Occasionally I will find myself thinking that it would be easier to be creative if I were in a different situation or position. That if I could just receive that one opportunity or have the right home office setup, I would thrive as a creative person. This only places cognitive limitations on me and ends up diminishing any creative energy that I have. In hopes to curb this piss-poor attitude, I looked toward my biggest inspirations to find how they keep their motivation alive. After watching lectures, listening to podcasts, and reading articles; a common thread presented itself. The idea of our current situation is the best situation to be creative.
This idea feels so simple but why does it feel difficult to recognize that at certain times? To understand the sentiment, we need to look at each element it involves; ourselves and our current situation.
Ourselves
A handful of artists claim that the biggest thing standing in front of their creative endeavors is themselves. Disagreeing with the ‘current situation is the best situation’ sentiment is a great example of that. Whether it’s insecurities, negligence, or drive; we tend to find excuses before any work has started to possibly mitigate the risk of feeling lost, confused, or judged. Usually what is paired with excuses are ‘if-only’ statements. “If only I had the right connections.” “If only I had a studio space.” “If only I had an opportunity like so and so.” “If only I had 10,000 followers.” The list could go on and on, but there is quite the glaring irony within ‘if-only’ statements. The irony of identifying ourselves as a creative individual yet rejecting an opportunity to solve a problem. Let me explain…
At its most basic definition, thinking creatively is discovering unique solutions to problems. When we use ‘if-only’ statements*,* we are presenting ourselves with a problem. “If only I had the right connections.” Why not approach this problem how we approach obstacles in our creative work? We could reframe this statement so that we can start thinking of solutions to overcome it. Rather than “If only I had the right connections” we can ask, “How could I go about building out my network?” This provides an enlightened attitude on ourselves rather than shutting down and not creating any progress towards changing your circumstances.
Ryan Holiday, an American author who has written several books on Stoicism, has been quoted saying, “We can convert our disadvantages into advantages.” Meaning, we can take the obstacle that may be in front of us and find strategies to overcome it. When focusing on this topic Holiday also references the stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius with his quote, “The impediment of action actually advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” In more basic terms, if we face an obstacle; that is just confirmation we should put in the effort to overcome it. As a person who finds their identity in creativity, this is a great reminder to reframe the ‘if-only’ **mindset into a motivated and goal-oriented mentality.
Our Current Situation
Often times ‘if-only’ statements occur when we start something new or try something for the first time. At the start, we may wish to be in a different situation which is usually accompanied by the desire to acquire something before we take on the idea. For example, you may wish to acquire more videography equipment before you start that short film. What we need to recognize is acquisition doesn’t grant us permission. It shouldn’t act as our green light. Starting from scratch can empower creativity to thrive throughout the process. Circling back to the videography equipment example, if you would only have one camera and one lens how could that influence the way you frame your shots? Could you try to shoot a whole scene in one take? If two people were talking in a scene could you have the camera on one actor and the other actor appear in a reflection of a window or mirror? When you are working against limitations, your brain is pushed to find unique solutions to overcome them.
Our situation also depends on what knowledge we have. As we settle into adulthood, we are pushed to start honing our interests so that when we age into the workforce we have an idea of what career path we want to take. For those who keep the same career their whole lives, they end up acquiring a ton of knowledge and intuition about the subject matter(s) at hand. This is definitely beneficial in the eyes of the long-haul professional but on the other hand, can prevent them from thinking outside of what they know. Over time our brain creates neural pathways for us to learn and retain information. The more we use these pathways the more concrete it becomes and allows fast access to that information. This in turn may make thinking outside of the box difficult to do. This is by no means a dig at people who are dedicated to their craft, it’s more the reality that professionals face. When it comes to relating it back to our current situation it may be daunting to compare our knowledge to someone that has decades of experience but there is a plus side to that knowledge gap.
Wendell Castle, an American sculptor, talks about this idea by categorizing it with insiders and outsiders. During a speech he gave titled, Leap of Faith, he said the following: “I believe it’s best to be an outsider. We can continue to innovate our entire lives so long as we maintain the perspective of an outsider. We need to be willing to leave behind the safety of our expertise.” Within these couple sentences, Castle beautifully summarizes our ever-flexing relationship with creativity. In order to discover creative ideas, we must leave what we know. This may even become a constant feedback loop knowing when we leave the safety of our expertise that later that new idea could become our next expertise which in the turn we need to leave. If your situation is one of being brand new to a job, craft, or activity; use Castle’s quote to allow yourself the permission to have confidence in yourself.
This is Your Time
Everyone’s situation is different. Everyone’s perspective and thought processes are different. This should be celebrated knowing that it allows us to share different ideas with each other that we otherwise wouldn’t have been exposed to. Focusing on that concept sets the stage for understanding why our current situation isn’t all that bad. No one can think the exact same way you do. That makes your ideas significant. Even if you were in the exact same situation as someone else that would not confirm you would utilize it the same way. So rather than wait around for the “right” situation, utilize what you can now. You may even find that the limitations of your current situation benefit the overall experience and outcome of an idea.
