Creative Thinking Archives – Creative Thinking Hub

How to enjoy a steady flow of uninterrupted focus

September 12, 2016 by Jim Connolly

Do you find it hard to concentrate?

If you do, you’re not alone. And it’s little wonder. Your devices bug you all day. Emails, tweets, texts, Facebook updates, junk calls, snaps. It’s a constant flow of interruptions. And each interruption breaks your focus to a lesser or greater degree.

Mastering notifications

One way to retain your focus, is to take control of the interruptions. To stop your devices from distracting you. At least during those periods where you need to focus.

A few years ago, I changed how I use my phone, tablet and notebooks. The results were immediate and measurable.

Instead of having everything set to receive notifications in real-time, I switched them off. So, I no longer have a constant stream of interruptions. Instead, I check my notifications when I’m not focusing on something that requires my full attention.

Today, I not only manage to get more done, but the quality of my work has improved. I also find it easier to enter and remain in that state of flow, which often accompanies our best work.

If you’re finding it hard to concentrate, take control of your focus. Reduce or eliminate the notifications. Give yourself a steady stream of distraction-free, uninterrupted flow.

6 Attributes of creative misfits

August 11, 2016 by Jim Connolly

The greatest creative thinkers and artists have all been misfits. Here are 6 ways they differ from their less creative counterparts.

The misfit goes hunting for inspiration with a club. The others wait for inspiration to arrive.

The misfit is brave enough to rock the boat. The others avoid making waves.

The misfit creates their own path. The others follow the pack.

The misfit seeks out opportunities. The others look for guarantees.

The misfit uses their creative instinct. The others follow the handbook.

The misfit does what’s required. The others do what’s comfortable.

Misfits: The people who make a difference

August 8, 2016 by Jim Connolly

creative thinking, misfit

Over the past few weeks, I have been thinking a lot about misfits. I define misfits as people who do things their own way. People who stand out from the crowd. People who tread their own path through life.

It started with some research I was doing. I was looking at common factors behind the people who achieve great success in their chosen field.

And in 100% of the cases I studied, they were misfits. From Shakespeare, Dieter Rams and Steve Jobs, to Grandmaster Flash, Richard Feynman, Picasso and Robin Williams.

This also seems to hold true, whether the person is a musician, politician, activist, industrialist, designer, writer, actor… whatever. The only exception I could find were sports stars, where genetics played a huge part. But even then, the very top achievers in sport are often misfits; people who demonstrated a rare level of commitment, focus, grit and determination.

The creative adult

There’s a wonderful old saying that goes like this:

The creative adult, is the child who survived.

I love the idea of the child who survived: the kid who grew-up, whilst still hanging onto their child-like imagination and curiosity. Schools tend to try and make kids conform to a measurable norm. Teachers and fellow students make life tough for kids who are different. So, kids slowly learn to fit in. This robs children of their chance to be their unique-self. The misfit they were born to be.

Just as the creative adult, is the child who survived, I think the same is true of misfit adults.

Embrace your inner misfit

You were born unique. That uniqueness is still within you. Yes, it may take time, but you can reconnect with it. A great place to start is to observe the freedom with which your kids, siblings or grand-kids behave. Look at how they create, how curious they are and how much fun they have. Learn from them.

There are very few adults who retain or recapture their ability to think with the freedom of a child. But those who do are the misfits. The people who make a difference.

What Moby can teach you about art and success

June 1, 2016 by Jim Connolly

How fully do you embrace your artistic freedom? That’s a really important question, maybe one of the most important questions, facing anyone who wants to do meaningful work.

I listened to Moby in an interview recently. He was explaining that when he started out in music, he wanted to be able to do everything himself. He wanted full artistic freedom.

I really enjoy Moby’s music and find his approach to his art inspirational. I also absolutely get why artistic freedom matters so much to him.

Artistic freedom

What I didn’t realise until hearing Moby’s interview, was that he and I are the same age. When Moby started his music career and I started my business, we took different paths. However, we were both creative professionals in an era before the Internet.

It wasn’t until a decade later, that digital publishing and self distribution arrived. It changed everything. Forever. Back then, if you were a creative professional and you wanted to reach thousands of people with your work, you needed Radio stations, TV stations and newspapers to cover you. You needed to be selected by someone.

You needed permission… not to produce your work, but for it to be put in front of a large audience.

Today, you have full artistic freedom

Thankfully, you don’t need permission today. It’s down to you. Just you. You can get your work out there by yourself and if it’s good enough and you’re both smart and you persist, you can make it. You can get your; video, music, designs, dance routine, poetry — whatever, published to an unlimited potential audience.

Back when you needed permission, if you wanted lots of visibility, it really helped if you fit into whatever the fashion of the moment was.

Today, the exact opposite is true.

Today, the more you embrace your full artistic freedom and do your own thing, the more likely you are to get noticed. Those who appreciate your art will immediately resonate with it. Moreover, because you have a global audience, you can be as niche as you like and still have no trouble finding your audience.

Just like…

Rather than embrace this artistic freedom, most artists are still trying to be just like (whoever). The problem with that approach is that it fails on every level. It leaves them unfulfilled and unknown.

It fails them, because they are not allowing their own stars to shine.
It fails their audience, because they don’t get to enjoy the artist’s best work.
It fails to make a meaningful impact, because it’s not their art.

The challenge right now is that the thing that feels risky is actually the safest thing you can do and the thing that feels safe, is the sure path to nowhere.

Embrace your artistic freedom

Allow you, the real you, to do your best work — not your best version of what you think the marketplace wants. Steal like an artist. Then get your work out there.

Creativity and the tools we use

May 26, 2016 by Jim Connolly

I’ve visited the room where Dylan Thomas did much of his writing and also the tiny shed where Roald Dahl wrote.

Something that struck me about these amazing writers, was how extremely sparse their surroundings were.

Nothing fancy. Just a space where they could think and work. A place to create.

The mechanics are secondary

Often, we get caught up in the mechanics of creativity. What software to work with… which type of computer to use. And many creative professionals send more time searching the internet for so-called creativity hacks, than they spend producing their art.

To a lesser or greater degree, these are all stalling tactics. Find the mix that feels right for you, then do the work.

Photo credit.