The Ten Commandments of Creativity According to Carol

It may seem oxymoronic to combine commandments with creativity and even high and mighty of me, as well. Commandments are, after all, divine rules and dictates while creativity is freedom of expression normally transcending imperatives. And, who made me the Moses of creativity incarnate, anyway?

In a workshop I took in 2002, I was fed the idea of hatching my own commandments of creativity. How to Become Your Own Muse: An Expressive Art Group for Women was facilitated by my now dear friend, Elaine. We first met in 1997 when, on a whim, I took a one-night workshop she offered titled Reawakening Your Creativity Through Expressive Arts. That miraculous night was the catalyst that launched my artistic creativity beyond the stained glass, basketry, and such that I’d previously dabbled with. It opened a whole new world of artistic possibilities I hadn’t considered before.

In the Become Your Own Muse workshop Elaine emphasized and repeatedly encouraged that the process, not the product was important. That whatever was written, drawn or spoken was acceptable. There were no rights, wrongs, good or bad. It was about exploring. It turned out to be tons of fun while personally insightful. I loved taking all the workshops Elaine facilitated because they brought to the forefront how much creativity made me happy and was a key ingredient in my life in both a written and visual sense. Plus, the writing and sharing in an intimate, safe group setting routinely percolated surprising, often creatively wrapped phrases and thoughts revealing nuggets of truth about who I was. It was a self-discovery odyssey.

The first thing Elaine did was give us a list of Ten Commandments of Creativity by an author of a book she had read then directed us to mine for our own personal tenets. What you’ll read later are the same ones I wrote in 2002. Revisiting them for this post I found that my maxims were built on solid ground because they still ring true for me today. I’m well aware that the world already has an overabundance of pundits on countless topics telling us the best way to, how to, you must do, edicts. My commandments are for me because they resonate within me.

In college I took a course titled The Nature of Scientific Thought. It was a wonderful lesson in critical thinking, full of snippets of scientific thinking, theories and models that spanned hundreds of years. The professor required us to scrutinize the information and write our thoughts on many aspects of the nature of the scientific thought we covered. I learned that in 1927 in Brussels, physicists formed the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum physics which discarded the notion of being able to achieve one-to-one correspondence between reality and theory. That was a huge admission in the scientific world. What it meant was that if each observer sees different results in quantum physics experiments, then their truth must be their own, unique perception of reality. In a similar vein, it was Don Miguel Ruiz, I believe, in one of his books, either The Four Agreements or The Mastery of Love, who instructed not to believe everything he or anyone else writes or says – take those tidbits that reverberate and discard the rest. The distilled version of all this is:  Live your own truth.

I do my best to do just that, ponder, weigh information and ultimately, be true to my own heart. I share my creative commandments because they work for me and I’m happy to share in case any strike a chord within you. Please do make your own if you’re so moved. You can do them for creativity and for your life in general too. Although not handed to me in grandiose fashion from the heavens while atop a mountain nor to be found in any religious canon, they are divine in that they are hallowed in my personal creative sanctuary. My commandments remind me what I need to do to stay creative.

So, here they are … TheTen Commandments of Creativity According to Carol

1.  There are no rules.

It’s been said almost ad nauseam of creativity and art that you first have to learn the rules and then you can break them. Says who? Perhaps what “they” mean to say is you should learn techniques then do what you want. But, I still hold fast to the idea that real creativity = no rules

2.  Playing and experimentation are mandatory.

Pablo Picasso is credited with saying that, “Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.” As children we played, built sand castles and either we or the surf knocked them down so we could do it all over again. While playing we learned what happened when we did certain things and how to do things better. Creativity demands the same playful mind and sense of discovery.

3.  There are no experts in creativity.

History is laden with examples of artists and other creatives who forged new styles and rocked whatever current boat of creative “norms” was anchored in the minds that dictated what was and wasn’t acceptable. In fact, there used to be people, commissioners, who dictated the content of art. Yet, try as they did, multiple styles now exist and have prevailed proving to me there are no experts in creativity!

4.  Play with subjects and mediums you love and creativity will abound.

I’m often asked if I own or ride horses because people have said I capture the essence of them so well. There’s often a bit of incredulousness that I don’t and haven’t owned or rode. But I really, really do love horses, have since dirt, and found mediums I love to work with to bring that passion of horses to life in my art. Self taught, I started my artistic adventure with rudimentary drawings of feathers and horses and kept at it to the point that I’ve wowed many, including myself! I believe it’s because I work with subjects and mediums I love as opposed to what others might have me do.

5.   Less is truly more.

Leonardo da Vinci said it this way with eloquence, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

6.  Sark is right, “Invent your world. Surround yourself with people, colors, sound and work that nourish your soul.”

SARK, Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy, writes colorful, inspiring books about empowered living. Her advice relative to inventing your world aids in nourishing my creativity as well as my soul. I’ve even made a chalkboard reminder that says, “Focus on what makes my heart sing.” I also had a custom rubber stamp made that says, “Listen to what makes your heart sing.”

7.  Revel in all your tiniest creations to honor them and ensure the growth of more.

“Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads.”  Erica Jong  (American Author, 1942-Present)

8.  Critique your creations but never “dis” them as bad. They are all stepping stones to your perfection.

“A work of art is the trace of a magnificent struggle.”  Robert Henri  (American Painter & Teacher  1865-1929)

9.  Enjoy other’s styles – LOVE your own.

It’s easy to get bogged down trying to emulate other’s style. There are, after all, hardly any new things, thoughts or ideas that are truly new, most are merely variations on a theme. The astounding thing is that mathematically there are endless possibilities of combinations of variations which almost guarantee that we do after all have the opportunity to possess our own, unique style. That’s exciting stuff because it sets you apart from everyone else. It’s as if a little part, or maybe even huge part, of that intangible self that you can’t see becomes evident through your creative expression, your own unique style. How awesome is that?!

10.  “Follow your bliss.” credited to Joseph Campbell (American mythologist and writer  1904-1987)

Sage advice for seeking a fulfilling, creative life.

Now, go forth and propagate your creativity!

Posted by carol@mylifewithcreativity.com & filed under Credo. This post has 2 comments.