A couple of years ago, I decided that I wanted to create. A year ago, I started to create music. I’ve now written about a dozen complete songs and a handful of shorter tracks.
I also published a textbook, and I continue to work on two additional books.
A few things I’ve learned from the endeavor so far:
1. While the palette for creation differs depending on whether the product is research, visual art, music, or even a commercial product, the practice of creativity isn’t particularly specialized. It’s good to find multiple ways to exercise the creative muscles.
2. Creativity isn’t a “gift” so much as is a product of building new neural pathways and reinforcing them through repetition. Much like a research idea, any creative product tends to “move through you”. I do find that writing music is even more like catching lightning in a bottle than research ideas.
3. It’s OK to step away when you’re not feeling it. It’s also important to lean in and show up even when you think you’re not feeling it, because sometimes you surprise yourself with what gets produced.
4. Done is better than perfect, and finishing is important. It’s possible to iterate forever because you think what you have might not be “good enough”. But nothing is ever done. Deadlines are important.
5. Play is good. It helps our work.
6. Co-creation is key, particularly with people who have seemingly very different ideas from yours.
7. Surround yourself with people who encourage you, add to your ideas, and build you up. Critics are everywhere, but the best collaborators are those that are additive.
8. Don’t be afraid to be bad at something at first. Don’t be afraid to fail. Recognize t
hat if you are really challenging yourself, you *will* be bad at something at first.
That’s how we get better. Nobody starts out an expert.
9. Don’t worry that what you put out into the world won’t be good enough. The most efficient path to improvement of our ideas and ourselves is by incorporating the feedback from others.
10. Find joy in making things without initial judgment. Kids make stuff all the time and never worry about whether it is “good”. Pretend you are a kid.