I stumbled upon an interesting column by NY best-seller author Ryan Holiday.
In his post “The Strategies That Helped Me Write 3 Books in 3 Years”, he lists 11 tips on how to get creative as a writer.
While I tend to agree on most of them, tip no.2 on the list was very strange to me, as the way I approach creation is totally different.
“KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING (HAVE A PLAN)”. Ouch. Planning? In the creative world? That’s a big no-no for me.
Planning is the one stage that comes after you got your narrative right, after you understand what the composition/story is about, and this knowing comes thanks to a trial and error process of understanding what it is exactly you want to say, write, compose etc. The understanding unfolds as you walk the path.
Composition for me requires spending some time in the ‘first circle’ that circles your creation core.
This first circle holds the clichés, the combination of notes and grooves you know too well and projects directly from the your zone.
Then, after spending some time in that circle, you stumble upon a crack in that layer.
This is where your intention sharpens and you start walking towards a more creative, original, direction.
You’re traveling in this second circle, happy and assure that ‘you’ve found’ whatever it is that needs to be found, then you stumble upon a wall.
You examine the wall from all direction. You realize that the only way to pass it, is go in an alternative way. You take the alternative way, knowing at heart that the wall needs to be passed. But then, while walking the alternative way, you stumble upon an Avocado tree. You take an Avocado and eat it. It’s a fabulous Avocado.
Now, your belly is filled with Avocado, and you’re happy. The wall is now forgotten and you get up and start walking the road, heading to a completely different direction. Congrats – You’ve reached the Wizard of Oz’s castle.
In the Buddhist world, they talk about the process of un-learning. To me, a creative process is all about that. Your heart knows things that your brain won’t – yet he craves for dominantion. And the more you rationalise and block the road from being a road and take you whatever it decides – you’ll find yourself suffering, clinging on a creative ancient promise your brain made one morning after eating a certain breakfast in a certain weather, after a certain argue with a certain spouse etc etc etc.
Don’t cling onto your decisions, and just follow your heart. You can get ‘serious’ one you reached the castle.
And this is what’s been playing a lot in my eart, an incredible album-