Hello, computer. Oh, how I’ve missed you
I’ve spent the last ten years playing Tetris with events and timelines. Fine, it was closer to a month, but it might as well have been ten years. I suppose a word like “weaving” might be more poetic when discussing timelines. Yet, in this case, it is incredibly inaccurate, if not a lie.
Picture, if you will, five lines of events
Each with two to five characters. Two of these lines are revealed through one series that starts at present time, reverts back to past events, and moves towards the future. Lines three to five start in the past, are introduced in the present, and merges together as one, the closer they get to the future. These lines are presented as a second series whose timing has to correlate with the first.
As such, I had to slot the personal horizontally while the physical moved vertically. Thus, I use the word “Tetris” and not “weaving”.
It was also one of the few times where I became distracted while doing creative work. Which is why I’d like to talk to you today about something other than timelines and fantasy creatures. It’s something I’ve seen people approach the way one might approach a mole digging up their garden, and that is:
WHERE TO FIND INSPIRATION
Let’s go over the basics.
Inspiration and creativity or not the same. Inspiration is what ignites an idea, and creativity is the ability to turn that idea into something unexpected. I will not be rehashing how we should treat creativity like a muscle or set a schedule and treat it like a corporate job. We have heard that enough. I know I have.
Legends like Rick Rubin, Pharrell Williams, Michael Jackson, and Prince have mentioned that inspiration is provided indiscriminately as invisible energy that we must catch or it will be caught and utilised by someone else.
Fair, but vague.
There is no denying that what they said is true. However, if you are looking for a manual or a quick fix to get inspiration, then building your own mental resources might be a better approach as that would allow you to draw from memories for inspiration rather than hoping to “catch it”.
I will thus be sharing some exercises you could try, along with some media to reshock your input.
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN CURIOSITY
ONE PINCH OF “WHAT”, THREE SCOOPS OF “WHY”,
AND A DASH OF “WHAT IF”
OBSERVE AND QUESTION
Welcome to a combination exercise, my impatient friend.
First, go to a coffeeshop alone. Any café is fine, though a new one might work better. Now, this part is important, make sure you start this exercise once you have settled in and ordered. Do not read, go on your phone, write, or speak to anyone. Find something you can stare at without it becoming awkward. Something colourful preferably. Once you have found your focal point, the exercise can begin:
Determine how you feel about the thing you are looking at, ask yourself “why” three times, going deeper until you can find the core reason why you have that specific feeling or association with the object you chose. For instance:
What am I feeling?: Comfort
Why am I feeling this? The use of colours
Why do the colours make me feel comfortable? It makes the place looks retro
Why does a retro appearance make me feel comfortable? It reminds me of a more carefree time.
Do this with as many things as you can, preferably five. People are no exception.
LISTEN AND PREDICT
Listen to the people around you. This might be a tad difficult, but try and ignore what they are saying. That’s not the point of this exercise. The point is to listen to how they speak.
Do they speak with a nasal voice, or perhaps draw out their vowels? Once you have analyzed their voices, try and imagine their appearance. Now, take a peek and see if you were correct. If you were, then congratulations. Do it again. If you failed, then do it again.
Now for the fun part:
WHAT IF
What do you think they would sound like while laughing or after having received awful news? If the pillow you were staring at was in a different shape, would you still feel the same? Why do you feel that why about that particular shape? What if the café was actually run by aliens? Would they be hiding and, if not, what would the menu look like?
Asking '“what if” is probably the most direct way of coming up with unexpected ideas. However, it’s also the easiest method of coming up with absolute bull. Combining “what if” with the three whys gives you insight into associations and symbolism that you can use in storytelling in regards to characters’ psyche or other forms of visual communication.
If you can understand yourself, you can understand others. If you can understand others, then you can write characters without them becoming reflections of you.
WELCOME TO THE WHITE ROOM
This is something an acting lecturer taught us, and maybe it will work for you.
Imagine a white space. Close your eyes or stare at the wall if you have to. Now fill it one piece at a time, in detail, with each of your five senses. Start with the floor. Which materials were used, what colour is it, what would it feel like, and what would it sound like if you stepped on it? Do the walls next. What would it feel like if you scratched it? What sound would it make, and what colour is it? Now do the ceiling, the windows, the doors and the furniture.
Once the room is filled, turn around. Look up. Look down. If you can “see” all angles of the room then you have succeeded in the exercise. If you not, start again from the very beginning.
WEAR ANOTHER’S SHOES
You don’t need to write or illustrate for this exercise. In fact, it’s quite easy once you get the hang of it. Take anything, though I recommend starting with an object, rather than a person, and imagine yourself as them for a day.
Take your blanket, for example. Would you fall in love with the person under you, or become enraged by being kicked off? How would it feel if you were made out of cotton, and would you have any insecurities due to people discussing how you are not Egyptian silk? Truly imagine it.
FORCED PROBLEM SOLVING
Creativity is often linked to problem solving. Yet, we could also argue that it is our ability to find similarities between what we need and what we have that is the real hero. So, let me introduce you to another exercise that was taught to me by an acting lecturer.
You will need:
a) A task to complete
b) A time restraint, and (If you have no self-discipline)
c) someone to make sure you don’t cheat.
When we did it in class, we had to ask a friend to write a secret on a sheet of paper and tear it to pieces without telling us the contents. We then had to put the pieces together in under a minute before our friend “returned and found us trying to discover their secret”.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to do that.
Ultimately, the objective is to complete a task as quickly as possible and with an obstacle of some sorts. However, as your goal is not to act anxious, but to ignite creativity and inspiration, you can make up your own, such as having to get out of your house as fast as possible without using any doors. Or trying to reach the bathroom without touching the floor is also an easy way of doing this task.
An even simpler approach would be to complete a task without using traditional tools. This could be anything from sticking paper together without using glue or putting on clothes without using your hands. Imagine you’re an alien, if you will.
There are a ton of these exercises and “games” that you can try that are merely a Google search away. But, before you do that, try taking inspiration from the ones you read and come up with your own.
See what I did there?
Part 2 coming soon