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Creative Breakthroughs
 Posted by Michelle Butler Aug 29 2011, 1:58 am in exercise, inspiration, Michelle Butler, Michelle Mondays, process, Writing Last week, I went on a fabulous writers’ retreat in West Virginia with friends Marjanna Bogan, Diane Gaston and Elise Hayes. I was excited about it and even posted on Facebook about leaving soon for the trip. I asked my friends to, “Wish us great productivity and creative breakthroughs.” This got me thinking about what one can do to foster creative breakthroughs. One of the journals I read at work ocassionally will include articles on how to make creativity and innovation possible when you are doing more with less in your job and almost overwhelmed with operations and keeping all the balls in the air. The articles often say you need to carve out the time and space for the thinking required for creative breakthroughs. I do think we create that time and space on our writers’ retreats when we devote a significant stretch of time to our writing and can’t break away from what we need to figure out to move the story forward. Madeleine L’Engle said, “Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.” This seems to support the idea that you need to work to make creative breakthroughs possible. Yet, sometimes it doesn’t feel like work. The creative bursts may come from your un- or subconscious mind instead of from your conscious mind. One of the ways I try to tap into the force of my subconscious mind is to work on the creative problem at night and then just let it go and go to sleep. I sometimes wake up the next morning with a new idea and solution. It may just pop in my mind when I wake up or come out in morning journal pages. Another way that I’ve found to tap into that subconscious mind is a bit similiar. Instead of going to sleep, I turn off or quiet my conscious mind by working out. Moving my body and emptying my mind of thoughts can lead to creative breakthroughs. Others swear they have the same phenomenon when they wash dishes. Another tried and true way to foster creative breakthroughs is brainstorming. One tool for this that I find helpful is the list of 20. Whatever your question is about your story, you have to come up with 20 possible answers. The idea is that the first through will be stereotypical, but the last ideas will be pretty darn creative and possibly just what your story needed. Do you think you can foster creative breakthroughs? Do you have any tips to share with us at Healthy Writer?
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8 Responses to “Creative Breakthroughs”Leave a Reply |
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I seem to get more creative while either walking the dog or driving the car. Keep thinking I should get a recorder, as sometimes the ideas slip away.
Do you find that you empty your mind of thoughts when you are walking the dog or driving your car? There may be something to the repetitive motion that does not take thought/concentration to complete anymore.
I know some folks swear by tape recorders. You may want to try it.
Running water helps me but it isn’t particularly practical. I can brainstorm in the shower, but writing it down is a problem.
Seriously, I do agree with Madeleine L’Engle. One of the most fun aspects of writing to me is when that breakthrough occurs while I’m writing. That YES! feeling.
Having said that, I could really use some motivation these days. I’m finding it very difficult to multitask between back to school prep and my writing. My brain want to focus entirely on one or the other.
Mary, I have heard others argue there is a connection to running water and creative breakthroughs. Can you get a tape of running water? a brook? etc.? Could that possibly help?
Focusing on two large tasks at once can be a challenge. Instead of multitasking, can you devote a set amount of time to one and then a separate set amount of time to the other? When you are doing one, you won’t think about doing the other, etc.
Dishes definitely do *not* work for me. But running does. And I, too, will sometimes get inspiration from going to sleep on a knotty scene that then falls into place the next day.
Mostly, though, I think the most consistent way I’ve found inspiration is when I’ve done the Club 100. Even if I’m only working on my story 10 minutes a day, it’s in my head when I’m doing other things…and so answers to problems, or flashes of pure inspiration pop up pretty much at all times of day, whether I’m driving, cooking, or at the office.
I’m not sure if I’d thought about club 100 as a way to reach creative breakthroughs, but you are so right on what you said. I think of it as making me more productive, but that keeping your mind in the story can mean your subconscious is working on it all the time. Cool! Thanks for that take on it.
I’m a big believer in brainstorming groups. I belong to a fabulous one with three other writers, and they’ve helped me so much.
Like Gayle, I find driving, especially on long, solo road trips really helps me brainstorm and come up with creative solutions. Sometimes when I’m not even thinking about writing, an idea will come to me while driving. I was on a long trip up through Illinois a few years back and, boom, out of the blue a story idea came to me. I had to pull over and write it down before I forgot it.
I’d never really heard of the driving one until you and Gayle mentioned it. Interesting – and potentially dangerous. I’m glad you pulled over to record your idea.