Creativity

Secrets of Creative Collaboration

1 Comment / By / Creativity, Stuff I'm Learning / March 23, 2021

I’m continuing my month-long series on creativity! Last week, we talked about boosting your creativity by having a private space to practice (writing with the door closed). This week, we’re talking about creating in a shared space (revising with the door open).

What do you do when it’s time to get feedback on your ideas? Let’s talk about creative collaboration!

I thought it would be fun to share visual aids of the creative process. I dug through my archives and found some old sketches I made while working with my sister on Handmade Hostess.

Our process for writing our craft book looked like this:

  • We wrote an outline.
  • We made a list of projects for each chapter.
  • I made a TERRIBLE sketch of what the chapter would look like. I mean TERRIBLE.
  • I took a picture of the sketch and sent it to her along with any fabric swatches. (We lived a few hours apart, so we each worked on our projects separately.)
  • Finally, we stuffed our cars full of props, projects, and children and met somewhere in the middle. (Okay, truthfully, I didn’t put any children in my car. That was all her.) We drove a couple of hours and took pictures of everything. Photo shoot day was the first time we saw everything set up together.

Let’s talk about those terrible sketches for a moment. Somehow, when I sent her a drawing that looked like this:

She understood that what I actually meant was this:

As you can see, that takes a special kind of vision.

Here’s another example:

I’m not even sure what I was drawing in that picture! If I saw this sketch, I would not think, “You know what? That looks great! Let’s do it.”

When you’re working on a project, so many things can go wrong! However, as I look back at these pictures, I remember some of the things that went right. I had a fantastic brainstorming partner.

I’ve been fortunate to have several people in my life like that. I made a list of some of the qualities I most appreciate in a creative partner. (In full disclosure, I don’t have all of these qualities! However, this is the kind of friend and collaborator that I aspire to be.)

Hallmarks of a Good Creative Partnership

  • A creative partner can look at something that’s very rough and imagine the possibilities. They ask questions that help the idea grow rather than shrink. They take time to understand the phases of a project. (They might help you edit your idea later, but in the beginning, they’re willing to dream big.)
  • A creative partner has confidence in YOU and your creative ability. They might not like the specifics of your idea or have suggestions about how it might work better, but they believe you can work through those issues and pull off something amazing.
  • A creative partner doesn’t get distracted by the potential pitfalls or things that could go wrong. They will brainstorm risks with you, but they don’t feel the need to warn you about every imaginable danger. They don’t throw water when you’re trying to kindle a fire.
  • A creative partner is encouraging! After you talk with them about your idea, you are MORE excited than before. They spot ways they could help—often by contributing their own creativity, resources, or organization.

Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way

Sometimes, you end up with what I call the right person / wrong timing. I have a few friends who are really good at spotting problems. (I’m sure you have friends like that, too. We love these friends. We need them!)

However, we also want to invite their feedback at the right time. In the beginning stages of a project, too many opinions can be overwhelming. One thing I’m learning is to clearly express which phase of the project I’m in and clarify what kind of feedback would be helpful. I’ve also learned to be more honest with myself about how much input I’m ready to process.

When you find the right person at the right time, everyone benefits.

Alright, now it’s your turn! Do you have someone you love working with? What do you appreciate about this person?

P.S. If you feel discouraged or run down from too much criticism or a difficult working relationship, you might need time to recover. Even after a successful collaboration, it can be helpful to create solo for a while. (You might even want to revisit Part 2 of this series—creating in a private space.) Next time, I’ll be sharing some ideas for when you feel stuck.

Boost Your Creativity with This Simple Tool

2 Comments / By / Creativity, Faith, Stuff I'm Learning, Writing / March 11, 2021

Last week, I kicked off a month-long series on creativity. If you missed Part 1: Developing Your Curiosity, you can find it here: The Rainbow’s End: 3 Ideas to Help You Find Your Creativity.)

Today, I’m sharing my favorite tool for boosting your creativity. It’s inexpensive, easy to use, and you probably already have one. I’m talking about a notebook!

Now, before you run away—if writing things down isn’t your thing, I promise to give you a bunch of alternatives. You don’t have to use a literal notebook! What you need is a safe place to gather ideas and experiment.

“…Everyone who is human has something to express. Try not expressing yourself for twenty-four hours and see what happens. You will nearly burst. You will want to write a long letter, or draw a picture, or sing, or make a dress or a garden.” —Brenda Ueland

Here are 3 reasons to keep a notebook:

1. Give yourself the opportunity to practice, not perform.

“Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out being just for you…” —Stephen King in On Writing

We have more opportunities than ever before to share our work with others. However, sharing your work too soon (or too often) can drain your creative energy.

We need places to practice without feeling pressured to get everything right the first time. This gives us a chance to develop our instincts for what we consider good work rather than relying solely on other people’s reactions.

2. Give yourself a safe space to be honest. 

One of the reasons creativity is so hard, is that we’re not safe even from ourselves. We’re afraid to make a mistake or be found out. However, learning to communicate authentically is a first step in creating better work.

In The Life-Giving Path online workshop, I encourage people to try spiritual journaling as a tool to uncover their honest thoughts. A notebook can be a place to listen without judgment and practice telling the truth.

This can be difficult at first. We’re terrified someone will come along and read what we wrote. However, over time, my journal has become a freer place. It’s filled with typos. Grammatical errors. Sometimes, when I can’t choose between two words—I’ll just write them both down smack dab next to each other in a completely nonsensical way.

Occasionally, I’ll admit to being really annoyed with people I care about! For me, this is a creative and spiritual practice. In my notebook, I lay it all out there so I no longer have to use so much energy covering it all up. Then, I’m free to listen and gather inspiration. When I’m stuck, I ask for help.

3. Give your ideas a place to gather.

Once you begin gathering ideas, more will start to find you. They’re like cats. Word starts to get around that you take good care of strays. Pretty soon, you’ll wake up in the morning and find a whole herd of them waiting for you just outside the door.

“Ideas are like rainbows, we need to record them with a pencil or they soon fade right out sight.” —Kathy Liden

If there’s something you daydream about—opening an art studio, writing a book, starting a podcast—give yourself a place to start making it real, if only on the page.

Some of you may be saying, “Notebooks aren’t really my thing. Now what?”

Here’s a list of notebook alternatives:

  • A sketchbook.
  • A camera (or the camera roll on your phone).
  • A closet where you stuff your latest paintings.
  • The notes app on your phone.
  • A scrapbook.
  • An Excel spreadsheet. (Beautifully-arranged data can be a work of art!)
  • A secret Pinterest board.
  • A portable moodboard (or an envelope) where you stick fabric samples, pieces of trim, or design inspiration.

What creativity tools would you add to this list? I’d love to hear them!

Next up: creative collaboration! What to do (and not do!) when it’s time to share your creative ideas + a few things I’ve learned the hard way…

The Rainbow’s End: 3 Ideas to Help You Find Your Creativity

2 Comments / By / Creativity, Faith / March 11, 2021

I’m excited to be kicking off a month-long series on creativity! Today, we’re searching for the rainbow’s end—finding that place where every creative journey begins. Curiosity.

My birthday is in March, so I’ve always thought St. Patrick’s Day was secretly about me. This only got worse after my grandmother introduced me to the color, Kelly green. “They named a shade of green after you!” I thought that was marvelous even though it was obviously not true.

When the grocery stores starting putting away the red and pink hearts and bringing out the shamrocks, rainbows, and pots of gold, I knew things were looking up. For me, all those green and gold glittery decorations signified hope and possibility.

I never found a four-leaf clover or a leprechaun’s shoe, but believe me—I tried. I still remember spotting a rainbow while driving in the car. “Quick, Mom. Keep going! Let’s drive to the end so we can get the pot of gold,” I said.

“I’m sorry. It doesn’t work like that, dear.” It turns out that statement applies to a lot of life’s mysteries.

Still, I don’t regret any of the time I spent searching. Creativity starts with curiosity. It’s the sense of anticipation that gets me out of bed in the mornings. It’s the belief that God has hidden delights in the world for us to discover. For me, creativity is a path that draws me closer to God.

Some of my favorite people—the ones who are the most wise—are also the most childlike in their excitement and wonder. They receive every flower, every sunrise, every rainbow as a gift. Recently, I listened to a friend tell me about a doe in her yard. The way she marveled over the deer, she might as well have been describing a unicorn. Some things are better than a pot of gold.

Next week, I’m going to share one of my favorite tools for boosting your creativity. However, it may help to simply indulge your curiosity first. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

3 Ways to Develop Your Curiosity:

  1. Try something new. Make a list of 5 things you’ve wanted to try. (It’s okay if your list doesn’t sound particularly “creative.” Taking action on something you’re curious about—even if it’s just rearranging your pillows—can put you on the path of new ideas.) Can you try one of the things on your list?
  1. Spend time with joy-filled people. Do you have a friend like the one I described? Sometimes, it’s helpful to let someone else’s excitement wash over you. Can you text or phone that friend this week? Let them know how much you appreciate them.
  1. Refresh your reading (and watching) list. I’ve heard a lot of friends talking about their reading habits over the past year and how it’s been difficult to concentrate. I can totally relate! One thing that’s helped has been setting aside time to find new books and be honest with myself about the kinds of things I want to read.

Do you have other ideas to add to this list? I’d love to hear them!