Organizing creativity

Something that I've always held to be true (and I think that most of us do) is the idea that creative people are scatterbrained and disorganized. It makes sense. Creativity doesn't come from rigid structure and organization, it comes from spontaneous bursts of amazing insight, right?

Well in some cases, yes. Ideas hit us all at random times, but that doesn't mean that the ideas themselves cannot be organized and structured. Think of how many wonderful, brilliant ideas have been lost because of the artist's forgetfulness. So here are some tips on organizing your creativity so you can make the most of it:

Make a note!

You never know when you'll see something or someone that sparks an idea, so carry a small, pocket sized notebook and a pen with you everywhere. Write down every idea you have. Think that juggling flamingos and turning them into cannibalistic sand worms sounds good? Write it down! And don't forget to add a bit of detail. You want to be able to remember later what you're talking about now.


File it away

When you get back home, file the ideas away. Get a filing cabinet and put together folders for each project that you're working on. Then drop the ideas into either one of the project files or into a file labeled "Random Ideas". This way, when you work on a project, you don't have to hunt for where all your ideas are!


Make a list

Sit down and write out a list of all the projects on your plate. Make sure to include the little, tiny projects as well as the overarching, life-goal projects. Now look at look at the list and mark each project for either short-term (the next few weeks/months), long-term (six months to several years), or someday (self-explanatory). Write out each of these lists on separate pieces of paper. Now you can focus on which projects you need to work on first, which ones need the most thought, and which ones you don't need to stress about.


Tack it up

Take these lists and pin them up on your bulletin board on your wall. That way each list is visible, and you can see what projects are lined up for you as opposed to building up this horrible, daunting list in your mind. Also on your bulletin board should be a large calendar showing the current month (if not a three month spread) so that you can keep up to date on your meetings, social outings, and other things.


So try to implement these little tips, and come up with some of your own! Just because creativity is a bit messy doesn't mean you have to be! 


Cameron Rivers, Kings To You Magic