Unlocking Your Creativity

Inevitably, it happens that the indie artist will find his/herself grasping for a new spark. Reinventing oneself is often a greater undertaking than we would like to admit. Getting past these moments can be difficult and it can take a toll on our outlook. It can often make us doubt our mettle for our craft.

As I contemplated this dilemma, I found a jewel on TED.com speaking on 4 Lessons in Creativity. Julie Burstein, author of Spark: How Creativity Works, speaks on the importance of embracing new experiences and letting go of encumbrances and the liberation that brings to our endeavors. It becomes easy, through her examples, to being to glimpse how to harness the natural urge to create.

As a performer one of the greatest challenges I found was taking the same set and making it new each time my band performed it. This was in part due to the resistance of band mates. It was also, in great part, due to the fact that I began to be weary of the material. The solution was not always as simple as singing new songs. Adding new material meant having to have the time to practice and perfect it. The easiest solution was to revamp the material. Create new segue ways and intros and interludes. Often, this is the challenge that artists find most compelling. Even the greatest, most renowned artists struggle with how to spice up their material over time. As Julie Burstein points out, embracing the nuances of life will help unlock the creativity in you. Embracing life’s experiences, your limitations, your joys, your loss, and your vision can open the floodgates of creativity for you.

I tell those who ask never to shy away from leaving your life on a track. Of course, people have apprehension about giving too much. However, those are the tracks that make hits. Anyone listening to any music I have done has a snapshot of my truth. I have been my most creative when I have let go of the fear of being vulnerable.

We must all come to our own understanding of what makes us creative and what helps keep our creative fuel firing. However, I would venture to advise that you start by watching Julie Burstein’s video and assessing the experiences you have to draw from. If you still feel stifled, it may be time to get some new experiences.