by Deborah S. Roberts
On the bulletin board beside my desk is a sign that reads “The ultimate inspiration is the deadline,” a quote attributed to Nolan Bushnell
, cofounder of Atari
. Truer words were never spoken. Much as I hate to admit it, many times I’ve put off my own writing projects because … sigh … the muse just isn’t with me today. But something magical seems to happen when I sign a contract and commit to a deadline. I can be staring at a blank computer screen and beating my head on the keyboard at four in the morning—but the story will be written, edited, proofed, and ready to go by eight. Somehow just knowing I’m on deadline has the power to fire up my creative spirit.
So how about you? Have you figured out a way to coax a dormant imagination into action? If not, try these ideas:
• Make a commitment. Become accountable to someone else. That’s right—get yourself a deadline and see if it will become your ultimate inspiration. Do you want to write a book
or thesis? Design clothes
? Come up with a plan
for your own business? Start a community theater group
? Just set a reasonable deadline for getting started, then share your deadline with someone you trust. Ask that person to follow up and make sure you follow through.
• Plan a reward. Think of something special
you’d like to do for yourself, then commit to do it as soon as you achieve your goal. Surround yourself with reminders
of your reward that will help you stay focused when your energy starts to wane. Again, you can ratchet up your creativity by bringing others into the loop. Tell trusted friends about the reward you have planned for yourself once you’ve met your commitment. Knowing others are watching to see how it turns out will pressure you to press on.
• Take a class. It’s difficult to “think outside the box” if you’ve never been outside the box. Expand your ability to think creatively by treating yourself to a new adventure
. One easy way to do that is by taking a class in something that’s completely foreign to your previous life experience. You could study a language you’ve never spoken. Learn a martial art
. Take a class in auto mechanics
, French cooking, or flower arranging
. Though these subjects may have nothing to do with your project, learning new things will teach you to use different thought processes. Then you can apply your newly discovered inventiveness to other areas.
• Brainstorm with others. Start a support group for creative thinkers. Get together once a week or once a month to discuss your various ambitions and to brainstorm how you can resolve the different issues you’re each facing. It doesn’t matter that you’re all focused on different projects or working toward different goals. By helping each other, you’ll ignite your imaginations and encourage one another to be more creative and more productive.
TAGS: