In two days, at the Leimert Park Village Book Fair, I'll be chatting about 'Unlocking the Creativist in You.'
Creativity is one of my FAVORITE things to talk about. When I visit schools, students ask me a lot about the writing process. They ask questions about character development, plot, world building and so on - things writers do love to go on and on about, because, well, it's what we do!
Inevitably, there is always someone who says, "I could NEVER..."
Never say never to me. That's like a huge, neon-flashing, spotlight from the heavens invitation/dare that I will ALWAYS accept.
Twenty minutes laster, when their eyes are lit up & they have, through a few games & exercises - and bravery!!! - actually done the thing they believed to be impossible, which was to create a story/a character/an idea that any artist would be excited to paint, write, dance, or compose...
Well. It doesn't get much better then that.:)
A decade ago, when I decided to try to be a writer, I created a set of rules for myself. They worked so well that today, ten years later, before I sit down to work, I always read them.
They work.
Every. Singe. Time .
To help Unlock Your Inner Creativist, I'm going to share them with you:
Creativity is one of my FAVORITE things to talk about. When I visit schools, students ask me a lot about the writing process. They ask questions about character development, plot, world building and so on - things writers do love to go on and on about, because, well, it's what we do!
Inevitably, there is always someone who says, "I could NEVER..."
Never say never to me. That's like a huge, neon-flashing, spotlight from the heavens invitation/dare that I will ALWAYS accept.
Twenty minutes laster, when their eyes are lit up & they have, through a few games & exercises - and bravery!!! - actually done the thing they believed to be impossible, which was to create a story/a character/an idea that any artist would be excited to paint, write, dance, or compose...
Well. It doesn't get much better then that.:)
A decade ago, when I decided to try to be a writer, I created a set of rules for myself. They worked so well that today, ten years later, before I sit down to work, I always read them.
They work.
Every. Singe. Time .
To help Unlock Your Inner Creativist, I'm going to share them with you:
Jodi's Ten Creativist Rules:
1. Create the thing you think you cannot make today. Give yourself permission to make the unmake-able.
2. Wherever you are is the entry point.
3. There is a reason for the pace that ideas arrive in. To quote Emily Dickinson: "Truth dazzles gradually, else the world would be blind."
4. Your only job is to make visible what, without you, might never be seen.
5. Try again. Fail again. Just fail better.
6. Make space in your mind for creativity (in addition to time) each day.
7. Don't show or tell until the baby you create is ready.
8. In order to feed your Creativist, you must do things, go places, and talk to people that inspire, delight, confront & "refresh" your artistic mind.
9. Believe that when you commit, something benevolent will commit back.
10. TRUST.
2. Wherever you are is the entry point.
3. There is a reason for the pace that ideas arrive in. To quote Emily Dickinson: "Truth dazzles gradually, else the world would be blind."
4. Your only job is to make visible what, without you, might never be seen.
5. Try again. Fail again. Just fail better.
6. Make space in your mind for creativity (in addition to time) each day.
7. Don't show or tell until the baby you create is ready.
8. In order to feed your Creativist, you must do things, go places, and talk to people that inspire, delight, confront & "refresh" your artistic mind.
9. Believe that when you commit, something benevolent will commit back.
10. TRUST.
The Leimert Park Village Book Fair is free, fantastic & going to be so fun!
At 11 am, you can see me on the Unlocking Your Creativist Panel with some pretty fantastic people. I am really excited to hear what they have to share on the subject (see rule #8).
Hope to see you there!
PS - I will be signing copies of TRUST after the panel to celebrate the paperback release!
PPS - If you don't live in LA & can't make the fair:
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to blog more specifically
about each of my Creativist Rules, so stay tuned!!!
At 11 am, you can see me on the Unlocking Your Creativist Panel with some pretty fantastic people. I am really excited to hear what they have to share on the subject (see rule #8).
Hope to see you there!
PS - I will be signing copies of TRUST after the panel to celebrate the paperback release!
PPS - If you don't live in LA & can't make the fair:
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to blog more specifically
about each of my Creativist Rules, so stay tuned!!!
RSS Feed
