"Creativity is not a talent ...it is a way of operating."
That's from about three and a half minutes into this remarkable speech John Cleese (the acclaimed actor who was part of Monty Python) gave about Creativity.
Creativity as PLAY.
The discussion of closed mood versus open mode and how creativity is only possible in the open mode was really interesting, especially in terms of the five elements he says we need to be in open mode so we can be creative. The first two, space and time, really resonated because it led me to think about the coffee shop thing – how so many of us writers and illustrators want to go to a coffee shop or somewhere away from our regular work and home spaces because the regular spaces are so full of the emails and the responsibilities of our regular lives, and we instinctively know we need to be in a different place to be creative.
John says we need to
"....create an oasis of quiet for ourselves by setting these boundaries of space and of time. Now, creativity can happen, because play is possible when we're separate from everyday life."
That's at 15:00 min in.
He also touches on what might just be the key – and the solution – to procrastination. And the secret of being really creative. And the evolutionary purpose of humor.
It's pretty brilliant. Give it a listen:
Thanks to Molly Idle who recommended this at #LA15SCBWI, and to Sara Bayles who shared it at the Los Angeles Westside Mingle last week!
Illustrate and Write On,
Lee
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