Deadlines may seem counter-intuitive to creativity.
And it's true that creative ideas can take time to develop, flesh out and take shape.
But without a deadline, all those wonderful creative ideas will be just that: ideas.
There is a great saying I've heard somewhere:
Nothing makes you more productive than the last minute.
Isn't that the truth?
That's why a deadline can be the creative mind's best friend. It makes you PRODUCE something with all that imagination. It makes you find the imagination you can lose when you have oodles and oodles of time on your hands.
Picture someone asking you to write a song for them....whenever. You might hum a tune in the shower and work on the lyrics as you drive to work, but will you ever finish it? Not likely.
Unless.... what if that person asks you for a song FOR THEIR BIRTHDAY? Now you have a deadline. Now you have a reason to stay up late and nail down that melody line. Now you know when you'll be performing it. You BET you'll be finishing it...and everyone will enjoy your creativity in the process.
Struggling with producing anything creative? Give yourself a deadline.
- Sign up for an art show, craft fair or event that you must have your pieces at.
- Offer to give your art (or song, or poem, or story) at a talent show.
- Commit to a date to finish: Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries make great, meaningful deadlines for you to share your art with people you love.
- Be accountable. My husband told me I needed to stop talking about opening a store and do it by a certain date. So mean! But it lit a fire under me when he kept checking on my progress.
- Meet with a group. My writer's group meets once a month...and guess when I do my best work? Yep. The night before.
- Invite company over to look at your project. That'll do it!
Today's Be More Creative Assignment is to give yourself a deadline.
When will you have your creative project done? Don't have any idea? Then it probably won't get done. Give yourself just until Christmas.....and guess when you'll have it finished? Yes, December 24.
Remember, creative projects aren't "just art." They can be organizing your medicine cabinet, sprucing up your bedroom, filing papers, planting flowers...you name it. Don't limit what you "think" is creativity to drawing....or you'll miss out on the enjoyment of the process.
Sooo.....when is YOUR deadline?
This post is part of the 31Days Challenge.
