We kill most of our great, wonderful, creative ideas before they’re ever born.
We write them off, dismiss them out of hand, smother them…
But we can’t know if our ideas are good—if they’ll work or cause the change we seek to make in the world—until we publish them.
Only by letting our ideas engage with the market, the world, or our audience can we know if it’s good.
If you judge every idea before you try it out, you’ll never be creative.
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To all my wonderful readers:
I apologize for my long absence from the blog. I’ve been on something of a publishing sabbatical for the last couple of months. During that time, I have done a deep dive into my creative self; I’ve been working to heal old wounds, develop my self-awareness, and reconnect with God, artistry, and the creative energy with which we have all been blessed. In short: I’ve put myself through a process of creative recovery as the wonderful Julia Cameron calls it.
This process has brought me back to the blog and what I hope to do with it. For the longest time, it has been my writings on what I’ve learned at work, in my reading, and by listening to great teachers. I’ve decided that I want a different focus: I want this blog to be a place for Creatives to come when they need inspiration, help, or collaboration; guidance on how to make a life with their art; and how to rekindle their creativity as I have so diligently worked to do myself.
As such, you will notice different content posted on here going forward. Some days, there may be photographs; other days might have long-form essays on specific topics. You will see more music posted here, perhaps even some poetry and stories. I will continue to publish educational articles as well: information to help writers, artists, musicians, and anyone else who considers himself or herself a Creative, regardless of the field or medium.
I will also be working to better organize this blog, so that different types of work can more easily be found – essays will have an essay section; music will have a music section, etc.
I want this to become a collaborative community, one where artists can see others’ work, contribute their own, and feel supported in the process. As such, I would like to feature work you wish to share with others here on this blog using my platform (with all credit going to you, of course). It might be a different person each week; it might be the same few people each week. It depends on who is willing to show up, share, and contribute to the community.
This will be a place for art, a place for thinking, a place for creativity, collaboration, and connection with others. It will be a place for love, generosity, spirituality, and goodness.
I will continue to encourage, enlighten, and educate each day for as long as I am able. I hope you will continue to follow me on this journey and contribute along the way.
Sincerely,
Nathan
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When was the last time you learned something new?
It was probably a few minutes ago when you read an article on your favorite social media site, and you weren’t even aware you were learning. Why not do it intentionally?
Learning and education don’t cease when school ends. If it does, you’ve made a choice, and you will quickly find yourself becoming obsolete.
No one cares about the degree you got 10 years ago. They want to know if you are competent in the areas needed to accomplish the kind of work you want to do.
Learning and going to school are not the same thing. You might have hated school, but you definitely love learning. School requires that you do things you hate, but you aren’t in school anymore. You can learn whatever you want to learn right now.
Always wanted to learn how to draw? Do you want to redo math, not because you have to but because you want to? Maybe you want to learn calligraphy or tennis. Perhaps you want to get a new job, but you don’t have the marketing skills needed by the company. Now is the time, and now you HAVE time.
Learning anything new is part of your ongoing education. Why not do it intentionally? What are you doing right now to invest in your own education?
I’ll give you some ideas.
There is no reason for you not to come out of this crisis with new skills, new knowledge, and an unofficial masters degree in one subject or another.
Be proactive. Take control of your education today.
Note: a few of the links above are affiliate links. I get a small commission if a purchase is made. This does not affect you in any way.
Is every single person born with the potential to be creative?
Yes.
So if we are all creative in some unique way (and we are), what would happen if we all stopped working in areas or jobs in which we felt obligated, and we all started working in our own areas of creative genius?
Does each of us have the potential to succeed in our unique creative gift? Is it that many of us never get the chance because of environmental factors or fear?
Could the marketplace support 100% engagement by all creatives? I think so; creativity doesn’t have to be writing, art, or music. Some people are creative in areas of building, business, leadership, plumbing, carpentry, or any other area that a modern society needs in order to thrive.
Food for thought.
A common theme today is the thought of going back to college in order to change careers or move up the ladder.
“Man, I really hate my job. I think if I went and got a degree in [insert field], I would be able to get a better job.”
“I want to change careers, but I will have to go get a master’s degree to make that happen.”
“The only way that I’ll move up in this company is if I go get my MBA.”
I’m sure you’ve heard dozens of similar comments. While this may be the prevailing idea on how to get ahead, it is wrong.
If you hate your job and want to change fields, or if you want to move up the corporate ladder, you may actually need to increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities to do so. However, a college degree does not necessarily equal increased knowledge, more skills, or higher-level abilities.
One reason is that our culture is changing so quickly; businesses are rising and falling at unparalleled rates; technology is moving so fast that the information you learn over 18 months in getting an MBA is often obsolete by the time you finish the degree. Another reason is that sitting through lectures on subjects day after day doesn’t prepare you to do the work required in the job you hope to take.
So what to do instead? Well, lucky for you, there are a number of new tools at your disposal:
We live in a time of unlimited information – if you want to learn how to do something, a quick Google search will return more information than you could possibly consume in a lifetime.
So, if you want to level up your skills and abilities, or learn about a new field of knowledge, read five quality books on the subject. Take notes; talk with others about what you are learning, face-to-face, over Skype or FaceTime, or even through email. Doing this, you will quickly become an expert on the subject. At the same time, you can go on Udemy, CreativeLive, LinkedIn Learning, or any other online learning site and take free or low-cost courses at any time, on any subject, at your own pace! Many of these courses rival those on a university campus. Now that I think of it, you can also take a lot of free courses from reputable universities online if you really want to go that route.
I am by no means discounting the value of a college education. I just want it to be known that it is not the end-all, be-all for finding a better job or leveling up your career. There are so many ways to get the education that you need; it would be shameful not to look at all your options.
The purpose of furthering your education is not to get another degree; it is to develop the skills, abilities, and knowledge to do the work. If getting another degree gets you there, then go that route (and don’t borrow money to do it). But I must emphasize this: you do not need to spend 18 months without working, sitting through a lecture on soon-to-be outdated information, all to get a piece of paper that tells people you are qualified in something. Employers don’t care – they want to see projects, portfolios, and results that you have created.
So, if you want to step into graphic design, start reading books on the subject, learning web design at Codecademy, taking art lessons, and buy some online courses on the subject. If you want to get into marketing, start marketing for someone or something you believe in on a volunteer basis while you read books by Seth Godin and Donald Miller. Then, sign up for an Akimbo workshop and learn as much as you can with other people. You will spend less time, substantially less money, and learn as much, or more, than you would sitting through years of lectures.
Learning how to do the work is what’s important; how you do it is not. Let’s stop thinking that another college degree is the only way to get where you want to be. If you can show someone that you can do the job, you are qualified.
Go learn something.
I’ve had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind for years now – a feeling that I have settled in the wrong place for what it is that I want to do. After reading through part of Jeff Goins’ Real Artists Don’t Starve, I voiced those frustrations earlier today to my peer group (check them out here). Upon further reading, and some insight from my peers, I’ve had something of a revelation.
“If you want to be creative, go where your questions lead you.”
Louis L’Amour
Most of the questions and ideas that I want to follow can be started right where I am. It is not a question of physical location; it’s a question of people.
An issue that myself and other Creatives seem to experience often is that we isolate ourselves. It isn’t that there are no creative areas or places around; it’s the fact that we don’t go to these places. We don’t automatically surround ourselves with other creative and artistic problem-solvers. We simply try to do things on our own.
The “right place”, then, maybe isn’t a new location…
Perhaps it is just finding the right group of people.
So for all of us Creatives out there, let’s start going to the places where things are happening. If nothing is happening, then make something happen.
Go start something, somewhere, with someone.
Find someone who wants to start reading the Great Books with you. Go old-school and have a pen-pal correspondence relationship with this person so that your brilliant insights are captured for posterity.
Start a band, even if all you do is practice some different ideas together. You may never play a show or go on tour, but that’s not the point. Music is meant to be made with other people, and we need to be surrounded by other people.
Get a few friends together every week at a coffee shop or library, and discuss projects that you are working on, ideas you have had, things you have written, or art you have created.
My problem is not where I live – it is that I have isolated myself from the others who are already doing the work. I need to find the tribes of which I want to be a part and engage with them.
I suggest you do the same.
*Disclaimer: some of the links above are affiliate links which means I get a small payment if you purchase something through them. Just gotta say it.
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