I am at odds with my creativity on pretty much a daily basis. Growing up I would have spurts of creativity, like I said before it comes in waves. As a child, these waves of creativity would garner "oohs" and "aahs" from my parents and the rest of my family. I think this left me with a horrible complex of meeting these high expectations. I live in a constant fear that I am not that creative, or worse, not creative at ALL. I see other people devising creative solutions to problems that I feel are almost acts of genius. The more I meet more of these truly creative people, the more intense my fear becomes.
Here's the thing, though, one creative solution is not better or worse than another, only different. I've slowly come to this realization and grown more and more comfortable with whatever creative endeavors I take. I also realized that in order to genuinely be a good creative, I must possess many skills of self expression. Painting, drawing, writing, photography, and music are just a few subjects that I feel all creatives should have at least some experience with.
Above all, any creative should have an obsession. That's something I've always known and believed. I felt I had so many, that it was hard to focus my thoughts until I finally narrowed down the selection. So, with this confirmed obsession, I've gone out and searched for inspiration. I've found tons of podcasts and blogs that write about design, games, and more. But one place that stands above the rest is TED.com - nothing beats listening to the big innovators of the world talk about the calmness you get when you've created something.
The most recent talk I've seen that really stands out was given by Adam Savage from Mythbusters. Mythbusters is the only TV show that left me with an ache in my heart when I canceled our satellite service - it is the only show that I consider "must watch." I like other programs, but shows like Heroes or CSI don't really do it for me like Mythbusters does. So when I saw that Adam Savage was on TED.com, I gave it every ounce of attention I could muster after days of building Ikea furniture.
I bring up my battle with creativity and self-esteem because I felt the lesson I learned was relevant after watching the video. Listening to Adam's creative process and his obsessions are exactly what goes on in my head, only he doesn't have the fear. I previously felt unsure about my own creative process, but after listening to an established and famous creative's rant, I now feel more comfortable in the way I create or find reasons to create.
The past few weeks have gone well, so much that I actually feel good about having so many projects on my table. Before I felt like I was spreading myself between too many different thoughts. Now, I feel like all my projects are just that, projects. Fun and creative vents. I'm still learning to ration my time, but I still feel real good on how things are going.
So, watch the video and enjoy it. Adam Savage is definitely one of my favorite artists/creatives and has been for a long time. He doesn't disappoint and I don't think you have to be in the predicament I was in to appreciate the video.