4 powerful keys to structured creativity
I’ve been thinking about creativity more than usual.
After what seemed like eons of inactivity, where my creative drive stalled, I have come full circle, regaining some control over my creative life, producing content, not just consuming it in piles. It’s easy to get carried away by the force of social media, YouTube, and access to entertainment always at your fingertips. Sure, it can be a great source of inspiration, but it can also freeze us in creative paralysis. For me, the solution has been to rekindle my love for the power of a schedule.
Let’s clarify. Ever since I returned from my summer abroad, and then after a hurricane swept through the island where I live, I have been aimless. I had all the symptoms of an aimless life: lack of concentration, anxiety about not knowing what would come next, what to do with my time, feeling useless and finding little space and energy to progress.
Everything felt bad. I was looking for answers, anything. Then I remembered the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.
That single idea changed my perspective of the last two months of this year and, hopefully, of all the months and years to come. I looked elsewhere for inspiration. Much has been published about organization, ordering and time management. Everybody has a strategy. Everyone has something to add to the self-organizing salad. And each strategy can and should be improved.
Even Ben Franklin repeatedly returned to the drawing board from his daily schedule. The rest of us are no different. The process of evolution, evaluation and knowledge of ourselves is continuous. And therein lies the self-empowering truth.
The structure of our creativity will take many forms over the days, weeks, months, and years. The point is to harness the powers it unleashes. This doesn’t happen by chance, but in the process of building, tearing down, and rebuilding the kind of creative and fulfilling life we want.
Having enjoyed the sense of empowerment and freedom of a daily routine for the past two months, these are the four powerful keys that have unlocked my creativity:
1. The Power of Purpose: Having a clear intention, for your day and your life in mind, gives you a goal to commit to and work towards.
2. The Power of Progress – Setting achievable daily goals for yourself and keeping track of those goals will boost your confidence and keep the procrastinated elephant in the room at bay.
3. The power of knowledge: having some control over your day, in the form of a simple routine, gives your mind a break from mental energy, gives you a self-made sense of security, a sense of control over some aspects . of your day and your life, and the flexibility that leaves room for surprises. This power also opens the doors to greater self-knowledge through reevaluation of our progress and purpose.
4. The power of a single day: We must rethink the 24-hour time frame. Breaking your “limits” with wise time management, mindful rituals, and moments of gratitude.
Where should you start? I started with a blank page on my tablet. I wrote down the hours of the day and the tasks that should be done at those times. I put the schedule in motion and checked it. I then wrote a second version and copied it onto a medium-sized whiteboard in my creative space, for a quick self-test. It will change, as I learn more about myself, the hours that I am most productive in certain activities, such as writing or learning something new, the activities that I want to keep and those that I should go.
Everyone’s programmed creativity will look different and authentic, and that’s its brilliant result. By taking the time to embrace these empowering keys, developing your own schedule, and evaluating and evaluating yourself on a daily basis, you will find new ways to get to know yourself, what your purpose is, what gives your life meaning, how much space there is. it is within you for all your passions to breathe and flourish.
There are days when I can’t do all the basic tasks on my schedule. There are days when other responsibilities take precedence. There are days when I move tasks. I have full control and authority to do this. And you will have full control and authority over yours.
And there are days when I manage to check off all the tasks, check off every note. When I get to complete all the bit-sized goals. When every simple ritual and passion in my life is performed, it receives its time and attention. These are days when these passions bring unexpected surprises. In those days, anything is possible.
Make room for that kind of day in your life!