Monday 16 February 2015

The elusiveness of creativity

What is creativity?  Where does it come from?

I've been sitting here all day trying to write.  Write more on a new script I'm working on.  Write something witty/informative/engaging for this blog.  Write an email to my freelance clients and let them know my availability.  Write, write, write.  Except today's output is just rubbish. Nothing 'flows'.  It's trite and stilted junk, no matter what I do.



Usually I can write something personal and humorous to my clients when I'm looking for work - something that makes me stand out from the crowd.  Not today for some reason.  Today it was all, 'This is when I'm free.  Call me if you need someone'.  Urgh.

Where does creativity come from?  It's raining today and it makes me feel like my spirits have been smothered under a blanket of grey skies and dampness.  It's strange because I usually find rainy days intimate and introspective.

Perhaps creativity comes from good health?  I'm not feeling very well today and I can't seem to concentrate.  But that doesn't explain the myriad of artists like HonorĂ© de Balzac, George Orwell and Chekov who had consumption.  Yea...  I can only dream about being in the company of Chekov and Orwell.

Maybe it's about life experiences.  I worked far too hard at the end of last year so I've awarded myself a little bit of 'taking it easy'.  Nice but sleeping, eating too much and watching DVD's don't give much material to work on.  Then again, I could draw on some of my experiences out on the road.  I can scarcely believe some of the things I got up to. There was that time when I was on tour with a very, very famous band.  We had a long drive from Warsaw to Dublin.  Partying hard doesn't come close to describing it on that drive.  All I really remember is standing in a puddle in Warsaw drinking vodka straight from the bottle then sobering up in Dublin watching a security guard chase the drum tech through the lobby of the hotel.  True story.  Yet, somehow, writing about that just seems like rock 'n roll cliche.  

My friend has sent me a link to some TED talks which she watches when she needs inspiration, so I'm going to make a cafetiere of coffee, settle down and watch a few.  

I should really go the gym but it's raining outside and inspiration is more important, right?  

Right? 

4 comments:

Coulda shoulda woulda said...

Get a kit Kat take a walk and just keep going!! Says me ha!

Swapnil Kharche said...

Nice Article

PEN PHOTO PASSPORT said...

I really believe that when you're consciously looking for inspiration, that's when it's so elusive. I read somewhere that you need to distract yourself to get your muse going. Probably much more difficult for you coz you do it for a living. Watching TED talks could be distracting, but you still need to concentrate. I find that inspiration suddenly descends upon me when I'm randomly doing things or checking shoes online. Haha. Distraction works for me. Maybe try? Thanks for your comment by the way on Fifty Shades :) Hope you get to wrote something today x

miss b said...

An interesting post which really made me think! I suppose inspiration happens for me when I least expect it and certainly when I'm not trying too hard!
Thank you so much for your comment. I'm delighted that you visited Cake Boy as a result of reading my post. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I would be a regular there too if I lived nearby!

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