Recipe for Creativity

In order to be productive, it is essential to commit oneself to creativity and the stimulation of creativity each day. The following is a list of my personal commitments and recommendations:

1-Write two pages in the genre that you are most serious about writing. My genre of choice is fiction ranging from my second novel to short stories. If your preference is creative nonfiction, then you should choose your genre of choice or a combination of the two. Visual artists may opt to write memoirs, even with no intention of publishing. My recommendations differ from those of Julia Cameron, author of "The Artist's Way," in that I would focus more upon a fictive genre when creating daily pages.

2-Keep a thumbnail sketchbook and do two to three thumbnail sketches per day. The writing journal and sketchbook may be combined or separate. Sketches may include ideas for visual arts and narratives from geometric designs, organic designs, and portraits to landscapes.

3-Spend from 1/2 to 1 hour reading fiction each day to develop your creativity and receive underlying messages from literary teachers. Look for international fiction and great books on the list of the greatest 100 books of all times. Keep in mind that all great books were once unknown and that the great books may really be the ones that are not the most popular. Look at books with photos of art to stimulate visual learning in additional to literary learning.

4-Spend from 1/2 to 1 hour daily swiftly walking, swimming or doing the exercise of one's choice to keep ideas flowing.

Here are some additional activites that are beneficial:

5-Take a yearly trip to learn about new cultures and environments. Learn a language.

6-Utilize self-hypnosis and guided meditation tapes to reinforce the concept that one can pull visions from the intuitive aspect of one's mind. Daily affirmations may be enough.

7-Dream dreams, and always be a student. Teachers (mentors and coaches) appear just when the student can benefit from them.

8-Read newspapers, keep abreast of world events, and be mindful of human interconnectedness.

Naturally, the choice is up to the creator, student, learner, mentee, but this is what works for me! When I was much younger and in art school, I didn't have to balance a full time work commitment with my visual arts; therefore, I had the opportunity to work for 10 to 20 hours non-stop and, at times, all night long until the sun came up. As the years passed and I became responsible for my bills, staying up all night and continually focusing on a single project became impractical. Everyone is different and must balance her activities to meet the needs of her developmental stage at a particular time on her life journey. In order to remain productive, however, it is advisable to set small, creative goals each day.