How do I find inspiration?Look around you. You might have an ornament on your dresser that you love (or hate for that matter) , a ring in a jewelry box perhaps, a pebble from the beach. A postcard or painting. Newspapers, Magazines, even the Yellow Pages can provide a spark for the creative flow. Its just a matter of daring to think outside the box. Think not only of objects but also sounds, smells, tastes, the wind rushing through your hair,(if you’re lucky enough to have some) or textures. A shiny button or a piece of silk in a vibrant shade might be the starting point for a photo shoot, a picture, a story, a poem. Who knows?
Listen to people’s conversations, on the train, the bus, in a coffee shop or restaurant. Watch people closely as they visit the supermarket. Take note how they interact with one another. Who might they be? Are they friends, relatives, lovers? Have they been together forever or is it their first date? How did they meet?
Feel what they feel. What emotions are they experiencing. Are they happy, sad? Do they look angry, inspired, despondent, depressed, upbeat.. Take note of what they are wearing. See what clues you can take from their appearance. What kind of person is this? Imagine what they might be called, what they might do, what their hobbies or interests are . What might their favorite food be? More importantly what do they NOT like? What are the kinds of things they would never do. The more you can deduce from your observations the more accurate your painting or writing or scultping or whatever will be.
Do it differentlyMake things slightly different. Add a twist, add more information, or make the information others offer more accessible and easier to understand.
Cook a meal but make it tastier or less calorific, or add a different ingredient that adds an edge to the dish. Cook it in a different way.
Use paints but use a different technique or use a sponge to apply paint rather than a brush. Use your fingers or toes.
Selling your work
If you are looking to sell your work, rather than simply enjoy the process of writing/painting/sculpting/dancing etc it is important to find out what your target audience actually want to see or read.
It also helps to know what else is out there which is similar. Think about what you would like to read or watch or see, think about what other people do and don’t do. Do some research.
Keep topics seasonal but not so seasonal that they have a sell-by date, unless you’ve specifically been asked for a holiday related piece..
Ensure you’re clear about what you are and aren’t offering to sell them. Check your rights and make sure you read any formal agreement through carefully before signing anything. If you are not sure consult a solicitor or other experienced person.
What if my work isn’t good enough? Don’t think there’s any point sending it in. Who would want to read it/ see it?
You will never know whether it is good enough until you do pluck up the courage to send it in. Rejections don’t always mean that your work is rubbish. Even the most experienced and prolific writers have received rejection letters. Don’t take it to heart.
Sometimes a company doesn’t want a particular piece of work right now because they have recently run a similar article, or that your short story is similar to the one they published in last months magazine, or they are looking for something a little more edgy or more conformist (depending who you send it to!) So it helps to do your market research to save yourself time sending in work that just isn’t going to be accepted because its simply not the right time. Magazines plan their content months in advance so it would be pointless sending in an article about Easter Eggs at the end of March, as they will have already filled that slot in the magazine months earlier .Thinking ahead is essential.
Send things off to publishers if this is sensible to do, obviously no one is going to publish a 10ft tall paper maiche purple cow sculpture, so sending that to a publisher is more than likely a waste of time, although a photograph of it may be favorably received.. Articles, readers letters, poems ,fillers, drawings, illustrations, photographs, video clips etc may indeed be used by others for profit.
Make sure you have given them your up to date contact details ready for when that well earned payment flops onto your door mat. (If you have a dog that eats the post, buy a letterbox for the back of the door that is dog proof. Our dog once got his teeth into a cheque which could have been easily avoided)
Keep on writing/ dancing/painting/ sculpting. Keep on thinking positive about the outcomes.Even if your early work isn’t of a marketable standard (it might be,who knows?) keep at it. Believe in it, feel proud of it. Accept constructive critiscm.
Don’t listen to anyone who offers negative niggles based purely on their own issues. Some people like to tell you that your work is rubbish because they are jealous that they couldnt do anything of a similar standard, or because they don’t have the courage to try, or they haven’t organised their time sufficiently well in order to be able to give themselves the opportunity to try anything creative or they might even be spending so much time ironing their knickers that creativity isn’t able to feature in their lives.
What about that negative little voice that twitters at me telling me I am rubbish?
Simple - buy ear muffs. This way the little voice can twitter away to its hearts content and you hopefully won’t be able to hear it. If you still can hear the twittering then you will have to learn to zone out to it. Or imagine you have a very loving and kind voice telling you completely the opposite. Just make sure that you imagine the loving kind voice to be a louder more persistent voice than the negative one.
Surround yourself with other creative types.
It helps if other people you know are also creative types. They will understand that you need to get your creative juices flowing and will know the importance of constructive but kind criticism.
If you can get a group of creative types together so much the better. It doesn’t matter if you are not all following the same creative branch. Sometimes trying new ways of being creative can start your creative juices flowing with abundance.
Curing Writers Block / Restoring Artists FlowIf you have reached a tricky patch in whatever you’re doing don’t panic, try something else. Go do the washing up. Clean a window. Have a hot drink. Have a snack. Take a walk. Watch that episode of your favorite programme that you’ve been meaning to watch on Sky+ since Sunday. Put your favorite upbeat tune on the stereo and dance for 10 mins. Whatever you do, don’t keep staring at the blank screen or empty canvas. I enjoy playing various musical instruments and have often bump started the creative process by playing my violin for ten minutes until my writers block has been driven away. (Along with the neighbours)
If you are leaving a piece of writing of any length don’t finish the sentence you’re on. Stop. This way you have more chance of continuing the writing when you get back as its far easier to finish off a sentence than to start a completely new one.
No comments:
Post a Comment