Catching creativity

I have been discussing Gilbert's (2015) book on creativity. She talks about the ebb and flow of creativity as something you seem to "catch" as it flies by, almost as if it is alive. The key point that she makes is the need to be working daily so the writer is in a position to be available when the creativity "arrives." She discusses the need for the writer to work on his or her craft daily, recognizing there will be days when the creativity is available and the words flow without effort while other days one must work hard for every word.

This relates directly to your dissertation, in that it is important to work on it in some way every day. If you wait until creativity happens, your wait may be long and little work be done. Recognize that your creativity will ebb and flow with days of great insight and days when you struggle to write a sentence. The important element is to be there every day, working on your dissertation, so you are in ready to catch creativity when it makes an appearance!

Next time, I will discuss a trick of Gilbert's to encourage inspiration. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Gilbert, E. (2015). Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear.