CREATE
A short essay by Tim Shane
In most aspects of the arts and
humanities, we participate in what is called the "creative process".
In my personal experience, I have been part of many creative processes.
Some have been wonderful and very rewarding, while some have been very
difficult, yet very educational. Being part of a positive creative process
can be very healthy for the creative mind as well as charge your batteries.
By this I mean that even though you are drained because you gave it
your all, there is still a feeling of positivity in your fatigue. There
have been times after a rehearsal, meeting or a performance that the
creative process had me reeling and I could not sleep for hours. In
contrast, I have been fully charged entering a negative creative process
and left feeling exhausted, drained and often frustrated. From the positive
experiences, I have gathered some fundamental princples that were universal
from the stage all the way to educational committees to find creative
solutions to problems. There are six of them, and spell out the word
CREATE so they are easy to remember.
The fundamental principles (CREATE) of a positive
creative process:
1. Create and keep
positive relationships.
2. Respect others and help maintain their self-confidence and self-esteem.
3. Ego (keep it in check).
4. Awareness (mental and physical).
5. Take initiative to make things better.
6. Examples (set a good one). |
1. Create and keep positive relationships.
Making an effort to have positive and constructive relationships with
everyone involved in the creative process helps keep the environment
fertile for new ideas and concepts. As is often the case, if your creative
colleagues are also your friends, be sure to establish boundaries. If
you are conflicting on personal issues, be sure to keep those outside
of the creative process and not let them slip in to affect your judgement
or openess to new ideas.
A. Ways
to create and keep positive relationships
* When challenges or negative issues present themselves, focus on
the issue, not a person.
* Keep personal issues outside of the rehearsal, meeting or creative
process. It would be ideal to resolve them beforehand. However if
this is not possible, agree to keep them separate so they do not
inhibit creativity or bring negativity to the process.
* When expressing your ideas, think about ways to relate that idea
to something the other person will more easily understand. There
may be times you want to express yourself in more complicated terms,
but less energy used in interpreting your ideas, the more there
is for the creative process.
* Listen to other people's ideas and ask questions about their ideas.
Ideas are put out there to be challenged and tested, however be
sure not be be defensive or make others defensive.
* Make additional efforts to help them to feel accepted or part
of a team. |
2. Respect others and help maintain
their self-confidence and self-esteem. This keeps the atmosphere
positive and allows people to feel more safe and secure to make bold
choices or take risks. Words and actions that may damage the confidence
and esteem of yourself and others often give rise to additional negative
actions and reactions. This applies to all people in the creative process
from the leaders all the way to the assistants and interns and "rookies".
This is especially important in dealing with volunteers.
3. Ego (Keep it in check): Ego is a very delicate yet necessary
thing in the creative arts. You need your ego to be confident in the
risks you take, and to perform the way that you do, no matter if you
are an actor, singer or public speaker. However, too much ego can overpower
the creative process and be very damaging not only to your own and other
people's egos, but also to the creative process. If your ego is weak,
it may be prone to being accidentially hurt by the process, constructive
criticism or notes, causing defensive reactions and negativity. It can
also slow the process down by requiring time to be taken out for unnecessarily
reassured or affirmed. A good creative process will naturally affirm
and assure your choices. Even the choices that don't work. "Checking"
your ego refers to consciously being aware of yourself and your ego
and making sure it is in balance. A positive creative experience has
all egos at the same level, so it does not become an issue. Make sure
that it's not being too strong as to offend or damage anybody else'
s ego, while at the same time making sure that it is strong enough
to be protected. Below are some ways to check your ego:
A. Ways to "Check
your ego"
* Remind yourself that you are in the process based on your talent
and skills in the first place.
* Remember that everybody can have something to offer, and something
to take from the process.
* Each person is unique as an artist, therefore it is unwise to
make comparisons to other artists.
* The creative process will challenge my abilities, and I want to
engage the challenges with grace.
B. Ways to "Protect your Ego"
* Look at the circumstances. It is usually not anyone's intention
to deliberately hurt your ego.
* Remember that you want to be challenged, otherwise it would be
easy to be lazy or bored.
* Remember that you always want to do your absolute best.
* Remember that all creative choices do not always work, or may
not always work under every circumstance. |
4. Awareness (Mental and Physical):
Be physically and mentally present and aware. Be aware of yourself and
what you are bringing to the table, as well as what is going on around
you. Many times issues occur in the creative process because people
are either too focused on themselves and not the bigger picture, or
just the bigger picture and not aware of how it effects the individuals
involved. Attending a meeting, show or rehearsal but being mentally
checked out can also present issues.
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A. Ways to be Mentally and Physically
Aware:
* Check In: Begin the process by letting each person explain their
current circumstances. This can range from feeling ill and tired
to being excited to present their ideas. This gives the chance
to talk to everyone else, and also allows you to take a moment
to think about your own circumstances and do what you need to
do to prepare to engage the creative process.
* Warm-Up: Start off with something to help everyone engage their
creativity. Many do this for rehearsals, but it can also make
meetings and presentations much more effective.
* Break the Routine: Sometimes routines
allow people to go on auto-pilot. Shake things up a bit by introducing
a twist or telling a joke. Be sure not to violate trust or any
of the other fundamental principles, but use your best judgement.
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5. Take initiative to make things
better. Set the example. If there is a choice, situation or circumstance
that troubles you, take the initiative to make things better in a positive
way. Being positive is just as contagious as negativity. That may not
mean that you go to the person to correct them, but you can present
the same idea in a more positive way. People are just as likely to follow
your lead as the negative one. However, if they don't have a choice,
many will just "go with the flow". If somebody needs help
with something, go ahead and offer to help before they need to ask for
it. If you identify a problem, start thinking of possible solutions.
6. Examples (set a good one): No matter your role in the creative
process, the only one who can truly set a good example is you. Take
pride in what you do, and if someone is not setting a good example,
be sure that you do not follow their lead. If you ever feel like someone
is setting a poor example, think about what you can do to set a good
one before commenting to others about it. Nobody likes a hypocrite.
Before you engage in a creative
process, whether it be for the first time or the next time, take a moment
to see if it has these fundamental principles. Chances are, if it is
a positive experience you will already be familiar with them and recognize
them. If you are having problems with your creative process, see what
you can do to employ these fundamentals and turn it into a healthy positive
experience.
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