Forcing Inspiration

Most people, when they have to complete a creative endeavour, often tend to wait for inspiration. It is not unusual to find, therefore, that most people take inordinately long to complete projects or never finish them at all. Look at the infinite number of people with half-finished first-drafts under their bed. This reveals a lack of understanding of how the mind and creativity work, for the best way to find a bucket-load of inspiration is to force it out.

1) Engaging in the Task.

Simply engaging in the task generates ideas. By defining the work process, people can frame the mind for the coming task and keep work flowing.

2) Absorption in the project.

Absorption in a project creates inspiration for other, similar projects. Screenwriters know that they will come up with lots of good ideas for other screenplays while they are working on the present one.

3) Blocks.

One reason for a lack of inspiration is that the creator suffers from any of the many forms of evaluation apprehension. By forcing engagement in and completing the project, that creator can leapfrog blocks, which progressively decline with further projects. Confidence comes from having undergone a set of positive successful experiences.

4) Competencies.

Another reason for not embarking on projects is the lack of developed competencies. Competencies build up gradually over a set of positive experiences:

i) The experience curve shows us that in the early stages, relative lack of experience, knowledge and refined methodology limits performance to sub-optimal levels. With time these factors improve and productivity increases exponentially.

ii) Subliminal and subconscious learning