I grew up believing that I had to come up with a really, really great idea and then protect it like hell.
I don't know where that came from.
But I know that it's wrong.
At least, for me it is.
Some people talk about creativity like it's a down-payment on a starter home—you know, something used to get your foot in the door, so it can appreciate and you can move your life forward with all it creates for you. I mean, I guess it's possible to approach creativity that way, but I always felt like going about it like that implied a certain level of scarcity. It was like, doing that came from a fear that you may never have another great idea, so you better hold that one close. And don't share it with anyone because they might steal it!
That used to be a fear of mine with writing... well, sort of.
Mostly, though, I worried that if I finally got my shit together and managed to write a book, I may not have anything left to say afterwards. The one-hit-wonder fear. So, if I were really going to do it—write a book—it felt like it would have to be perfect the first time since there may never be a second. And especially so if writing is a form of translation, like I've heard so many authors talk about. I've read books, listened to podcasts, and watched countless interviews at this point where they've described creativity as this thing that you have to be ready to harness when it strikes. By that logic, ideas are absolutely the important part. Which makes writers sound simply like scribes. I, myself, even thought that writing was about connecting the dots for a while.
Turns out, my form of creativity is more about interpretation than translation.
I don't have to worry about running out of ideas to generate, translate, or curate because of how I move through the world. I don't operate from a place of idea generation. Coming up with ideas isn't impossible, but it's not my strong suit. I'm an observer. Even when I'm engaging with life instead of spectating, as I'm sometimes prone to do, I pay attention to what's happening. Then, I ask myself what I think about what I find. Sometimes it's just documentation. Other times, it includes commentary. And I'm not saying I never generate, translate, or curate. I do. But I've come to understand that I'm an interpreter first. That's my strong suit. And I've been doing it long enough by now to know that my mission isn't to find a great idea and protect it like hell.
It's to live the life in front of me and observe what happens in great detail.
That's how I come up with endless things to write about.
It's how I find stories to tell.
Are you a generator, a translator, or a curator?
onward.
For more on this daily column and The MAP Year Project, read the backstory here. And if you know someone who'd appreciate this, pass it along.