The question reminds me of that old joke...How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, baby, practice. Haha.
But what I'm wondering about today are those conscious, creative thoughts that brought you to where you are today -- at this job, with these friends, raising this family, pursuing that passion. Perhaps creativity wasn't the instigator - maybe you're just bumbling along, like the rest of humanity.
Yet how can we spark creative thoughts that can open the doors to what we want - for ourselves, our society, our world.
One creative thinker who deserves a "shout out" is the first follower on this blog - Lori McManus. Many years ago, I hired her to work with me at New York City's glorious (and unfinished) Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Sure, she was bright, eager, and personable - all necessary qualifications. But so were all the other candidates. What set Lori apart from the pack -- and I clearly remember thinking this at the time -- was her big, bold, creative move to uproot from the Midwest, leave family and friends, and create a radically different life in the Big Apple. Wow - that took courage. Not sure I would have done it. Congratulations, you're hired girl!
Hmmmm...maybe creativity and courage go hand-in-hand.
Awe shucks. *Blush* You're so sweet. Too kind. I don't know how much of it was courage that made me move to NYC as it was the desire for adventure and knowing there is more to life than sleepy Minnesota! I still pine for parts of my life in NYC, but now as I age and raise my kids, I love life here in the bucolic land of ice. I think a lot about how and why things come full circle.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that creativity and courage go hand-in-hand. One has to have courage to put their creativity out there. Sharing something that bubbles up from inside can be a paralyzing situation. Some of the most courageous people are art directors and copywriters I've spend my career working with in advertising. They get smacked down daily (hourly!) for their creative ideas. But, a healthy dose of arrogance keeps them coming back for more. And the accolades of seeing their work produced keep them going. This could be said about any visual artist and/or writer.
This says nothing about us wanna-be writers. Not only do I personally lack the TIME to devote to my writing, I haven't been able to muster up the courage to try to get any work that I have completed published. But, this is a forum on thinking, not of my shortcomings. :-)
Creativity isn't owned by the arts and its related area. There is creativity all around us. Thinking by its very nature is creative.
Your headline asks "how did you get where you are now". My answer: a whole lotta planning, plotting, maneuvering mixed in with some luck and creativity.