July 25, 2004
how to be creative
[BIG NEWS: “How To Be Creative” will be coming out as a hardcover book in June, 2009. Titled “Ignore Everybody”, you can find out more details here.]
So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years:
1. Ignore everybody.
The more original your idea is, the less good advice other people will be able to give you. When I first started with the biz card format, people thought I was nuts. Why wasn’t I trying to do something more easy for markets to digest i.e. cutey-pie greeting cards or whatever?
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2. The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to change the world.
The two are not the same thing.
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3. Put the hours in.
Doing anything worthwhile takes forever. 90% of what separates successful people and failed people is time, effort and stamina.
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4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain.
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5. You are responsible for your own experience.
Nobody can tell you if what you’re doing is good, meaningful or worthwhile. The more compelling the path, the more lonely it is.
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6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with books on algebra etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the creative bug is just a wee voice telling you, “I�d like my crayons back, please.”
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7. Keep your day job.
I�m not just saying that for the usual reason i.e. because I think your idea will fail. I�m saying it because to suddenly quit one�s job in a big ol’ creative drama-queen moment is always, always, always in direct conflict with what I call �The Sex & Cash Theory�.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
Nor can you bully a subordinate into becoming a genius.
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9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
You may never reach the summit; for that you will be forgiven. But if you don’t make at least one serious attempt to get above the snow-line, years later you will find yourself lying on your deathbed, and all you will feel is emptiness.
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10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
Meeting a person who wrote a masterpiece on the back of a deli menu would not surprise me. Meeting a person who wrote a masterpiece with a silver Cartier fountain pen on an antique writing table in an airy SoHo loft would SERIOUSLY surprise me.
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11. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
Your plan for getting your work out there has to be as original as the actual work, perhaps even more so. The work has to create a totally new market. There’s no point trying to do the same thing as 250,000 other young hopefuls, waiting for a miracle. All existing business models are wrong. Find a new one.
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12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
The pain of making the necessary sacrifices always hurts more than you think it’s going to. I know. It sucks. That being said, doing something seriously creative is one of the most amazing experiences one can have, in this or any other lifetime. If you can pull it off, it’s worth it. Even if you don’t end up pulling it off, you’ll learn many incredible, magical, valuable things. It’s NOT doing it when you know you full well you HAD the opportunity– that hurts FAR more than any failure.
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13. Never compare your inside with somebody else’s outside.
The more you practice your craft, the less you confuse worldly rewards with spiritual rewards, and vice versa. Even if your path never makes any money or furthers your career, that’s still worth a TON.
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14. Dying young is overrated.
I’ve seen so many young people take the “Gotta do the drugs and booze thing to make me a better artist” route over the years. A choice that was neither effective, healthy, smart, original or ended happily.
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15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
Art suffers the moment other people start paying for it. The more you need the money, the more people will tell you what to do. The less control you will have. The more bullshit you will have to swallow. The less joy it will bring. Know this and plan accordingly.
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16. The world is changing.
Some people are hip to it, others are not. If you want to be able to afford groceries in 5 years, I’d recommend listening closely to the former and avoiding the latter. Just my two cents.
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17. Merit can be bought. Passion can’t.
The only people who can change the world are people who want to. And not everybody does.
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18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.
They�re a well-meaning bunch, but they get in the way eventually.
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19. Sing in your own voice.
Piccasso was a terrible colorist. Turner couldn’t paint human beings worth a damn. Saul Steinberg’s formal drafting skills were appalling. TS Eliot had a full-time day job. Henry Miller was a wildly uneven writer. Bob Dylan can’t sing or play guitar.
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20. The choice of media is irrelevant.
Every media’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Every form of media is a set of fundematal compromises, one is not “higher” than the other. A painting doesn’t do much, it just sits there on a wall. That’s the best and worst thing thing about it. Film combines sound, photography, music, acting. That’s the best and worst thing thing about it. Prose just uses words arranged in linear form to get its point across. That’s the best and worst thing thing about it etc.
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21. Selling out is harder than it looks.
Diluting your product to make it more “commercial” will just make people like it less.
Many years ago, barely out of college, I started schlepping around the ad agencies, looking for my first job.
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22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
Everybody is too busy with their own lives to give a damn about your book, painting, screenplay etc, especially if you haven’t sold it yet. And the ones that aren’t, you don’t want in your life anyway.
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23. Worrying about “Commercial vs. Artistic” is a complete waste of time.
You can argue about “the shameful state of American Letters” till the cows come home. They were kvetching about it in 1950, they’ll be kvetching about it in 2050.
It’s a path well-trodden, and not a place where one is going to come up with many new, earth-shattering insights.
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24. Don�t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
Inspiration precedes the desire to create, not the other way around.
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25. You have to find your own schtick.
A Picasso always looks like Piccasso painted it. Hemingway always sounds like Hemingway. A Beethoven Symphony always sounds like a Beethoven’s Syynphony. Part of being a master is learning how to sing in nobody else’s voice but your own.
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26. Write from the heart.
There is no silver bullet. There is only the love God gave you.
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27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.
This is equally true in art and business. And love. And sex. And just about everything else worth having.
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28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
People who are “ready” give off a different vibe than people who aren’t. Animals can smell fear; maybe that’s it.
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29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.
Selling out to Hollywood comes with a price. So does not selling out. Either way, you pay in full, and yes, it invariably hurts like hell.
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30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.
If you have the creative urge, it isn’t going to go away. But sometimes it takes a while before you accept the fact.
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Hugh, super job and better than most of the purported guru’s on this subject matter. ( I stopped reading their drivel books 12 yrs. ago )
I’ve been a solo independent consultant for a decade ( mainly bus dev for software startups ) and your “Hughtrain Manifesto” on How to be creative is some very sage advice. I’ve worked for CEO’s
What I resonate with most and have experienced numerous instances ( trials and tribulations ) are your comments under Point 1 — Ignore everyone
GOOD IDEAS ALTER THE POWER BALANCE IN RELATIONSHIPS, THAT IS WHY GOOD IDEAS ARE ALWAYS INITIALLY RESISTED.
Good ideas come with a heavy burden. Which is why so few people have them. So few people can handle it.
Secondsly your comments in Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity are also spot on.
That’s why I work with emerging software startups where ecology still thrives is most instances.
Lastly your absolutely right about the need to acceopt the pain and learn from it. ” No pain — no gain ” but try and not repeat the same mistakes.
Once again well done !
I love this thread. So much more real than a lot of advice one sees. If I read all the sub-threads right now, I’d know I was wasting work time, and I know that already thanks.
I am in the middle of plotting a massive career change and this really shook me up! I’m not an artist but simply a somewhat (hopefully) creative person that needs to finally use that creativity again. It gave me hope.
Thank you! I have bookmarked this page, and I will come back and read it again when I start to get worn down. And again. And again. Especially that bit about companies needing creative types like us. Do you know any that are hiring?
I’ve been wanting to break out and do something creative for some time, but the fear of the variables puts me in depression. Your words are like the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks.
nice
Anyone who dug this post should definitely check out the book Art and fear http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0961454733/
It’s a short set of essays about why people fear creative work, and how to come to terms with it. My wife read it getting her MFA, and I’ve found it entirely relevant to any kind of creative pursuit. Highly recommended.
spot on. keep ‘em coming.
Hmm, okay … now, why don’t you just start a new thread like “how to be creative millionaire”?
Hmm, okay … now, why don’t you just start a new thread like “how to be creative millionaire”?
This is some inspiring and motivating reading. I have to bookmark it to read over and over.
Creativity is shouting in your ear.
You are so excited when you think about your passion. Creativity for pleasure.
Then you hear the ‘look at XX they are getting paid for their creative output — why don’t you have a go — you might even get well-known as an artist instead of being just a housewife and mother’
The heavenly sound of Creativity becomes drowned by the chorus of envy, comparison and frustration.
Sad.
Thanks for putting so much commonsense in one accessible place.
Brilliant.…*****
Not many sites get perma-links from my site. This is definitely one of them. Wow, what a great list.
Hugh, THANK YOU for this gift. I’m just on the last pages of the first draft of a novel that I’ve been working on for 9 years, on and off. Suddenly, it all looked like crap to me, and I whined to a friend. He sent me this link.
You’ve helped me put things back in perspective.
Very nice. I would like to point out, though, that the maxims in your list are not necessarily restricted to ‘art-ee-ists’.
Yeah well, Waldo, I did stipulate “…in art, in business, whatever” at the top.
e.g. covered my ass
It’s really awakened me from my laziness in writing. From now on i’ll spend my time as well as I can as God has given so many talents to me. Thanks for this, I’ll be creative again in facing my old age.
Hugh,
Thanks for your great advice — we all have something God-given to do in this life — thanks for having the courage to take a step towards that thing, and encouraging others to do the same!
One I don’t see here — find community — you can’t do what you’re doing in a vacuum. Find people (even those who are not in the same field but share the struggle) who you can walk shoulder-to-shoulder with and may have some insights.
Thanks for such an amazing list. I needed to hear all this today.
Thank you Hugh.
Mick.
Was forwarded this by a friend, and I’d like to say THANK YOU. I have had the Sex bit, but the cash is threatening to kill me, and it will one day! But you’ve put things into perspective, so I thank you for that. I am now looking for another job that pays the bills too, as well as gives me time to be the artist I think I am hehhehe. All the best
i couldn’t disagree more with daphne’s post above; though i respect that it may work for her.
i find commmunities of “artists” the most abhorrent perpetuators of mediocrity around. the only communing i need can be achieved through the artists’ work. those with integrity. i rely more on flaubert’s opinions in his novels, letters, and journals than those of friends or family. also — it’s not fair to them to ask their opinion on something so dear to me.
i just read hemingway’s _moveable feast_ and while i enjoyed it — and think him a great writer — i found it sad the way he bandied about other artists’ names and talked about their mannerisms; moreso than his own family’s.
i much preferred salinger’s take. he hated the hives of writers that he found everywhere.
werwer
werwer
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Valuable Advice. The United States was founded on the creativity, enterprise, and imagination of its people. From our first days, we experimented with a brand new form of government, one that gave folks a greater chance than ever before to fulfill their potential. Now, though, too little focus in paid to encouraging creativity, imagination, and curiosity.
Why is it that some people choose careers that the better they get at them the less they do them. (Chef, Lawyer, etc.)?
Excellent words! Can I translate it into Chinese so that more people may share it?
Clark, yeah, that would be awesome! I’d love to see it Chinese =)
*Ahem* this doesn’t affect my copyright and authorship schtick in any way, of course…
Can you send me a link when it’s done? Or if you e-mail it to me, will I be able to post it? (Not sure how this Chinese writing stuff works…)
Hugh,
I have isolated all of your published thoughts and alphabetized; then sorted them according to character length. Then re-sorted based on alpha sort of primary adjective usage. Then same for verbs. Man, that felt good. Custodial creativity.
i thought i commented on this entry (perhaps it was deleted) but the first rule is sooooo true.
I loved your thoughts a lot and it has inspired me to do better in the future. I promise I will be back for more soul curry
This is the best site about creativity that I’ve found in a long time, and I hope to add some of these ideas into my own working process. I’m a potter and web developer, and most of these seem equally applicable to both areas.
Not to take anything away from Hugh’s list, but this also reminded me of “An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth” by designer Bruce Mau (http://www.brucemaudesign.com/manifesto.html). It too is a great grouping of recommendations and warnings about how not to pollute your creativity.
Scott, I’ve read Bruce Mau’s Manifesto.
It’s wonderful.
Thanks for the tip/reminder, though =)
Thankyou hugh, and also a thanks to Joe ( aug 05th 2004). Just what i was thinking!
I teach dance and movement to the challenged, and dance to the elderly…also challenged!!
Every day i want to be creative, to excite the passion of living, loving, and being healthy, and still being curious and mischievious every day…in others and myself. Choreography…and hell …even living every day and not being disallusioned.……takes effort!!!!!
Creative flow/juice…whatever you call it ..is elusive…at times.….and can land like a butterfly or ladybird when you least expect it..often at inoportune times.……sometimes something someone says will inspire me …an advertisement , a book cover, art, the written word, poetry.….. for me they are all the one thing!
Thanks for your ping about my language. I really used the wrong language to say that I disagree with what you, but I think you’re leading people who don’t think about creativity into thinking about it, and I appreciate that
This is the first edition of my Chinese translation, please comment as you like:
1. 走自己的路
2. 想法虽不起眼，但它却能改变全世界
3. 投入时间
4. 千里马常有，而伯乐不常有
5. 你的经历由你自己负责
6. 创造性是人的本性
7. 保持日常工作
8. 唯有有创意的公司才能生存
9. 每个人都有自己的生存目标
10. 成大事者不拘小节
11. 与众不同
12. 期望越大，失望越大
13. 不要互相攀比
14. 书山有路勤为径
15. 区分你喜欢做的事和你不喜欢做的事
16. 世易时移
17. 黄金有价，激情无价
18. 远离失败的人
19. 要有自己的个性和风格，哪怕是缺点
20. 形式并不重要，重要的是内容
My fantanstically creative, driven, and successful brother sent me this link. This last year has been life-altering for me since I almost lost my life. With a year off from work to recover, I’ve pursued my artistic interests as my self-help therapy. With no performance pressure, a talent (jewelry/metalsmithing) is finding room to grow, and the process of learning and making mistakes is actually a joy. Finished pieces eliciting unsolicited praise are even more of a joy. But yes, I’ll keep my day job at least part time. Don’t want to burden my pleasure with the reality of survival (yet). When one learns to have confidence and not worry about judgement (a HARD thing to learn), AND not to put self-expectations of perfection on oneself in EVERYTHING, this process of creativity really is a joyful and healing experience. And it could realistically turn into a more enjoyable day (and night) job! And getting paid for something one loves to do???
Thanks for your right-on insights!
This is some great advice, and timely for me. Thanks Hugh!
“There are only two kinds of artists: the plagiarists and the revolutionaries.”
Hugh — blinding, love it. I have some thoughts for you though… this isn’t a ‘you should include’, more of a ‘what are your thoughts on’. Some of my most creative moments (or the point at which ideas crystalise) have come when I’m well out of the box (and, I have to admit — at points — out of my own) I really do think play in this way opens the mind to epiphany, where work simply can’t… I endorse point 14 without question (there IS a HUGE difference between feeding the mind and killing it) but wondered whether play had a bigger part to play than the crayon angle?
(Pat Kane’s book and site on the Play Ethic is worth a squiz) Anyway, like I said, love it…
i like the word creativeness very much
i don’t want to be normal preson doing the same business every day . what i want to do is different totally different so i always think about how i can change the things around me even 2% .
things are not coming from nothing but from deeply thinking .
reading more is the only way that is going to help you to understand more to create new things.i wish if i can change the things that i feel they don’t make sense . for example human rights Is anyone enjoying and practising thier rights or Are their rights violated ? this is a univesal problem.
Where are the people that think like this in my day to day life? Just thinking I guess, like me. The loud ones are usually the idiots.
link on bmoss’s page brought me here. woah. thats a pretty accurate list. infact scarily accurate. And there are a few people i think should read it … my past art teacher being one. *cough* ahem.
nicely done.
A wise person once told me “Sometimes you do a job to feed your soul, but most of the time you have to do a job that feeds your dog.”
I just love it!
Hope it will continue.….….
This quote from a novel resonated with me.
The setting is a church service.
“It is never about how good your voice is;
it is about feeling the urge to sing,
and then having the courage to do it with the voice you are given.”
Elizabeth Berg from “True to Form”
this really is an awesome blog!
what are you people doing! howdy!!!
When I use the term ‘repugnant’ I do so in my own opinion: I do not use non-free
software on machines I control. This licence is non-free, and masquerading it as free
is offensive. I have contributed lots to the Free Software community myself, and I
would be completely outraged if any of my contributions were being shipped in a
non-free product. Contributions are contributions to public software, not private
profits.
Brilliant! Great insights and a lesson to us all.