Mantras for creativity
From the series, Clear the Way for Creativity
I got fired from a leadership role. Technically I was part of a layoff but through clumsy execution, the experience delivered a dose of humiliation and sparked a lot of self-reflection.
That same day, my work friend Tanner called me up and reminded me, with his signature sparkle, “This is freedom — now you can go do whatever you want to!”
Once I was able to shake off the financial panic (who’s going to feed the kids?), sense of injustice (woe is me), and inevitable self-loathing (I’m a loser), I started to experience a lightness I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
I’ve always been someone that seeks opportunity in the face of change; nearly any challenge can be overcome, and, with a deft hand, even turned to advantage. I started to remind myself that opportunity is an infinite resource. My next professional chapter was a tabula rasa ripe for some new and hard-learned wisdom.
I’m going to share with you the three mantras I used to blossom anew.
#1: Be prolific
With some distance, I came to realize that over the past couple of years, the balance of my daily work had shifted from leadership and delivery to managerial support. I had grown singularly focused on employee empowerment through delegation and it was time to get my creative mojo back.
Taking a job is entering a relationship. To be successful at any job, you need to deliver on what’s being asked. That’s relationship table stakes! Being prolific is about moving beyond what’s being asked, finding a novel perspective on the problem, and delivering fresh solutions — thus becoming an invaluable contributor.
The intent of being prolific is to generate on-target and inspired solutions. You need to get super-clear on your objective, silence self-doubt, fire up your creativity engine, and make things — lots of things.
Don’t wait to be told
Conventional wisdom says, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That hardly cuts it in our rapidly evolving business world. I say, don’t wait for things to break. If you see something, do something. Dig deep into the problem at hand by asking “why” questions then use the answers to create actionable human language. My friend Cole once told me, “Don’t tell me what you want. Tell me why you want it,” and it’s stuck with me as a tool to discover the root causes of problems.
Work toward a vision
A good vision declares an ultimate goal that’s far beyond reach. Working toward a vision helps you push your work from the obvious and practical to the bold and visionary. Set your sights right and let them guide you. Stay on course, nipping tangents in the bud but recording them as opportunities.
Perfect is the enemy of great
When I was in college, I was repeatedly advised, “kill your darlings.” It’s a very human tendency to latch on to our first creative solution, or one we consider the best. Being prolific requires you to note the qualities and faults of your ideas, then move forward. Don’t work to perfect an idea. Rather, work the possibilities within it to create new ones.
Add don’t delete
Fight the urge to clean your workspace! Never delete an idea or count it out. Instead, use your desire for order to clarify and organize your outputs. Being prolific means that you create as many singular solutions as possible. There will be time later to explore the benefits, challenges, and opportunities with each of them.
Become a fount
Let go of outcomes and focus on the act of creation. Generate en masse, then grade, or, as noted in Find your Creative Familiar, “write drunk, edit sober.” I find that critical thinking is best done with a partner or small team — get your ideas in front of people and let them gauge quality.
When you boil it down, the concept of being prolific is about saying “yes, and…” in all aspects of your life.
#2: Move mountains
Moving mountains requires planning and teamwork — it can’t be done via willpower alone. Family canon says that two-year-old me refused to eat a plain-shelled hard-boiled egg one Easter, taking it within my tiny fist, squeezing it with all my might, and declaring, “I can’t, I won’t, you can’t make me!” These days, the fire within that kid burns in the form of asking: Why? Why not? Why? Why? Why?
I’ve formed a career upon respectful dissent and find it tantalizing to take on something thought impossible by others. I almost can’t resist a formidable challenge yet I’ve learned that sometimes, it’s better to find a clever path through an obstacle rather than attempt to displace it.
Say the problem
As with facing any challenge, my top advice is to first get clear on the problems and desired outcomes or experiences. It’s critical for you and your collaborators to have a singular mind on the root problem of your challenge.
Deliver to milestones
Creativity takes time so be as clear as possible on how much you need. If it’s a lot, make sure not to disappear into a cave — establishing milestones is like delivering appetizers to your team along the journey!
Recruit champions
Performing the epic isn’t always a singular hero’s journey. Quests are best faced from within a team! You may be able to go faster alone, but you will always go further together. Make friends, build confidences, and give credit to your collaborators.
Be someone who creates outcomes
If you want mountain-moving to become your lifestyle, don’t rest on past success. Outcomes are one-offs. If you want to become someone who creates outcomes, you need to practice and get good at it.
Moving mountains symbolizes the spirit of strength in the face of adversity. You can’t do everything, but when you attempt something, do it well and thoroughly.
#3: Over-communicate
This was the most important mantra for me at the time and remains so today. A few months after I’d lost my job, I was gifted some catharsis by my former co-workers. Over a beer, they expressed amazement at their discovery of the scope of responsibility and output I’d delivered, seemingly behind the scenes.
This brief pang of vindication was immediately followed by an internal reckoning about what had become my leadership philosophies. My main learning was that, while I was boosting my team, I had neglected to boost myself.
Remove the mystery
Working out loud, or as we call it, working transparently, can be a difficult ask. It opens you up to external criticism and self-doubt — fighting against your monkey brain is a liberating experience! Move your work to an accessible location to increase visibility — this may have the side effect of helping you to feel more accountable.
Be the one who knocks
Create demand — become someone people look forward to hearing from. This requires dawning the philosophy of “constant contact.” Tell your team:
- what you’re thinking of doing,
- when you’re going to do it,
- what you’re currently doing, and
- what you’ve done.
Consider: if you’re being asked how it’s going, you’re not over-communicating. Removing the unknown for your team reduces stress and builds trust.
Make it easy
Being informative doesn’t come easily to everyone. Creating the best bite-sized digest for your team is important. Don’t be stingy with your information but also don’t info-dump. Keep it brief: say what’s important, why it’s important, and what steps are next.
Be rightly reachable
For many, being a creator means you need to cultivate a safe space to work. Block do-not-disturb and communications periods on your calendar so your team knows the optimal time to contact you. Make yourself available for questions but protect yourself from the din of constant dialogue.
When you over-communicate, you can remove confusion and strengthen trust.
Create and activate your mantras
A good mantra can highlight your strengths or underline your challenges and opportunities for growth. They can be lofty and seemingly out of reach, like “Spark joy.” Or, they can be practical reminders, such as, “I’m respected.” Use mantras as a reminder of what you value and the person you want to be.
I wrote Be Prolific, Move Mountains, and Over Communicate in block lettering over my desk so that they were the first thing I saw when I came to the office and I read them daily until intent became reality.
You don’t have to share your mantras — they can serve as private reminders. Some people like the accountability that sharing them can create. If that’s you, tell everyone about them and use them in daily conversations as both affirmations and reminders.
Be a phoenix
Even if you’re not rising from the ashes of a recent burnout, as I was, gather yourself to get clear on what’s important. Soar to your next new height. You don’t have to work harder, but you may find more motivation.
What are your mantras?
