User blog:Vorknkx/Digging through the archives - creativity

Something from January 26, 2009, which I unearthed from my Facebook profile. Apparently some ruminations of mine about the creative process.

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You should all be aware of how the human mind can a whole self-contained world - an independent plane of existence that we carry in our heads.

How does it really work? There is no single theory or rule about creativity - it is different for everyone. Different people, different interests, different inspirations and goals...

Since I cannot talk on anyone else's behalf, I will use my own personal view - the way I believe my creative process works. Specifically, I will focus on its "ingredients" - the components that need to come together for the machine to work :)

(note: the quotes beside each item are taken from some of my favorite songs)

1. Disturbance - "It's such a brutal planet, it's such an ugly world" - Alice Cooper, "Brutal Planet" In order for the mind to awaken and start crwating, it has to be disturbed first. The disturbance can come from outside events or from an inside process (a dream, a realization, an idea, experiences of fear, etc.). The calm mind will enjoy the wonders of life, while the disturbed mind will attempt to recreate them through its own vision. Indeed, I have been most active through "rough" periods, when I needed to vent pent up negative emotions.

2. Emotion - "And Hell was so cold, the vases are so broken..." - Marilyn Manson, "Great Big White World" Artistic expression is the product of emotion, no reason. Energy and emotion are the fuel of the creative process. This does not necessarily mean that it has to be anger or the likes. Deep sadness, fascination, pain (physical or emotional) can be powerful driving forces for the already disturbed mind. The emotion builds up until it is ready to go out and change the world.

3. Influence - "I'll come back with a fist of lead, to educate your mind with a blow to your head." - Fear Factory, "Back the F*** Up" Whether we realize it or not, every form of creations aims to influence and change - change the outside world... or the very person whose mind is disturbed. I have written poems to sparkle a specific emotion in the reader (outward influence), and I have also written poems to calm myself down (inward). In both cases, change is the goal. A more obvious case would be a very passionate political poem. Influence can be exerted both gently, like a feather's touch, or with more force - "with a fist of lead."

4. Defiance! - "You're no immortal, I won't let them deify you!" - Disturbed, "Deify" Of course - in order to create something new, you have to "unlearn" everything you've ever learned, even if for a short while. Let go of all limitations - dump the laws of physics into the nearest garbage bin and sit down to create something beautiful. In writing fiction you have the chance to break all those rules that bug you in life - do it your way and don't give a damn about what the critics might say about it.

5. Observance - "There's something cold and blank behind her smile..." - Marilyn Manson, "Coma White" Ah yes, you should be able to observe the world around you, be able to catch the nuances of everything that's going on. There are seas and oceans of inspiration (and disturbance) all around us. You need only open your eyes wide enough to see them. This includes being able to observe yourself too... ;)