A Simple Formula For Creative Success

[Dan Goodwin]

Three years ago, in early November 2005, I sent out the first edition of my “Create Create!” ezine.

When I began, I had two people on my subscriber list. Me, and, er, me again. I’d signed up using two different email accounts to test the layout!

Today, three years and 72 issues later, my subscriber list is a little bigger, now in the thousands. Plus I’ve done a few other things like start the CoachCreativeSpace community, and write a few articles. OK maybe 700 or so more than “a few”.

The point is, it’s only when we stop to look back at where we came from that we realise how far we’ve come.

Most days I feel I’m only just beginning with all this, only just hitting my stride. I wonder if in a few years time when I have many times the exposure I have today, whether I’ll still feel I’m only just getting going?

Even if we create every day, because we are with ourselves each moment of each day, it becomes very difficult to keep track of our progress. Those steady incremental changes, that constant artistic output and evolution - week to week, day to day, sometimes moment to moment - is so easily overlooked.

We tend to measure our progress only by huge creative landmarks that occur few and far between, if at all, then cruelly dismiss everything else as insignificant.

Here’s another example. In January 2007 I started dancing Salsa, keen just to try out something new and social. I had zero expectation of what it might lead to, or whether I’d be any good.

About two months later, my teacher Julia asked me to help some new beginners with a particular step as they’d missed the week before. I was happy to and she was pleased with the results. “We’ll make a salsa teacher of you one day” she said, half jokingly I thought.

A few weeks ago I finished teaching my first six week salsa improver level course with my colleague Dawn. It went very well and the class all gave great feedback. Dawn and I absolutely loved the experience. This term, we’ve been giving two classes to teach, so pleased is Julia with how we’re doing.

Within just a couple of years, salsa has gone from not even being on my radar to something that takes up a considerable part of my life, and most importantly, it’s something I love, both dancing and teaching.

When we show up to create regularly and make those tiny, steady steps, we can achieve great things and make progress in ways we never could have imagined.

But you’ve got to show up. Like Woody Allen said, “80% of success is showing up”.

When we do, and when we give ourselves the recognition and praise we deserve for creating and evolving, there really is no limit to what we can do.

So. How often do you “show up” in your creative life? This means simply coming to the page, the canvas, the dancefloor, or whatever other platform you create on, and being committed to spending time creating. Giving it your full focus, your best effort.

It’s only as difficult as you want to make it. 15 minutes a day is a drop in the ocean of your available time, however busy a life you lead.

But 15 minutes a day over weeks, months and years can lead to oceans of creative artwork.

Looking back each month or two and reviewing all you’ve created, and just importantly what you’ve enjoyed, gained and learned from the experience, will help you appreciate those oceans of creativity.

As a quick exercise, think back to about year ago. Gradually move forward in time to where you are now, writing down as much as you can about what you’ve created along the way and how you’ve developed. It will be so much more than you thought, once you start writing and remembering.

Share your last year of creating with us below, and some of the things that really work for you in helping you be creative.

There’s plenty of evidence in your own life of how creative you are, if you’re prepared to recognise it.

Create everyday, regularly review and reward your progress.

A simple formula, but a recipe for all the creative success you can dream of, whatever that may look like for you...

[Dan Goodwin]

Jules and Robyn, that really is co crucial, to enjoy our own work. I always find myself in the position of being a poet that doesn't really like poetry! 95% or more of stuff I read leaves me unmoved but I nearly always enjoy and feel proud of my own poems. Hard for us to be like that without seeming full of ourselves or arrogant! But hey, if we're making beautiful art, we should be proud and stand by it...

[RobynG]

Jules, that is indeed progress. In the past I would never hang any of my own creations in my home but this year I actually allowed myself to hang my own work up where I can see it.

[Jules]

Dan- I finally had the time to pull out and 'line up' last years creations...
two things stood out,
the first thing I was aware of was the amount of experimenting and trying new and differet things, and using old things in a new and different way.

The second and most important thing I noticed was not so much in the things I made as in my perception of the things I made.
I have found myself saying to others I really love this painting (doodle, necklace, collage,photo, poem, whatever)...and actually be talking about my painting (doodle, necklace, collage, photo, poem, whatever).

Alway able to tell others how much I love their work and the emotional responses I get from their creations- yet relunctant to like what I created- I would never say 'this is good' about my creations... Until now :-)

That is the biggest change I saw from the past year...that is my creative success!

[Lotus L Vele]

Hi Dan!
Happy Birthday CreateCreate! Great inspiring article. Speaking of looking back at what I've accomplished, I have gotten into the habit of leaving my journals on the coffee table, for others to look at. It's great when my kids look through them and make comments, asking what I was thinking and telling me, "Now I know where I get it...".

[Dan Goodwin]

Kaly, I think you're spot in with what you say about my salsa experience. Very well put!

[Dan Goodwin]

I'm quite resistant to most advertising these days. Except everytime Apple release a new iPod or laptop! But at least with those I KNOW how much they enhance my life. In fact I probably spend as much of my waking life wired up to an Apple product as not! It's just I don't need to upgrade to the latest version every 6 months - however much I want to!

[kaly]

Congratulations Dan on all your achievements. From your Salsa experience, what I understand is, we need to do things(Sincere and comitted) that give us fun, with out bothering as to where we are heading. If we put our mind and heart and thoroughly enjoy, we will make a great progress....cheers again.

Nice to be reading to others achievements too(Anne, Robyn and others....) Cheers to you too

[Jules]

The hole in the donut complex
Yes...that seems to be a problem in society today. Even when you know you do not need something it is possible to get caught in the hype about needing this or that.
When I was highchair age I used to eat around the hole in the donut,,,I created a thin ring, but would never bite into the hole. No one knows why- and it does not mean anything except the donut hole complex theory brought it vividly to mind.
Perhaps that is the key- do not bite into the donut hole and fall for this focus on lack of rather than be grateful for.

[Dan Goodwin]

Valerie, I think for some reason we're trained to focus on the hole not the donut, as in always look at what's missing in our lives rather than all the good that's there. I could quite easily say "I didn't record an album this year" or "I didn't run a marathon" or whatever. Why beat ourselves up? Look at what we have done, and continue to do each day.

The "hole not donut" complex I think comes from media saturation and being bombarded by advertising. Obviously the main line of attack for most advertising is "your life is not complete and will be utterly miserable unless you buy our brand of car/ phone/ perfume / toothpaste... etc ". So we constantly feel we don't quite have enough.

A good reason why I watch very little TV!

[Dan Goodwin]

Thanks Robyn. What you say about astounding yourself is common amongst us. Even if you just count the things that are widely recognised as creative projects it's a surprise. Once you also count the creative acts we tend to overlook like cooking, nurturing relationships, organising parties and social events, teaching, and dozens of other things, we see there's hardly a time we're NOT being creative...