even if a critic/jerk doesn't like it per se, they'll nevertheless have experienced it, and even if they try to deny that, by mentioning you ("[YOUR NAME] sucks!"), they know who you are. YOU ARE PART OF THEIR MINDSPACE, AND HAVE ENTERED THEIR LIFE.

But ha, you may not know who they are, especially if you're too busy making art and corresponding with people who do like it. Keep it that way, and don't waste time on them; there's no need to be defensive, and let them be to you like a mix of Peter + Judas was to Jesus: rebellious at times, internally conflicted, but ultimately disciple-icious.

What's more, every time a critic/jerk mentions you, even to personally attack your artistic philosophies, latest release, personal life — or whatever! — they're in effect serving as a meme-pawn, getting out the word about you to other people, perhaps sharing a link to your new YouTube video while trashing it at the same time… and since everyone who views that video contributes to your total views, that's no worry, because you'll likely gain new fans this way. Even better, if your videos or other work are monetized somehow, then that's the "profit" part of this tip. We've already covered the fun".
 

Somewhat surreal ending, I know. But sometimes, isn't that the best of 'em? Share your tips for rocket-boostering your creativity with me in da commentz!