Creativity

Why I Wrote It: The Power of Creative Paths

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

This book was written when I realized I knew more than I did.

Let me rewind, because this involves Project Management, seminars, and Seventh Sanctum.

Anyway, awhile ago I was asked to speak at a seminar for local members of the Project Management Institute. I have a bit of a reputation as being a creative type, so I spoke on the role of creativity in Project Management. This is more important than it seems.

See, Project Management in the broad sense (yes, I’m including Agile) requires creativity. You have to think around problems. You have to imagine solutions. You have to communicate in interesting ways. It was a natural subject for me.

But what I needed was a way to talk about different forms of creativity, giving the people there ideas of how they could understand their strengths. I turned to my Seventh Sanctum work for that, and realized Generators fell into five categories:

  • Expansion (adding things on)
  • Combination (combining things in set patterns)
  • Reduction (removing items)
  • Fusion (fusing concepts)
  • Mapping (metaphorical)

That gave me a great way to describe creativity so people could ask about their strengths. I put a lot of thought into this, then used it as maybe 25% of the presentation, and let it sit.

It was only years later when it hit me that “duh, this would be a great book to organize my theories on creativity.”

I know, yes, it was obvious. In hindsight. To someone who wasn’t me.

So I realized, yes, I should expand on this way of viewing creativity. I often advised people on creative endeavors, and this gave me a framework within which to think and coach.

Which meant then I had to organize my way of coaching to help people. So the framework I had carefully assembled now drove me to organize my thoughts. That’s what a good framework does – it’s a skeleton to put things on. Frameworks may not be complete or perfect, but they let you do a heck of a lot because they help you think of the big and small picture.

The book got a lot more intense than I expected because I had this framework. I organized my advice, found things that made me think, had to give examples, and so on. Writing on creativity, using that structure, required me to be more creative and more aware.

The result is a book I’m proud of, but I’m thinking I should revisit it now and then, rewrite it every few years. That way it keeps up with the times, that way I don’t let things sit, and that way I stay aware of my own thoughts.

Amazing what you can learn when you pay attention and have a framework.

Steven Savage

The Haunt

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

“I feel like I’m haunting my own life,” is how I described my creative state of mind while sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I’m here, but I’m not quite me. I’m less than I was, but still going. I’m engaged, but not fully there. Sounds horrible, doesn’t it, but also understandable.

We’re locked down, limiting our movement and activities. We’re trying to restructure our lives to work within new constraints. There’s a pandemic rushing around the world. Most government responses leave something to be desired, to be kind.

We’re tired, disoriented, afraid, and unsure of the future. No wonder we feel bad. No wonder I feel bad, like a ghost in my own experience.

But you know what? I’ll take it.

At least, like a ghost, I’m still here and still going. I haven’t given up and am holding on by sheer will.

At least I’m still in my own life, even if I feel insubstantial. I’m still here, if currently an echo of myself.

At least it’s an approximation of me and my creativity.

And if nothing else, like a wandering spirit, I might just find a way back.

So know what? I’m going to take this sensation, this echo of my usual creativity. At least there’s enough me to have this sensation to feel. I may not be at 100%, but at least I’m at some percent.

Besides like a ghost I can find a way back.

Not quite feeling yourself? Of course you don’t feel like yourself, we’re in a terrible situation. As long as you feel enough like yourself to keep going, you’ll find a way forward.

It’s OK to feel a little ghostly.

Steven Savage

Make It So: Cataloging Writing Places

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(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve’s Tumblr.  Find out more at my newsletter.)

This is an idea that struck me recently, an idea I liked enough to want to write it down and share it before doing it

I’m part of several writing groups and have a lot of creative friends. Often we meet for discussions.

One thing that comes up in our discussions is “we really should meet and write together.”

Then there’s the question of where. We’re in a dense urban area, which means may possible coffee houses and such to write at. We’re also in an area where the coffee houses and other writing spots get crowded because, hey, it’s a dense urban area.

I’d taken to trying out a new spot each week, and then an idea struck me. It’s an idea I’d like to try for myself, but wanted to share it with all you creatives. It’s about finding good writing spots, but also being social (and if you aren’t feeling social, you can sorta reduce that part).

It works like this.

ONE: Have your writing group come up with a list of places you might write. Yes, most will be coffee shops, because they’re basically coworking spaces where you pay by drinking coffee and eating pastries.

TWO: When a member goes out to write or draw or whatever, they select a space out of the list no one has tried yet. They let everyone know so they’re welcome to join them.

THREE: Everyone goes to said place and writes/draws or whatever. If it’s terrible or bad, feel free to move to another area of course.

FOUR: The person who started the meeting and/or the people who attended write up their experience and share it with the group. You could even keep a public blog to share with everyone in your geographic area.

FIVE: Keep an updated and ranked list of the various locations so people can go to good ones – or find new ones.

Sure it’s a simple idea. But there are various benefits:

  • First, you have a neat social thing to do with your creative groups, but one where there’s not pressure to be overly social.
  • Second, you find cool places to be creative.
  • Third, you support good local businesses.
  • Fourth, you find where not to go and avoid wasting time.
  • Fifth you might have a cool writing thing to do keeping a blog, a review, section, etc.

I hope to try something like this with my groups in the next six months or so. But give it a try yourself (especially if I get too busy to try it).

Steven Savage