Creative living requires decision making. We have to choose between watching T.V. and learning lines. Should I sleep or write? Should I buy another book on how to paint or should I buy paint? In black and white the “right” choices seem obvious. But in the midst of the daily grind choice-making can become fuzzy. How do we remain persistent? How do we channel our determination and settle in to the act of art-making? How do we drag our rear-ends out of the warm bed and force oursleves to face-off with the blank sheet of paper?

I have one simple trick. It works for seemingly tiny choices and great big ones too. It isn’t mystical and it doesn’t require will power, but it works.

Ask yourself this,

“Would this make an interesting story to tell my grand-kids?”

It’s very similar to – “How do I want to be remembered?” and/or “What would I say about myself if I had to write my own obituary?” But telling your grand-kids a story worth repeating is much more fun.

“My Gramma wrote a fantasy novel about dragons!”
“My Gramma quit her day job to star in a zombie movie!”
“My Gramma painted the mural in the state capitol!”
“My Gramma was a poet.”

How did she do it?

She got up an hour early every morning and she wrote.
She went to the audition. 
She declared herself an artist and she painted.
She paid attention to what she saw and she wrote it down.
She turned off the T.V. and used her imagination.
She showed people her poems even when she was afraid.
She looked at the blank wall and knew she could bring it to life.

Tags: Creativity