How To Be a More Creative Person
Plus a video tutorial for making a tiny banned-words book.
People who write can become afraid that they don’t have enough creativity.
Or that the limited creativity they do have will vanish.
I taught an hour-long writing workshop a couple of weekends ago at BirdFest, a Birds Georgia conference, and someone there asked me exactly this.
How can I be a more creative person?
What do you think the person meant? That she doesn’t feel she has enough ideas, imagination, soul-fire? That she has plenty and wants more? That she has to feel creative before she creates?
For me, creativity, the same as an education. Both give you options for living well.
I bet you know this about creativity.
First, creativity is not a limited resource. I think of it as the sun’s energy. The sun burns incessantly, hotly, and limitlessly. It pours energy onto the earth in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Its total energy output is called luminosity, and staggering amounts of energy pour out of the sun. The energy is there, free for the harvesting.
Are we at peak creativity all the time? No. Our planet turns away from the sun, luminosity decreases. We sleep. Morning rolls around again, and that incredible energy is back.
But we need to be doing better than merely surviving. I think a person’s economic needs have to be met in order to fuel their creativity.
We’re told that we “dry up” as we age. Our energy output declines, we dim. The exact opposite, for me, is true. I read Becca Levy’s book Breaking the Age Code, and she confirms: our creativity does not decrease with age. I sometimes hesitate to go for a walk because I’ll be struck by five new ideas before I get home, and I have all the ideas I can handle at the moment. Even dashing out to feed the horses—their pails are a few hundred feet from my door—ideas fling themselves at me. (I wrote about Breaking Age Barriers in my Trackless Wild newsletter.)
I’ve Brainstormed 13 Ways to Increase Your Creativity
Create. As Van Gogh said, "If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."
The more you create, the more you think of things to create and ways to create. Establish a practice and show up for it.
Read The Practice by Seth Godin.
Think of yourself as a creative person. Refer to yourself as creative. Praise your creativity. Be grateful for it. Write and repeat a mantra that commends your abundant creativity. Change your mindset.
Set yourself up in a life that meets your economic needs without killing yourself. Try to only work only one job, or even better, a part-time job.
Get enough rest. Lack of sleep smothers creativity.
Perhaps you need to think about brain assists. Many herbs, including gingko biloba and gotu kola, are used to improve cognition.
The color red stimulates creativity.
Sometimes it’s the blank canvas that’s scaring you. If you are a writer, it’s the blank page. Try flow-writing. Set a timer for 5 minutes, give yourself a writing prompt, and make a pact with yourself that you will write without stopping for 5 minutes, even if you’re copying the prompt over and over.
Make or find deadlines and stick to them.
Collaborate on projects with others.
Get outdoors both for inspiration and for the healthful and calming effects of nature.
Call on the archetype of the Creator to assist you. Study the Creator and embody its characteristics. Here is Captolia Eaton’s guide.
Writing Prompt
Remind yourself of the evidence of your creativity.
I’ve proven my creativity time and time again by…
Mary Dansak Made You a Tutorial Video
Last week I sent you a zine—a tiny, foldable, homemade book—that incorporates some of the words banned by the Trump Administration. I will attach a copy of that file in case you missed last week’s “350 Words You Can’t Say.”
I was amazed and delighted when Mary Dansak, author of Box Turtles, Hooligans, and Love, Sweet Love, as well as the Substack Writing Into Wonder, created a 5-minute video tutorial of how to make the zine. She sent it to me with an invitation to use it however I’d like.
I’d like—no, I’d love—to share it with you. The video is loaded to a Google Drive, and this button will provide you access.
Here’s the template, below. It gets printed out double-sided on a regular sheet of 8.5x11 paper.
Now, a Few Opportunities
1.
Southern Literary Review is Looking for Book Reviewers
Donna Meredith, Editor, emailed on May 4 to say that she needs book reviewers for the Southern Literary Review. The list currently contains 15 novels and 1 nonfiction title. If you can find time to read and possibly review one of the books, please let Donna know and she will connect you with a publisher, publicist, or author to receive a copy. SLR welcome reviews and/or author interviews. There are no particular length requirements or deadlines, and you are not obligated to review a book after receiving it if you find it is not to your taste. Nor do you have to live in the south to review a book. Donna may be reached at meredithds@comcast.net.
2.
Do You Have an Essay on Mental Health Ready to Go?
Ken Harmon, editor of West Trade Review, sent a message that submissions are open for creative nonfiction on the subject of mental health and wellbeing. I visited the website and the deadline has passed, but his message arrived in last April, so it’s likely there was an extension.
https://www.westtradereview.com/cnfcallabrandnewword.html
3.
I Am Looking for Beta Readers for the Place Book
I am working my way through the galley of my next book, Journey in Place, making edits. Within about 2 weeks I’ll be needing a few beta readers/copy editors. I had a brilliant team for Craft & Current, the writing manual. In exchange for reading the MS looking for problems, I can offer you free tuition in one of my memoir or creative nonfiction courses + 3 copies of the final book + $150 in cash. All this is negotiable, so if you need something else, let me know. Send me a note of interest and if we haven’t worked together already send me a few lines about your qualifications.
4.
Take a Memoir Course With Me This Summer Over Zoom
Starting in June I’ll be teaching a memoir course for writers of all levels. I love people’s stories and memoir really sets me on fire. We’ll meet for 12 weeks June 4 to August 20 Live via Zoom on Wednesdays from 11 am-12 noon Eastern US/Canada Time for one hour, with additional quiet co-working sessions. Eighteen people have signed up so far. I’m hoping that we create some writing teams out of the group. We’ll cover— Find the Story. What to Leave Out. What to Put In. Make Your Writing Come Alive. Pinpoint Theme & Mission. Outline It. Truth & Ethics: Nobody Gets Hurt. Honesty & Vulnerability. How to Protect Yourself. Research & Interview. Navigate Emotions. Place. Setting. Revise Revise Revise. How to Use AI. Get Published. Gather In Readers. Your investment is— $300 + an hour in session each week + at least 1 additional hour at your desk + a sincere desire to get your stories down on paper + a receipt to file with taxes if you have writing income. You can save $70— Paid subscribers of Rhizosphere receive a coupon code good for $100 off the memoir course. An annual subscription is $30.
5.
A Nature Journaling Workshop for Trees Atlanta on May 17
Tom Howick let me know that he’s teaching a Nature Journaling workshop for Trees Atlanta on May 17, similar to the ones he has done over the past 20 years with Master Naturalist classes at the Chattahoochee Nature Center and teachers at environmental education conferences. He uses a similar format as Clare Walker Leslie, but plans to incorporate more free-writing time. Here’s where you sign up if you’re near Atlanta. The cost is $25 and goes to a great cause.
6.
Michaud Available for Presentations & Online Events
If you need help designing a presentation, I highly recommend Rachel Michaud. What Rachel offers is so much more than just "making slides." She takes ideas or outlines and builds out the visuals that inspire, inform, and engage. She creates decks that are easy to follow and intuitive to understand. I would, as well, engage Rachel for any facilitation needed for online workshops, meetings, and other events that you are leading. I’ve been working with Rachel as a professional online facilitator for a few years now, and if you’ve taken workshops with me, likely you’re met or seen her online. Contact her at rmichaud@gmail.com.
I hope you’re having a fine week.
I agree that creativity tends to increase with age. I can barely keep up with my thoughts and ideas! This morning, I read two chapters in two books, read several essays on Substack, and scanned a couple of articles in The Guardian. I created five new docs for future writing topics/ideas, wrote some initial reflections, pasted links, and called it a work session. After breakfast, I returned to one of the docs and wrote more on a specific topic.
I was still in my PJs when I realized I had chores to do.
This afternoon, Guy and I changed the sheets and washed the comforter. We joked about who was responsible for tearing out the hospital corners, who had snored more the night before, and who had stolen covers more frequently. Making a bed is a rich topic, so I created a new document titled "Bed Making" and quickly typed some notes about our back-and-forth discussion.
And I agree that the pressure to make income can alter our creative thinking.
But our worlds are rich with creative opportunities...we just have to take time to listen and see.
So many great suggestions. And no, that well does not dry. Although I consider myself creative, I still have to chase creativity. One way I stay creative is to doggedly look for connections in everything. How is this leaf like a holiday? How is this horseback ride like an ocean? There's no end goal there, just gymnastics for the brain. On this note, I did an "In Conversation With" event not long ago that turned into an hour and a half long creative-therapy session. Folks need to talk about this, need encouragement, and need reminding of how important it is to tend to your own desire for creativity. Thanks for another great newsletter, Janisse!