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...

[Valerie]

Dan, congratulations on your ezines' 3rd birthday. You have certainly come a long way in three years.

I didn't think I had created anything this past year either. I had been focusing on the things I wanted to get done but didn't. And getting very frustrated with myself. But when I sat down and thought about it, I realized it was actually a lot.
I'm going to write your formula in big letters and post it in my studio.

As for what works for me. Having a reason to create, whether it be to make gifts, demo products or just to use up some of my stash. Personal challenges and learning new techniques. Surrounding myself with people who can appreciate what I am doing. Most of that is on-line groups like CCS and my off-line group that meets once a month.
And I like this one from Anne, which I sometimes forget "NOT showing my stuff to negative unhelpful people helps."

[RobynG]

I didn't think I had achieved all that much in a year until I reviewed what I had done. I actually astounded myself. LOL

Dan, congratulations on hitting the 3 year mark! When you think of how many people you must have helped (me included) you can be very proud. The fact that people leave comments here is just one of the many signs of your success.

[Dan Goodwin]

Anne, sounds like you're in the midst of living a fulfilling creative life. Those elements you list above are all brilliant tips for being more creative. The one that rings loudest for me personally at the moment: "NOT being one of those lonely creatives who work in a garret and never come down to the real world helps"... So important to stay in touch with the rest of the world AND get support and feedback from other creative people we can trust. Like here on CCS...

[Anne Westlund]

I reread this article. Let me see, what helps me be creative on a regular basis? Accepting creativity challenges certainly helps. Using my creativity in new ways helps. Showing up! Expecting a certain level of creativity from myself helps. Acknowledging my talents, plugging away, entering contests and submitting work (those last 2 are pretty new for me). Getting positive feedback from other people helps. NOT being one of those lonely creatives who work in a garret and never come down to the real world helps. Having balance in my life, social stuff, rest, work, creativity helps. NOT showing my stuff to negative unhelpful people helps. And reading all those creativity articles must be helping too!

[Anne Westlund]

Ok!

I guess my ego really needs a boost today, but I figured out (almost) all the creative things I did last year, that I have a record of. From Nov. 15, 2007 to Nov. 14, 2008 I made 3 sets of jewelry from beads I made, plus several earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, made 6 sets of bookmarks, tried 8 new recipes, wrote 5 essays (I'm not counting stuff for school), wrote 20 story starts, and wrote 131 poems. No progress on any novels, but I feel pretty good about what I've created over the year. A lot of the inspiration came from CCS. Thanks, Dan! You've certainly earned your star in heaven. :)

Anne

[Dan Goodwin]

Thanks Susan. Yes feels like I'm just at the tip of the iceberg : )

[Susan]

Wonderful news:) Thanks for sharing your joy, Dan! Your constant creative work has certainly paid off...with more to come!

Warm thoughts to you,
Susan

[Dan Goodwin]

Jules that's a great example about the end of the year, or term or semester at school. I remember when I started University, how many people struggled just to do stuff like organise their notes, arrive on time, acknowledge their progress and so on, because suddenly there weren't teachers (or parents) there to tell them what to do or how to do it. Many of us don't ever get beyond this the rest of our adult lives.

I look forward to hearing about your last year of creativity : )

Dan

[Jules]

Dan, this really is a simple formula! Sometimes I think things have to be complicated to work. LOL and when they are complicated they really don't work!
It is funny, in my journaling I review my spiritual progress to see if I have learned and applied anything I have learned to my life.

It never dawned on me dan (sorry...I could not resist) to review my creative progress.
I used to enjoy the end of the semester at school because we would pull all our work out and look at it- there was always some fun and surprising progress made. I have not done that on my own yet.

I think that tomorrow I will line up what I have done this past year (what I still have here) and give it all a review. Oh yes. Also the reward- that is something I don't ever seem to think of by myself. That's why I come here- you have a very creative way of getting down to the bare bones and pointing out the overlooked obvious :-)