Creativity January 10, 2010
Posted by Rio in : Productivity, Rio, creativity , add a commentThe creative process is not rational. It’s hard to pinpoint where inspiration comes from. But whatever it is, you can’t just wait for genius to come to you. You have to show up for your part of the job. The sheer stubbornness to keep showing up will allow the creative process to flow and eventually produce something. So put in the hours.
Can love stimulate creativity in business? November 28, 2009
Posted by Mike in : Mike, Motivation , add a commentIt seems most poets and artists have a muse. Is it that object of their affection that inspires them to create masterpieces or is it something else?
The answer is: both, but mostly something else.
Love can inspire you to create beautiful things, however the act of producing something you are passionate about makes you a creative and loving person. This will attract others of like minds and that will re-inspire you.
I have found that if you neglect that latter part and are waiting for love to inspire you, you will never create anything.
I lost sight of that recently and was focused on money, wanting a vacation and being a whiny bitch.
I left town in a huff last night and here I sit on a public computer in a lobby in Chicago realizing just how far off track I’ve been.
You have to love yourself first. And those you really love, that have actually inspired you, deserve to have that favor returned in a productive way.
Yes, love can give you creative energy, but just do the production as mundane as it may be. Starting will give you the fire you need.
Are Art and Business incompatible? October 23, 2009
Posted by Rio in : Money, Rio , add a commentArt and business are usually viewed as incompatible. I don’t think that having good business sense somehow devalues you as an artist. On the contrary, the most successful artists know how to market themselves. They know that people won’t come to you just because you built a better mousetrap. And they know that money is a pretty useful tool in getting you where you want to be. It’s like time. Time is gold for me right now.
Just being poor doesn’t make you authentic. And it certainly doesn’t make you a better (or more successful) artist.
Money is a tool like any other. It’s leverage. And you can use it to create the life you want to create. For me, it’s a means to a much more creative end. Art and business are both self-expression (self-promotion, I mean), and I’d rather be an artist who’s financially secure enough to work on the things he wants to work on. Some of the most authentic people I know are the ones that are financially independent. They don’t have to prove themselves to anyone. Rejection isn’t the end of the world because they don’t have to worry about their next meal. They have that air of comfort and confidence about them. They’re not endlessly worried about making other people happy. When you don’t worry about other people’s judgement, you’re free to be who you want to be.
In other words, being self-funded is awesome.