Last week my friend Denise posted a fantastic article about pushing through writers block. In it, she argues that even creative people who “love their work” and claim that their work doesn't feel like work because they love it *so* much are full of crap- Everyone suffers from writers block and feels frustrated at times. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are full of it.

I can definitely identify with the idea of writers block, and I was reminded of a great TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert (the author of Eat Pray Love), where she talks about where genius comes from.

In it, she recollects an interview with the great musician, Tom Waits, who actually took to communicating with his creative muse. It's a pretty amazing perspective on creation and the creative process. I'd recommend watching the whole clip, but if you only have a few minutes, the Tom Waits part starts 12:30.

This interview really stuck with me, and I've tried to live according to Tom Wait's advice. When ever I feel the creative spark to write or create, I try to communicate with my muse: I try to harness the creative powers at be and accept it whenever it comes.

I think that listening to your muse in that way somehow nurtures it. And makes it more likely to come back more often.

It feels good to be able to sit down and create something quickly and thoroughly. This becomes a positive feedback loop. Feel creative ->Create Something ->Feel Good

What is significant about this, is that you can minimize the amount of writers block that you suffer from by only choosing to write when the creative mood strikes you.

Muse, Meet Technology.

Though it feels less so, learning how to co-exist with technology in your business or in your life requires creativity. Learning something new is almost as hard as creating.

You can follow the same advice above when it comes to learning- when the mood strikes you to explore, try, and grow- take the opportunity to do it.

Or, if you're really not feeling it- stick with something else. Forcing yourself to use new technology when you're not in an exploratory mood will just make you cranky, and you'll associate that bad feeling with all new technology.

Your Turn

How does creativity work for you? Do you agree that learning something new requires a similar creative energy as creating something?

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