If you are a creative type then you are probably used to being labelled ‘A dreamer, ‘A wanderer, ‘Away with the fairies’, ‘In a world of your own’. Non creatives struggle to understand the way creatives act as they do. And perhaps infuriatingly for people with more regimented and logical minds, creatives can tend to be a bit messier and easily distracted. Of course there are exceptions to the rule but I am generalising here.
Here are some examples of a how a creative mind may work and seem to others.
“I must get started on that spread sheet – oh wow I have just had the best idea for an article! I’ll write it now. Ooh and I want to write a review of that film I saw last night..then I need to stitch some embellishments on my jeans…and what’s that advert for a new book about? I must read it!”
Before you know it’s 11pm and you have been typing on your laptop all day long. There are still cups in the sink and that room you meant to tidy is a shambles – oops!
Dreaming
It’s not that we are lazy, we just don’t notice that we have rumpled the bed covers or left a sock on the floor because our brains have rushed off to another universe and are creating characters or we are lost in thought about a book we read last week and thinking about how it could have been better.
Here’s another example:
Husband: “Alexa – I’ve just said your name three times! Are you ignoring me? You never listen to me anymore – are you having an affair!”
Alexa’s thoughts are interrupted and she is startled by the intrusion. She was just thinking about her design business and how she could create an open evening with brochures and samples to create more business. Now her husband is paranoid and insecure. All she wanted was 5 minutes of reflection to get her head round her ideas and now there is a conflict. Sound familiar? These are all common problems for creative types.
Alone Time
Creatives need more private time. This time allows them to build ideas and create in their minds. Being around noise and people all the time without any alone time is creative suicide for them and leads to stress and higher levels of irritation. Others may see them as being introverted, disinterested, aloof or a bit weird for not wanting to be part of social activities all the time.
Disorganisation
Creative people may sometimes delay other less interesting jobs. Often their burning passion to work on a certain project whilst they are in the zone is just too tempting. They don’t want to forget how they ‘felt’ at the time as creates much of their work. It’s all part of the creation.
Example:
Boss: “Amy! You have been staring into space for 15 minutes! I don’t pay you to sit there staring gormlessly at the wall. Get back to work and consider this a formal verbal warning!”
Amy: Sorry Derek. I have just had a brilliant idea on how we can maximise our audience reach and it won’t cost us a penny….!
Boss: “I don’t have time for this right now. Buck your ideas up or you’re out!”
Are you beginning to see how creatives can be misunderstood in society? Creativity can be a gift and a curse and lead to all kinds of misunderstandings. So should you try to buckle down and forget your dreams? Absolutely not! It’s part of who you are..and throughout history many creative types have been misunderstood. Where would we be today without Thomas Edison, Aristotle or Plato? Vincent Van Gogh and Franz Kafka were not taken seriously until after their deaths but are now celebrated today for their work. The point is many of the greats were misunderstood and labelled dreamers or loons, but now people all around the globe treasure their works.
Never Stop Dreaming
We are living in a world that is fast paced and times that are more stressful. But we all still need to make time to dream and create, otherwise what is the point of existence? Just to pay for expensive houses we don’t spend any time in as we are too busy commuting? Our contributions to the world and expressing ourselves is what keeps us going, what keeps us hoping and in time will gives us a greater satisfaction in life then spending money on things we don’t need.
Get Organised
If you find you dash haphazardly from one thing to another with no flow, perhaps it’s an indication that you need to get organised.
I am notoriously good at losing lists or even my diary, so if there is something I really need to remember I write it in a memo on my phone. Whether it’s a list of things I need to do by Saturday or clues for a PC game I’m playing – it goes on the memo! Obviously it should go without saying that you should never keep passwords or pin codes on this list! This will not only help you feel more in control of your time but this will free up your brain for those lightbulb moments!
Prioritise
Sometimes you might have to finally complete that job that you have been dreading and your mind is burning red hot with ideas for something else. Take a sheet of paper and write notes or brainstorm all your key points on it then put it aside for later. Next tackle that job you’ve been dreading and once it’s over you’ll have all your notes ready to begin your favourite project.
If you struggle to make sense of your notes you can also make a voice recording on your phone and voice any script lines, sentences and key points you want to remember.
Compartmentalise – literally!
Storage boxes, folders and a pin board are all great ways to keep everything you need in their own special place. Even if you are tired at the end of the day, spend half an hour putting things back where they live so you can find them straight away again without getting frustrated.
Take Time Out
It’s easy to get overwhelmed and time to switch off is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. There are some brilliant guided meditations on You Tube – some just taking ten minutes of your time. I can be feeling frustrated sometimes with my blood figuratively boiling, then after 10 minutes of being guided through a beautiful meditation I feel calm and focussed. I highly recommend meditation but if it’s really not for you, do something else to clear your head. Go for a run or a walk, read a book or try something you have never done before. It’s amazing how it restores you brain and makes you feel fighting fit again!
Finally – music is medicine for your mind. Different styles of music will create different feelings and you can hack your brain and rejuvenate it with healing sounds – whether for you that is rock music, a recording of waves crashing against the shore, rap or classical music. Let the music soothe your mind and heal you.
