“We need new and unusual experiences to think differently. In fact, cultivating a mind-set that is open and explorative might be the best thing we can do for our creative work. As Jack Kerouac said - ‘the best teacher is experience’.
That’s a quote from my favourite book on the topic of creativity (and one of my all time favourite books), called Wired to Create by Scott Barry Kaufman & Carolyn Gregoire.
Hey, I'm Krista Kankula. I'm a creativity coach who focuses on helping adults pursue their creative expression & do it in a way that’s fun and true to who you are.
Today I’ve got a challenge for you, if you choose to take up the invitation.
Since - changing our perspective and having novel experiences are so important to our creativity, I’m inviting you to go create somewhere that feels NEW or unusual to you.
That might mean, you take your sketchbook down to your laundry room in your basement, or you lay on the floor on your back and paint, or you try illustrating from your car (while parked of course), or dancing barefoot in your backyard. Maybe you go to the mall, find a place to sit and write your novel.
You don’t have to plan a trip somewhere far to experience something new or to look or think about what you’re creating in a different way. You can do it within your own space, by switching around your furniture, your body positioning, or creating in a different room than you normally do - like a hallway even. Trust me, painting in on your hallway floor is more fun than it sounds or at least I found it to be.
Consider thinking about the spaces in your community that maybe you haven’t visited in a while or have never spent time creating in - a bowling alley or a restaurant…or going to a friend’s house or garage.
Let yourself experiment with creating somewhere just a little bit different from where you normally do and see what happens. Keep this practice in your back pocket so you can pull it out if you’re not feeling inspired or creative or maybe you simply want to make a habit of challenging yourself to create in new spaces.
If you feel inspired, snap a picture of the new spot you’re creating from and tag Ryan @creativepeople.podcast and me @kristakankula. I’m committing to trying this practice out again myself - stay tuned to see where I go.