How To Be Creative.

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So you want to be more creative in art, writing, work, or whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years.

  1. Ignore others. The more original your ideas, the less good advice other folks will be able to provide. Plus, people tend to naysay and undermine new ideas, whether out of jealousy or fear. If you truly have a new idea, it’s often best to cultivate it internally before getting the opinions of others.

  2. Your idea doesn’t have to be huge – it just has to invoke a change in the world. The two are not necessarily the same, even though we often assume they are.

  3. Put in the hours and effort. Doing anything worthwhile takes an extra push. What separates the success stories from failed people is time, effort, and stamina.

  4. Everyone is born creative. We all doodled with crayons in kindergarten. We imagined impossible things and were happy doing so. In high school, society stole our markers and construction paper and replaced it with algebra and textbooks….and then our workplaces replaced them with mundane memos and company policies. Blah. Deciding that you want to be creative is just you taking back your crayons – the crayons you should have been able to keep all along.

  5. Don’t stand out from the crowd. Avoid the crowd altogether. Your plan to showcase your creativity needs to be as creative as your work itself. Don’t blindly follow the same methods others follow just because it’s “what you’re supposed to do.” Find your own path, even if it I winding.

  6. If you accept rejection, it cannot hurt you. You will hear “no” often. If you hear it enough, you’ll become numb to it. You might hear no because people don’t understand your ideas, or what you are doing is so different that they think it must fail. Accept rejection as collateral damage. Their rebuffs won’t sting for long if you are certain you’re destined for greater things.

  7. The world is changing. Your creative vision needs to change as well.

  8. Sing in your own voice. People can recognize a knockoff a mile away. Once you’ve been pigeonholed as a bootleg version of someone else, you’ll never crawl out from under that label.

  9. Don’t worry about finding inspiration. It will arrive, eventually. You’re better off not pushing the deal. If you really want to write but it’s not coming easy, go read for a while. If you really want to draw but have no ideas, scroll through some artistic photos. Your body requires food to have enough energy to workout. Similarly, reading or studying the creative work of others can fuel your own creativity.

  10. Always create from the heart.

These creative tenets seem to work for me. Maybe one or two of these ideas will ring true for you. Safe travels as you embark on your creative journey!

Need a Spark? Try Using Writing Prompts!

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Even a motivated writer can need a jumpstart to get the creative juices flowing. Rather than staring at a blank sheet of paper waiting for inspiration to arrive, why not try using writing prompts? A single Google search can yield a plethora of creative prompts. These can serve as a starting point for your endeavors. The work that comes out of using prompts could prove to be your best stuff, or it might take you in a creative direction you wouldn’t normally head in. Or the prompt might result in your worst writing ever, but the act of pushing through instead of giving up could pull you closer to your next masterpiece.

Here’s a short list of writing prompts that I found over on the Submittable Blog – this can be a great starting point. Good luck in getting your derailed creativity back on track!

https://blog.submittable.com/2017/10/write-right-now-or-get-ready-to-write-later/

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“Nothing” at The Voices Project

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The Voices Project is a non-judgmental venue for women, and also men, to express their personal stories and observations through poetry to promote social change. They are dedicated to helping others feel empowered through self-expression. Recently, they published my poem “Nothing” on their website. Big thanks to the editors at The Voices Project for allowing me to contribute.

http://www.thevoicesproject.org/poetry-library/nothing-by-adrian-s-potter

So what does it mean to be a writer?

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Lately, I’ve thought about what it means to be a writer. I’m a self-taught creative with a technical day job. I used to equate my worth as a writer to the number of publications my work appeared in. I felt as if I needed to legitimize myself in a world filled with accomplished MFAs.

Over time I have evolved – I’ve had work published in at least 200 periodicals, both in print and online, and won or placed in contests for both poetry and fiction. I know that I’m not a hack anymore. My work has faced off with some exceptional creative minds – sometimes winning, more often losing, but I’m sure my writing deserves the chance to compete. I’m not the most polished. I don’t have MFA connections or a book deal (yet). But I’m humbly certain my writing deserves the little bit of attention it steals from time to time.

With that manufactured confidence, my personal writing focus shifted from just getting work out there to crafting better writing on a daily basis. That transition has helped my growth, energy, quality, and work rate. Not to mention that spilling new ideas on paper is immensely more satisfying than obsessing over amassing empty publication credits.

All of this self-reflection fell in line with my thoughts as I read “What It Means to Be a Writer—and to Emerge as a Writer”—guest post by Albert Flynn DeSilver on Jane Friedman’s site. This article presents some unique insight on the term “emerging writer” and the transformation many writers experience as we hone our craft. It is a great read.

So what does being a writer mean to you?

https://www.janefriedman.com/what-it-means-to-be-writer/

So what should you blog about when you’re blogging on your blog?

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Just like with any form of creative writing, blogging presents the challenge of generating ideas. This is especially true if you want to keep a steady flow of new content for readers.

So how should you go about creating new ideas for blog posts? This article by Vicki Krueger on the Poynter website provides some examples of basic constructs that can be used to spark successful blogging. Read them, implement them, then bask in the glory of your awesome blog!

https://www.poynter.org/news/7-ideas-writing-blog-posts

Bacopa Literary Review.

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Big thanks to the folks at the Bacopa Literary Review for including three of my poems in their 2017 issue, including “This Is Not a Protest Poem,” which won Honorable Mention in their annual contest. I appreciate the chance to contribute!

Here's the Amazon.com link to Bacopa Literary Review 2017 if you are interested in checking it out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1973979454/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504416981&sr=1-1&keywords=Bacopa+Literary+Review&pldnSite=1

Putting it together…

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If you’re looking for guidance on developing a book of poetry, check out this blog post in which Marilyn McCabe shares everything she can think of on the subject of putting together a manuscript of poems. It’s easy to read and has some solid advice. It just might inspire you to piece together your poetic masterpiece.

https://marilynonaroll.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/putting-together-a-manuscript-of-poems-everything-i-can-think-of-a-megablog/

Roads & Bridges.

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This is a different kind of publication credit for me, but one that I am certainly proud of.

Recently, through my day job, I had a chance to write an article for Roads & Bridges magazine. It’s about using AVL technology to track roadside mowing operations, and much of it is based on a research paper that I helped develop for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. I appreciate the chance to contribute to the magazine and enjoyed flexing my non-literary writing muscles to publicize the innovative approach to mowing that MnDOT is taking.

https://www.roadsbridges.com/land-scoping

100 Books a Year? You Can Do It!

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I was proud that I’ve read 25 books so far this year. That was until I read Srinivas Rao’s article “How to Read 100 Books a Year.” Now I feel like an underachiever.

But seriously, this article does contain some solid strategies on how to hit the lofty goal of devouring 100 books in a year…and consequently reap the benefits of becoming a more interested, cultured person. For me, reading the work of others is key to me making strides in my own writing practice, so I will be employing these suggestions to step my reading game up in the future.

https://www.thriveglobal.com/stories/12283-how-to-read-100-books-in-a-year

The Poem as Political Protest.

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The most powerful poems can carry a political message by re-enlivening and reactivating language. The idea of a poem as a vehicle for political protest is discussed over at the Bacopa Literary Review Editor's Blog in an insightful post. There is also a brief mention of my poem "This Is Not a Protest Poem,” which will appear in the October edition of the Bacopa Literary Review. Check it out!

http://bacopaliteraryreview.blogspot.com/2017/08/this-poem-is-not-political-protest-or.html

Give Up These Things to Become a Better Writer.

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Over on the Grammarly Blog, you’ll find a great article by Karen Hertzberg called “9 Things You Need to Give up to Be a Successful Writer.” In it, Ms. Hetzberg gives us all nine real tips that can help you become a better communicator right away.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/things-you-need-to-give-up-to-be-successful-writer/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Blog_Lifestyle&utm_id=eHbQju92hhYtkA

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What Inspires Writers?

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The answer varies from writer to writer, but you will see some commonalities in their answers if you read “Inspiration, procrastination and the importance of pens: how writers write” over at The Spectator. In this article, Sam Leith curates a sample of different writers’ routines. A very interesting read. So what inspires you in your creative endeavors?

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/08/inspiration-procrastination-and-the-importance-of-pens-how-writers-write/

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Sound Blogging Advice.

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There is no shortage of blogging advice on the internet. But there’s a blogging article over on the Submittable blog that’s worth reading. “Read the Comments: Advice for Bloggers” by Stephanie Loomis Pappas tells you why you should study the comments on your blog. Pappas clearly explains how this will help to improve the quality of your postings and discover your target audience.

https://blog.submittable.com/2017/08/read-the-comments-advice-for-bloggers/

You mean poetry can pay?

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Yes it can, per Erika Dreifus’ article "Making Poetry Pay: Five Ways to Increase Your Poetry Income" on the Association of Writers & Writing Programs website. She provides some simple – almost obvious – guidelines for turning your poetry practice into cash.

One of these tips – aiming for 100 rejections per year – is already a part of my current writing endeavors. Still, I plan on studying all of this blueprint and incorporating the other action items soon.

https://www.awpwriter.org/magazine_media/writers_notebook_view/61/making_poetry_pay_five_ways_to_increase_your_poetry_income

Useful Guide.

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Are you a writer or poet who wants to submit to literary journals and contests but has no idea where to start?

Fear not, for here is your blueprint: “Pitching and Moaning: A Guide to Submitting Your Writing”, a post by Tony Tulathimutte for Catapult. After reading this insanely useful guide, you’ll know everything you need to know in order to submit work to publications. Rock on.

https://catapult.co/stories/pitching-and-moaning-a-guide-to-submitting-your-writing

Removing the Filler.

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As a writer and Toastmaster, I found this to be a great read: from textbooks.com, “11 Filler Words You Need to (Literally) Cut from Your Vocabulary.” It has great pointers about eliminating crutch words, and I can see how reducing these can strengthen both my writing and verbal communication.

http://www.textbooks.com/blog/filler-words-to-cut-from-your-vocabulary?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook_org&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Blog_Lifestyle

Inscape Magazine.

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Inscape is the Pasadena City College student literary magazine. PCC Students edit the literary magazine, market the magazine, design the magazine, and put it into print.

I am happy to announce that my prose poem “Everyone Has Motives” has been included in Inscape Online Volume 1 Issue 2 as part of “The 100.” “The 100” is a special feature of work inspired by the first 100 days of the current president’s administration.

I appreciate the chance to contribute to Inscape and to be able to voice my thoughts on the recent political climate.

http://www.pccinscape.com/adrian-s-potter-100.html