Creative Spirit

[cindy]

I recently heard Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics interviewed by Barry Bissell on his radio program Cover to Cover, which looks at the greatest albums ever made, and she talked about her approach to the song writing process. She mentioned that on some days she sits there and nothing comes out, and just when she thinks to herself 'I can't do this, I'm crap', all of a sudden, out comes a song. As Annie Lennox had discovered, quite often it is the persistence of sticking with a thought that reaps the greatest rewards. I believe that too often people give up too quickly on their ideas or problems, and if they can't find a solution within two or three minutes, they tend to give up or talk themselves out of it and move on to something else.

One common attribute that I would have to say all great creatives seem to possess is both the desire and the ability to stick with a problem longer than most. Einstein, who always said in interviews that he never thought he was that bright, also said that his two greatest traits were his curiosity, and that he would stay with the problem longer than anybody else. Now, Einstein was known to stay with a problem for one, maybe even two years. If only we all had the luxury or the inclination to stay with a problem that long in today's society, which moves at such a rapid pace!

To make the most of your creative spirit, give yourself the time and space to think. Persistence is one of the key attributes anyone who wishes to dig down for their great ideas should aim to foster. The great philosophers of ancient times would ask questions within questions to dig down to what might be a new solution for something. This was after all, the basis for philosophy. It's hanging with an idea longer than anybody else. Take a lesson from Annie Lennox and hang in there with your problems and don't give up too soon, as you never know what great idea is just around the corner.

Written by Gary Bertwistle

[tara]

Great post ducky.....thanks for doing feature pic.....are you around for a gossip this week? Let me know what time suits ;)