Filling your Creative Well.

Creativity is the natural order of life as it is pure energy, ebbing and flowing through and around us. Some artists are internally motivated, where inspiration, ideas and formats come to them either in voices, visions, or feelings. Other artists are externally motivated, gaining inspiration from a muse – either physical or spiritual form, or from observation or experience in the world around them. Some are a mixture of the two, able to flick in and out of each mode, drawing on what they need in order to create what is required. The term artists encompasses anyone who draws upon a creative energy to express themselves.

An Artists Creative Well donates that deep reservoir of enthusiasm, passion, drive and vision in which ideas can be drawn and carried along; seemingly by itself. Too easily can this reservoir be lain waste and run dry, if not treated properly. Like a spring fed well, it will stay at a happy equilibrium, if what is taken out equals what is being fed into it. Drain it with deadlines and demands and sucking it dry with stress, busyness and all the other STUFF that fills your life and you will hit rock bottom in your creativity ina very short time. Once dry, it is difficult to replenish quickly enough to meet the demands and as an artist you may find yourself blocked, or overwhelmed or have lost your passion for your art.

Like any skill, creativity requires practice and discipline. For many creative souls, this daily routine has been transcended and they no longer need to think about a format or steps towards creativity; they simply – are. Julia Camerons book – The Artists Way, outlines a twelve week program in discovering and recovering your creativity and is suitable for beginners searching for a creative self to jaded professionals who are looking for their spark. One of the tools she strongly suggests is morning pages – a free flowing script of what is going on in your head and heart as soon as you wake. Its not to be edited or read afterwards and acts as a conduit for further creativity to begin flowing. It creates a sacred space in your head to allow you ‘get in the zone’ of being creative. Once you have downloaded all your ‘guff’ in the mornings, you would be surprised how clear the thinking and how quickly ideas and storylines come to mind and how clear your day is.

You can assist in refilling and replenishing the creative well every day by taking the time to breathe, relax and watch a sunset or take in the beauty of a single flower or wonder at the smile of a stranger in the street. Explore a different medium or format of creativity and by this I mean – express it in a way you’ve not done before – bake or ice a beautiful cake, go to a pottery class, sketch – or explore a different writing style to your usual one and one that will really stretch you – poetry, write a review, science fiction, romance, a gossip column…..the genres are endless.. Creativity is a muscle that needs to be constantly flexed and challenged; otherwise it shrivels and becomes flaccid.

Creativity is deeply linked to passion and having a sense of purpose in your life. Be at peace with what you will do with your creative flow and if that hasn’t revealed itself yet; trust that it will at a time that is best for you. As you open yourself to the creative channels, many changes can be expected; some of these gentle, others powerful. Expect synchronicity, expect resistance and expect wonderful opportunities to express your creativity.

Creating Characters beyond the Two Dimensional.

The key to a believable piece of fiction – be it a short story – or a novel – is the believability and depth of the characters. Even on purple planets where the two headed, eight armed alien who can also teleport and zap others with a magic wand, can be believed if they display emotions and fears that your audience can empathize and identify with. By building your characters from within, will ensure you have a great understanding of their motivations and their truths and allow you as the scribe to tell the story with honesty.

Every character has a primary question – a phrase and a belief that runs in an uninterrupted pattern through their mind; especially under stress. Questions like “What will people/ my father/mother think of me?” or “ Why does this always happen to me?”, give a deep indication of a characters values and what is important to them. Identify that question and you will open Pandora’s box of fears and aspirations for that character. It will give reason for that characters reaction to an event and allow the audience to build empathy or an understanding giving way to belief in the situation.

Buddah was reported to have said, “ Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.” By getting into your characters head, understanding how they see the world and their expectations of what the world will serve them, will gift you more prompts and background stories than you will be able to write. Allow your character to sit within the environment your story is set and allow them to explore and react to what is in place. The way your character thinks will shape what their life expectations and experiences.

Its easy (and lazy) to bestowe an character with clichés – unless that is the style of the piece of work you are endeavoring to write. A character who is ‘evil’ may not necessarily see themselves as such and it depends on whos vantage point you are viewing the action or event from. They may be a on a mission from their deity or have a different belief structure and world view than the others around them or have been forced out of love, anger or fear to perform that ‘evil’ act you are writing about. There many layers and are always more than two sides of a story. Build your characters from a feeling or emotion and a question. Construct the framework around them to allow your characters to flex their newly formed muscles and they will reveal to you their secrets and desires.

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