(This article was originally published in Saxophone Today, May/June 2014.)
“She’s so creative!” We tend to put creative people up on pedestals, but creativity is not necessarily something as simple as an inherent trait. Creative people usually follow certain patterns, and they make time to nurture different aspects of their lives. Most importantly, creative people make stuff, and they frequently do so in prolific amounts. They are able to balance a hunger for inspiration with a generous work ethic. You cannot be creative without actually creating, and this involves practice. In this issue, I offer some thoughts about the patterns and habits of creative people.
Immerse Yourself
Creative people go to lengths to keep themselves inspired. They attend concerts, go to art galleries, read books, and listen to music. Exploring the creations of others is the best possible route to inspiration and self-motivation. We never know when, or from where the muse will strike. From a practical standpoint, it is very important to have a strong foundation in the classics of one’s discipline. In any art form, there is a standard repertoire that must be absorbed, even if it is ultimately discarded to allow for innovative approaches in later stages of artistic development. There is also immeasurable value in keeping up-to-date with the newest works, whether they turn out to be significant to the evolution of the art, or to be merely trends of the moment. Beyond the obvious commitment to one’s area of interest, there is much to be gained from a diverse foundation in the humanities. Inspiration lurks in the canvases of great paintings, the pages of literary classics, and the study of math and science.
Keep notebooks
Ideas can pop up at any time. How many of us have dreamed up something wonderful, only to have it slip away? I have notebooks all over the place. I keep them in my desk drawers, on tables where I work, in bookshelves, and in my backpacks and instrument cases. I have small sketchbooks for jotting down general ideas, and larger books for outlining potential projects in greater detail. My favorites are spiral-bound with hard covers, and I prefer unlined pages. That way, I can shift between text and pictures, and even tape or glue things into the pages, unimpeded by preprinted lines. Of course, I also have notebooks with staff paper, for writing down musical ideas, themes, patterns, etc. Notebooks with hard covers are a bit more expensive, but they keep better over time, and they can develop a personality. If you watch for sales and clearance deals, you can stock up on a few higher quality notebooks, so that you always have a few on-hand. When you lack inspiration, skim through your notebooks and see if anything catches your interest. Many of my better projects came from sketches that were over a year old. A concept takes time to fully develop, and sometimes we simply aren’t ready. Keeping a log of your brainchildren will prevent them from being lost to the wind.
Vary the format
Speaking of different types of notebooks, creative people often take this idea to other aspects of their work, and sometimes in extremes. These days, computers are everywhere, but this might not be the best format for all types of work, even if the finished product will ultimately be computer-produced. Oftentimes, the computer interface can slow down the flow of ideas, or our ability to view the big picture is constrained by the size of computer screen. For this reason, I often do my first draft on paper with a pencil, or a smooth-writing fountain pen. I also will use mixed notation, employing graphic notation, shorthand, and descriptive text (such as “voice this out later,” or “try inverting this melody”). Getting it down quickly with a minimum of effort helps to keep one’s mind the creative “zone,” instead of fumbling for the correct key combination for a certain computer program function. Fast and messy on paper works best for me, but I know people how are incredibly adept on the computer, so try writing in different formats and see what is best for you. I find the screen size of a computer limiting, and the same goes for standard sized staff paper. I like to work on a large pad of orchestral-sized staff paper, where I can take advantage of all the extra space. Some of my pieces begin as a kind of flow chart with boxes drawn around certain elements, connected with arrows into a roadmap of sorts. I have also gone so far as to tape pieces of music paper together to form a very long score, so that the music can be written into a long, single line. These different approaches help me to see the music in a different way, and sometimes the most successful approach will be the result of that unique combination of what works best for the project, and for the artist.
Follow through
This gets back to the most defining characteristic of creative people: they create. No matter how many sketchbooks you might fill with ideas, the creative process only becomes whole when you see an idea into conclusion. Many people have no trouble getting inspired to begin a project; the starting is easy, but finishing can be much more difficult. This is especially true when one is particularly attached to the project. I always recommend to my students that they keep a schedule, and that they adhere as closely as possible to their deadlines. Dividing a larger project into smaller sections with “artificial” deadlines can be very helpful, providing a series of landmarks that will ultimately help to keep you on task. This can be as simple as requiring a certain amount of work each day, writing a chapter per week, or composing a designated number of measures in a set amount of time. These deadlines carve the work up into digestible bits and pieces, so that the overall amount of work does not seem so overwhelming. It is also a good idea to make a relatively conservative schedule that allows some extra time, in case something goes wrong. When my students are preparing recitals, I recommend that they have everything ready to go one month before the performance. This leaves plenty of time to do some practice runs, and to polish up anything that isn’t quite mastered. These mini-deadlines will only work if you adhere to them, so try to forget about the extra time and just stick to each marker as it arrives. The follow through is a test of work ethic, and we should remember that creative people are often prolific . . . they are not only inspired, but they are also driven. Your finished product does not have to be perfect, but it does need to be complete. You will gain more by setting a reasonable amount of time for five different projects that you complete than you will by over-editing and romancing a single project to death. At a certain point, you must get it done and move on.
The creative lifestyle
Creative people take pains and make sacrifices for their art, but they also stop to smell the flowers (literally). It helps to be friends with accomplished, creative people, both in and out of your discipline. When I’m getting low on creative energy, I try to hit a café with an inspiring person, to recharge my personal batteries. Successful artists reward themselves for a job well done, but they also don’t put too much stock in accolades and awards. Enjoy the feeling of completing a successful project, but try to get back in the saddle while you still have that feeling of accomplishment. Creativity is a habit, and anyone who can incorporate creativity into a career is lucky indeed. Practice well! §
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