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For me, there seems to be a direct correlation between how far I am
from my computer and how quickly great ideas come. If I'm sitting in
front of it, with nothing to do but write, ideas sort of dribble in at
best. If I'm out somewhere, sans computer, without even a pen
and a piece of paper, my thoughts are so brilliant they would put Lady
Agatha to shame. Alas, keeping things in my head for long periods has
gone the way of reading without glasses. When I return to the computer,
the dazzling ideas are gone. There is, of course, always the
possibility they weren't that brilliant, but believing they were,
encourages more.
The other time I find that ideas come easily is right after I crawl
under the covers. When that happens, I have a dialogue with myself.
"Come on, Jean, is the idea worth dragging yourself out of bed, finding
your glasses, avoiding stepping on the cat, turning on a light and
writing it down? Think about this. Is it going to sound as good in the
morning?"
I figure the chances are fifty-fifty, so I drag myself out of bed, find
my glasses, avoid the cat, and manage to write it down. Along with the
possibility that the idea won't sound as good in the morning, is the
chance it will be impossible to read. Many mornings I've looked at my
scribbles and didn't have a clue what I wrote. Then I can say, "Damn, I
know that was a really great idea."
The thing about creativity is that we all have it. I know people deny
that. "I haven't got a creative bone in my body!" they argue. Well,
your bones aren't supposed to be creative. It's your mind producing
those wonderful ideas. Allow yourself the luxury of silence. The peace
that comes with quiet breeds creative thinking.
If you live in a large city, the chances are good that silence is at a
premium. You need to find a quiet place and if that's not possible, you
need to create it. Put those headphones to good use and block out the
noise instead of inviting it in. Libraries are still good places to
find quiet if you can get far enough away from the cache of always busy
computers.
Don't get caught up in thinking. Our thoughts are not unique. As
humans, we have basic needs and desires that form most of our thoughts.
It's where we go with those thoughts and the great thing is that there
is no limit to where we can go. Start writing. Don't pay attention to
grammar, or structure. Don't think about writing a great novel or poem.
Let the thoughts out so you can work with them. I've spent my entire
life wading through scraps of paper that hold little snippets of ideas
yearning to grow and change.
The answer to when are you creative is easy—when you allow yourself to create.
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