The creative process manifests itself differently in each individual—poets and musicians, writers and painters. There has been a movement to somehow formalize or structure the process, from books which give hard rules and methods, to coaches and speakers who often teach formula and patterns.
Sometimes after speaking to aspiring authors, I wonder if we aren’t losing sight, in our quest to be better creators, of the very notion of creativity—which is the act of spontaneously drawing into reality something that prior to this moment, did not exist.
Please don’t get me wrong, there is a tremendous deal to be said about learning, study, and instruction. A wise student though comes to the epiphany that the entirety of life is in fact a classroom. Formal schooling and structured study are a powerful foundation; I encourage it heartily. I even have a bit of it myself; yet I say they are only that, a foundation by which to build upon over the rest of your life. The real training comes out in the field.
The true moments of enlightenment rarely, in my experience, come in a classroom, but through…experience.
As a painter, no amount of classroom still lifes will ever impress your consciousness or spark the fire of creativity, as that moment watching the sun’s first rays pierce through the veil of half-light fog in the mountains in the fall. No poetry text book will ever inspire greater prose, more heartfelt passion, or lyrical line, than falling in love…watching children grow…watching loved ones pass. LIFE.
The best stories in books, no matter how fantastical in premise, are the ones rooted in human experience and emotion. Real art is the thing that holds a mirror up to allow us to see ourselves in it. Writing should be fun, eclectic, hard, easy, time consuming and liberating. It should challenge and stretch you, cause reflection on your own perceptions, and give voice to the voice of your own experience.
There are of course many helpful tricks and/or systems to help you complete the journey, but the big thing to remember is that it is a journey. The very act of creating, if done right, should change you, like some self-perpetuating, quantum mechanics.
If I could give advice to some young writer, it would be to write. Write all the time, not for others, not for praise or notoriety. That comes later. But write to fulfil that God-given part of you that cries out to create. Write your junk at first; usually, we look back at our early work and cringe, but keep on. Keep learning and growing and don’t get to caught up in your own infallibility.
Some of the best advice ever given me as a young man, was by the record producer Steve Neal, the first time I went into a studio to record an album. we were little more than a garage band, but we had joy, and passion. He told 18-year-old me, “Son, a long time ago a wise old man passed this on to ME when I cut MY first record, ‘don’t hold your music too close. Don’t be afraid to listen to others’ ideas or criticisms.” Over the years, I learned the best music was the stuff that drew from all the guys in the band, like a well-seasoned dish with different ingredients. You can do it all on your own, but it will end up flat and tasteless… and so do you.
But remember that you are not in it alone. A wise writer finds, builds, and cultivates a solid team. Whether it’s your wife, mom, brother, best friend from college, or a paid editor and manager, use the tools you have available. In the end, it will only make you better. Life is a wandering path, and art imitates life. So, get there and start exploring. As for me, I believe I’ve meandered enough for the time. Thanks for walking with me.
W.C.R.