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| The 5 Ws of Creativity |
| The new Creativity Column by Dare Kent |
Dare Kent is starting
her new column here
at Liquid Imagination.
She is an Artist
Coach and Creativity
Consultant. Without
giving too much
away, I present to
you Dare Kent with
much enthusiasm!
her new column here
at Liquid Imagination.
She is an Artist
Coach and Creativity
Consultant. Without
giving too much
away, I present to
you Dare Kent with
much enthusiasm!
The 5 Ws of Creativity
Wander, Wonder, Wish, Whisper and Work. Okay, I imagine you thought I would
mention the other 5 Ws: when, where, who, what and why. Originally that had
been my plan. I was ready to explain the traditional 5 Ws of creativity.
Then I had an “AHA!” moment. I was inspired to do something different. I had a
creative thought. Appropriate don’t you think since we are talking about the
subject of creativity, inspiration and innovation?
Who am I you ask? I am a Creativity Ambassador. I warmly encourage people to
discover the joy of creativity. I help people make their creative dreams happen. I
administer Creative First Aid. If you feel overwhelmed or lost, or you are
procrastinating or blocked, I support you to experience creative growth. Creativity
is one thing I am passionate about and find fascinating.
What renders creativity so interesting? Well, you create something from nothing.
It starts as an idea. This idea has no substance. You simply have a vision of what
Wander, Wonder, Wish, Whisper and Work. Okay, I imagine you thought I would
mention the other 5 Ws: when, where, who, what and why. Originally that had
been my plan. I was ready to explain the traditional 5 Ws of creativity.
Then I had an “AHA!” moment. I was inspired to do something different. I had a
creative thought. Appropriate don’t you think since we are talking about the
subject of creativity, inspiration and innovation?
Who am I you ask? I am a Creativity Ambassador. I warmly encourage people to
discover the joy of creativity. I help people make their creative dreams happen. I
administer Creative First Aid. If you feel overwhelmed or lost, or you are
procrastinating or blocked, I support you to experience creative growth. Creativity
is one thing I am passionate about and find fascinating.
What renders creativity so interesting? Well, you create something from nothing.
It starts as an idea. This idea has no substance. You simply have a vision of what
is possible. You take action and turn an idea that
exists only in thought into something real and
tangible. That’s magic. That may even be the
meaning of life.
No other species on Earth is creative. All animals
play and some primates create tools, but only
humans are creative. Only humans express
themselves with words, pictures, music, dance and
whatever else we can think of to share a piece of our
soul. Creativity is a gift given only to humans.
exists only in thought into something real and
tangible. That’s magic. That may even be the
meaning of life.
No other species on Earth is creative. All animals
play and some primates create tools, but only
humans are creative. Only humans express
themselves with words, pictures, music, dance and
whatever else we can think of to share a piece of our
soul. Creativity is a gift given only to humans.
Wander: There is No Straight Path
Creativity is a non-linear process. You cannot drive it like your car and go from
point A to point B in a straight line. That’s not how creativity works. Creativity is
a hodge podge. It jumps around, never landing in the same place twice. That is
why creativity is amazing.
You may feel that you do not want to start a creative project because you fear it
may be a waste of time, a normal fear. However, every creative project will be its
own adventurous journey.
Part of the creative process is to take twists and turns, to go forwards, backwards
and sideways. If you believe in yourself and your project, if you keep taking
action, you will eventually complete the project. And have something real and
special to claim as art. YOUR ART.
Give yourself permission to explore your creativity and the different creative
aspects of your project. If it helps, I give you permission to explore your
creativity.
You do not have to follow the creative path of others. You can go off into the forest
of your imagination and create you own path. Listen to your own intuition, follow
the moments of inspiration and see where they take you.
Sure, sometimes things don’t happen as planned, and you’ll have to back up a few
steps. But sometimes you discover something fantastic, something that brands the
journey worthwhile. And you can only experience the fantastic if you first take the
creative risk.
Allow yourself to change direction. To journey to a new place, different then the
one you intended. Often one idea leads to another that leads to somewhere
completely different.
It’s like getting lost and finding yourself at the same time. Creativity is like that.
Colorful fireworks spiraling in different directions in the night sky providing light
and a beautiful show.
Give yourself permission to stumble. You will most likely make mistakes along the
way, the normal path to success. There isn’t a manual or creativefesto to follow.
You have only your “inner artist” to guide you. So enjoy the creative process,
learn to succeed from your mistakes, and dust yourself off as you laugh about it.
Creativity is a non-linear process. You cannot drive it like your car and go from
point A to point B in a straight line. That’s not how creativity works. Creativity is
a hodge podge. It jumps around, never landing in the same place twice. That is
why creativity is amazing.
You may feel that you do not want to start a creative project because you fear it
may be a waste of time, a normal fear. However, every creative project will be its
own adventurous journey.
Part of the creative process is to take twists and turns, to go forwards, backwards
and sideways. If you believe in yourself and your project, if you keep taking
action, you will eventually complete the project. And have something real and
special to claim as art. YOUR ART.
Give yourself permission to explore your creativity and the different creative
aspects of your project. If it helps, I give you permission to explore your
creativity.
You do not have to follow the creative path of others. You can go off into the forest
of your imagination and create you own path. Listen to your own intuition, follow
the moments of inspiration and see where they take you.
Sure, sometimes things don’t happen as planned, and you’ll have to back up a few
steps. But sometimes you discover something fantastic, something that brands the
journey worthwhile. And you can only experience the fantastic if you first take the
creative risk.
Allow yourself to change direction. To journey to a new place, different then the
one you intended. Often one idea leads to another that leads to somewhere
completely different.
It’s like getting lost and finding yourself at the same time. Creativity is like that.
Colorful fireworks spiraling in different directions in the night sky providing light
and a beautiful show.
Give yourself permission to stumble. You will most likely make mistakes along the
way, the normal path to success. There isn’t a manual or creativefesto to follow.
You have only your “inner artist” to guide you. So enjoy the creative process,
learn to succeed from your mistakes, and dust yourself off as you laugh about it.
Wonder: Experience the Wonder of You
Get in touch with your “inner child.” The one you
were when you were young, when the world was
filled with wonder and possibilities. When you could
lay in the grass and see amazing creatures made of
clouds as they passed through a bright, blue sky.
Release your “inner child,” for this child knew how to
play, to laugh and—most of all—how to be creative.
Considering my “inner child,” I remember the times I
danced in the rain, when I jumped in puddles for fun.
Where did that person go? When did I become
burdened with adulthood and responsibilities? Didn’t
I, like Peter Pan, promise to never grow up? Yet
somehow it happened.
Get in touch with your “inner child.” The one you
were when you were young, when the world was
filled with wonder and possibilities. When you could
lay in the grass and see amazing creatures made of
clouds as they passed through a bright, blue sky.
Release your “inner child,” for this child knew how to
play, to laugh and—most of all—how to be creative.
Considering my “inner child,” I remember the times I
danced in the rain, when I jumped in puddles for fun.
Where did that person go? When did I become
burdened with adulthood and responsibilities? Didn’t
I, like Peter Pan, promise to never grow up? Yet
somehow it happened.
It’s time for me, for you, for us both
to reconnect with this lost part of
ourselves. Add color to your life.
Use markers and colored pens to
brighten up the paper you write on
and the paper of your life.
Remember when you were a child
and you were creative just for fun?
Remember how you gave away your
pictures and projects with joy?
Remember when you were proud to
be creative regardless of the
results? Remember those times.
You knew then, as a child, a great
truth.
It does not matter what other people
think of your art. It’s great when
people like it, of course, but you
need to be okay when people don’t
like it, too, because it’s YOUR art. It’
s about you and your creative
expression. It’s about enjoying the
creative process and the fringe
benefits that brings.
to reconnect with this lost part of
ourselves. Add color to your life.
Use markers and colored pens to
brighten up the paper you write on
and the paper of your life.
Remember when you were a child
and you were creative just for fun?
Remember how you gave away your
pictures and projects with joy?
Remember when you were proud to
be creative regardless of the
results? Remember those times.
You knew then, as a child, a great
truth.
It does not matter what other people
think of your art. It’s great when
people like it, of course, but you
need to be okay when people don’t
like it, too, because it’s YOUR art. It’
s about you and your creative
expression. It’s about enjoying the
creative process and the fringe
benefits that brings.
Creativity brings with it many fringe benefits. People who regularly express
themselves creatively are happier and healthier. They feel more self-confident,
have better problem-solving skills, and expand their skills and abilities. Being
creative is a worthwhile endeavor.
Discover the wonder of you, of your creative dreams and goals. Make time to be
creative and give yourself permission to play, have fun and explore. Enjoy an art-
venture. You can be the hero of your own creative life.
Wish: Dare to Dream
Dreams are important, to have wishes and to take action to make them happen.
You can make your dreams come true, one small active step at a time.
For centuries people all over the world have been making happen what seemed
impossible. These people simply believed they could make it so. They had one
item in the pocket of their soul to make their dream possible: FAITH.
You need faith. You need to believe that the dream is possible. That YOU can
make it happen, that YOU are the person who needs to bring this dream to
fruition.
Making a dream come true is not easy. It requires action, persistence and
passion. Even when things look bleak, even when you want to give up, you keep
moving. That is faith. Faith is the most important ingredient in creativity.
Look at what we have accomplished that once seemed impossible: walking on the
moon, instant email communication, defying gravity by flying. At one point all
these miracles would have seemed impossible, yet today they are everyday
reality.
Leonardo da Vinci is perhaps the most well known and gifted artist. He invented
things millennia ahead of his time, such as the submarine, helicopter and even a
tank. While you aren’t Leonardo, you can be inspired by him and his faith in his
projects. He created, he believed in his ideas, and you can believe in yours.
themselves creatively are happier and healthier. They feel more self-confident,
have better problem-solving skills, and expand their skills and abilities. Being
creative is a worthwhile endeavor.
Discover the wonder of you, of your creative dreams and goals. Make time to be
creative and give yourself permission to play, have fun and explore. Enjoy an art-
venture. You can be the hero of your own creative life.
Wish: Dare to Dream
Dreams are important, to have wishes and to take action to make them happen.
You can make your dreams come true, one small active step at a time.
For centuries people all over the world have been making happen what seemed
impossible. These people simply believed they could make it so. They had one
item in the pocket of their soul to make their dream possible: FAITH.
You need faith. You need to believe that the dream is possible. That YOU can
make it happen, that YOU are the person who needs to bring this dream to
fruition.
Making a dream come true is not easy. It requires action, persistence and
passion. Even when things look bleak, even when you want to give up, you keep
moving. That is faith. Faith is the most important ingredient in creativity.
Look at what we have accomplished that once seemed impossible: walking on the
moon, instant email communication, defying gravity by flying. At one point all
these miracles would have seemed impossible, yet today they are everyday
reality.
Leonardo da Vinci is perhaps the most well known and gifted artist. He invented
things millennia ahead of his time, such as the submarine, helicopter and even a
tank. While you aren’t Leonardo, you can be inspired by him and his faith in his
projects. He created, he believed in his ideas, and you can believe in yours.
Leonardo da Vinci's detailed
drawing of a tank hundreds
of years before they came
into existence!
drawing of a tank hundreds
of years before they came
into existence!
Whisper: Listen to the Whisper of Support
You carry inside a harsh inner-critic, the voice that
speaks to you with fear and negativity. This voice
calls you a loser, says you cannot make things happen
and convinces you to give up.
You also have a whisper inside, a whisper of support.
A warm, nurturing voice that says you can do it, that
you can be creative, that you can make things happen.
You carry inside a harsh inner-critic, the voice that
speaks to you with fear and negativity. This voice
calls you a loser, says you cannot make things happen
and convinces you to give up.
You also have a whisper inside, a whisper of support.
A warm, nurturing voice that says you can do it, that
you can be creative, that you can make things happen.
Listen to this warm voice. When the harsh inner-critic speaks up, thank it for its
thoughts and release them. Then tell yourself you can do whatever you are trying
to achieve.
Be gentle with yourself. Everyday you do your best. Some days are better than
others, but each day you do your best to get through the day, so enjoy it as a good
and decent person.
Retrain that harsh inner-critic to become a voice of support and encouragement.
That idea came to YOU for a reason, landing in your lap. You have something
special to offer, something to give, perhaps even something to learn. Accept the
challenge creatively and go forth.
Listen to your intuition. Follow those “AHA!” moments of inspiration. They can
lead to interesting places. Inspiration can be scary because it often takes you to
different paths than the one you expected to travel. That’s what makes the
process such an adventure.
You may stumble, but stumbling is part of the process. Stumbling blocks can often
make your project better.
For instance, when Steven Spielberg was filming “Jaws,” the fake mechanical shark
did not work as planned and he only got a few of the planned shark shots.
To work around this “flaw,” Spielberg had to change the film and devise a way to
deal with the missing shark. He and his team did this by creating a view of the
shark’s eye or showing only the fin.
These changes made the film more dramatic and suspenseful, and reshaped the
filmmaking landscape when “Jaws” came out and the film was a huge success.
Spielberg had just created the first summer blockbuster.
Stumbles force you to think in different ways. They often force you to be creative,
to respond quickly and to act on instinct. This can lead to wonderful changes that
make your project better and stronger.
Follow those moments of inspiration, for they can take you places that are wild and
wonderful. If you keep trying, if you are persistent, you will experience a measure
of success, meet interesting people and have an adventurous tale to tell.
thoughts and release them. Then tell yourself you can do whatever you are trying
to achieve.
Be gentle with yourself. Everyday you do your best. Some days are better than
others, but each day you do your best to get through the day, so enjoy it as a good
and decent person.
Retrain that harsh inner-critic to become a voice of support and encouragement.
That idea came to YOU for a reason, landing in your lap. You have something
special to offer, something to give, perhaps even something to learn. Accept the
challenge creatively and go forth.
Listen to your intuition. Follow those “AHA!” moments of inspiration. They can
lead to interesting places. Inspiration can be scary because it often takes you to
different paths than the one you expected to travel. That’s what makes the
process such an adventure.
You may stumble, but stumbling is part of the process. Stumbling blocks can often
make your project better.
For instance, when Steven Spielberg was filming “Jaws,” the fake mechanical shark
did not work as planned and he only got a few of the planned shark shots.
To work around this “flaw,” Spielberg had to change the film and devise a way to
deal with the missing shark. He and his team did this by creating a view of the
shark’s eye or showing only the fin.
These changes made the film more dramatic and suspenseful, and reshaped the
filmmaking landscape when “Jaws” came out and the film was a huge success.
Spielberg had just created the first summer blockbuster.
Stumbles force you to think in different ways. They often force you to be creative,
to respond quickly and to act on instinct. This can lead to wonderful changes that
make your project better and stronger.
Follow those moments of inspiration, for they can take you places that are wild and
wonderful. If you keep trying, if you are persistent, you will experience a measure
of success, meet interesting people and have an adventurous tale to tell.
Work: It can be Fun
You can have a wonderful idea. You can spend time
thinking about it and making it better. But at some
point you have to take the idea and make it happen.
That means leaving your chair and dirtying your
hands. This is often the hardest part—overcoming
inertia. When you are sitting on the chair, you may
only see the work, the unknowns and the monster
hiding beneath your creativity. This is normal.
There are a few ways you can deal with the fear.
You can visualize yourself working on the project
using all your five senses.
You can have a wonderful idea. You can spend time
thinking about it and making it better. But at some
point you have to take the idea and make it happen.
That means leaving your chair and dirtying your
hands. This is often the hardest part—overcoming
inertia. When you are sitting on the chair, you may
only see the work, the unknowns and the monster
hiding beneath your creativity. This is normal.
There are a few ways you can deal with the fear.
You can visualize yourself working on the project
using all your five senses.
For instance, if you are a painter, you could see yourself standing in front of the
easel, the smell of paint filling the room, feeling the air move over your hand as
you dip the brush into paint, then lifting your hand and watching as you paint the
first brush stroke and then the next, and the rest that follow.
This is called “mind sculpting” and it works. It works because your brain doesn’t
know the difference between what you are doing for real and what you are
pretending to do when you engage all your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and
touch.
Mind sculpting allows you to see and experience the activity before you begin.
When you do start for real, it feels more natural.
The other thing you can do is to break the activity down into small, tiny, TINY
steps. For instance, using our painting analogy, you would paint one brush stroke
a day. This might not seem like much, but if you did it 3-4 times a week you
would eventually have a painting.
And, here’s the real secret to taking small steps. The smaller the step, the more
likely you are to perform the action. And, once you take that first small step, you
just might keep going. So, that one brush stroke might turn into 10, 20 or even a
100.
It takes a bit of energy to get moving. However, once you get moving,
momentum helps to keep you pushing onward, the same with creativity. Getting
started requires energy, but once you are being creative you often keep moving
toward your goals because you are enjoying the flow of the experience.
Being creative brings with it so many gifts. I hope that this article has inspired you
to explore your creative side more fully, and express yourself in whatever way you
choose.
Everybody can be creative. Yes, that means you. I really mean that. You have
something special to share with the world. No one else is like you. And your art
will reveal something of your own unique brilliance.
Go on, get off the chair and express yourself. Free your inner-artist and
experience a rich and creative life.
easel, the smell of paint filling the room, feeling the air move over your hand as
you dip the brush into paint, then lifting your hand and watching as you paint the
first brush stroke and then the next, and the rest that follow.
This is called “mind sculpting” and it works. It works because your brain doesn’t
know the difference between what you are doing for real and what you are
pretending to do when you engage all your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and
touch.
Mind sculpting allows you to see and experience the activity before you begin.
When you do start for real, it feels more natural.
The other thing you can do is to break the activity down into small, tiny, TINY
steps. For instance, using our painting analogy, you would paint one brush stroke
a day. This might not seem like much, but if you did it 3-4 times a week you
would eventually have a painting.
And, here’s the real secret to taking small steps. The smaller the step, the more
likely you are to perform the action. And, once you take that first small step, you
just might keep going. So, that one brush stroke might turn into 10, 20 or even a
100.
It takes a bit of energy to get moving. However, once you get moving,
momentum helps to keep you pushing onward, the same with creativity. Getting
started requires energy, but once you are being creative you often keep moving
toward your goals because you are enjoying the flow of the experience.
Being creative brings with it so many gifts. I hope that this article has inspired you
to explore your creative side more fully, and express yourself in whatever way you
choose.
Everybody can be creative. Yes, that means you. I really mean that. You have
something special to share with the world. No one else is like you. And your art
will reveal something of your own unique brilliance.
Go on, get off the chair and express yourself. Free your inner-artist and
experience a rich and creative life.
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