Analytical thought requires artistic expression in order to break boundaries.

If you’re reading this, it may be because you’re in a creative rut. Or it may be that you’re looking to focus your creative talents. This post isn’t meant to list every step that needs to be taken in order to be more creative, instead, it asks a few questions that can help you develop your own unique path. So, here are some questions that I've found to be helpful in my own journey. The last one, being the most important (and difficult) one:

What are you curious about?

The first thing to figure out is what you’re curious about. What question do you want answered? Make a list of the things that you find your mind gravitating toward when you're looking for a distraction. What kind of books are on your bookshelf? What do you find yourself researching and bookmarking often? What fills you with a sense of wonder? Immerse yourself in the idea that you'd like to explore. The act of pursuing an idea helps to influence the next step.

What ideas can you build upon?

Remix. Let go of the concept of originality. The quest to be original can often lead to paralysis. Humans are a remix of the experiences we have and the people we meet. How we synthesize it into our life is what makes something uniquely ours. Transform an idea and create variations of it. Innovate on top of a platform that already exists. The Gutenberg printing press was a remix of previous technologies and it completely revolutionized an industry. Give yourself the freedom to take an existing idea and transform it into something new.

What is your creative process?

Next, you have to find a process that works for you. Understand how you work. Consider the place and time of day. Create an environment that will help support your brand of wonder and play. Some people need complete silence, some need to have music blasting, others need to be surrounded by nature. Some work best in the morning, some in the afternoon, and others in the dark of night. You'll need to test out different environments and see which resonate and help spark the most interesting ideas.

Are there opportunities to collaborate?

Healthy collaborations make the creative process more exciting and create a kind of momentum you do not get when working alone. Several creatives working toward a common idea help develop it into something that is a lot bigger and has more energy than what could have been made alone. If you rather work alone, you can also collaborate in the form of a creative collective. Gather like-minded friends or join an online creative community that will help re-invigorate your creativity and keep you inspired when the moments of uncertainty hit.

What's your creative routine?

Ultimately, you'll need to get to work. We can easily get stuck in the research and development stage of creating, but at some point we have to do the work. So set aside the time and environment you've chosen and show up regularly. Set it on your calendar and give yourself the goal to take the idea just a little further each time. So if it's writing, write at least one paragraph. Photography? Take one picture. Drawing? Sketch for five minutes. You get the idea. Give yourself a goal of something that is ridiculously achievable. Reward yourself when you achieve it, then do it again. Before you know it, you’ll have developed a habit.

Are you willing to play the fool?

Being creative is ultimately about being vulnerable and sharing the work that you’ve created. For many, that can be scary. Below is a TED video featuring Ethan Hawke where he talks about giving yourself permission to be creative and the one thing that you need to do: play the fool. This can be the most difficult step. Watch it and then go create something!

Creativity Requires Us to Play the Fool