the Messy Truth About Creativity

people love to imagine Christopher Nolan waking up with ‘Oppenheimer’ fully formed in his mind. Or Shonda Rhimes getting inspired and writing a season that shocks you with unexpected twists. Or the creators of ‘Bluey’ seeing a cute dog and an episode just “writing itself.”

That’s the dream. The reality is usually different:

Waking up tired. Questioning everything. Going through the motions. Writers rooms.Wondering if a glass of wine will help. What did Hemingway drink?! Lots of deleted drafts.Chewed pens. Random jokes and poems lost in iCloud notes labeled “Idea???”

It’s hard work that,in the moment,feels repetitive,frustrating,and a bit boring. The excitement is in the finished product, not the difficult process.

I know this as I work in many areas. I write ads, do stand-up comedy, write poetry, and am working on a novel and screenplay. Even with all these outlets, I need a starting point. Without direction,I feel lost and unproductive.

My process is simple. Well, not really. But at its core, it involves a timer (like a pomodoro timer) and a clear assignment. I really need a good assignment.

Stand-up comedy taught me you don’t just come up with a great joke. Some ideas come from life experiences, but mostly you write, test, fail, and revise. Often,the best jokes come from being limited by a topic,time,or the audience’s energy. The same is true for advertising, poetry, and writing books.

I can’t create a comedy set, screenplay, or poem out of nothing. I need something to work with. Prompts are essential for my creativity. good prompts don’t give you the answer; they inspire many different ideas.