How to be creative by Hugh Macleod
This is a series of essays, since available in book form, written back in 2004 by former advertising professional turned professional cartoonist and blogger, Hugh MacLeod. Although it doesn't directly relate to academic research, I found it contains useful lessons for research. A bit more aggressive approach to wisdom that I prefer, but nevertheless entertaining.
So you want to be more creaÂtive, in art, in busiÂness, whaÂteÂver. Here are some tips that have worÂked for me over the years:
The more oriÂgiÂnal your idea is, the less good advice other peoÂple will be able to give you. When I first starÂted with the biz card forÂmat, peoÂple thought I was nuts. Why wasn’t I trying to do something more easy for marÂkets to digest i.e. cutey-pie greeÂting cards or whaÂteÂver?
2. The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to change the world.
The two are not the same thing.
Doing anything worthwhile takes foreÂver. 90% of what sepaÂraÂtes sucÂcessÂful peoÂple and faiÂled peoÂple is time, effort and staÂmina.
4. If your biz plan depends on you sudÂdenly being “disÂcoÂveÂred” by some big shot, your plan will proÂbably fail.
Nobody sudÂdenly disÂcoÂvers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain.
5. You are resÂponÂsiÂble for your own expeÂrience.
Nobody can tell you if what you’re doing is good, meaÂningÂful or worthwhile. The more comÂpeÂlling the path, the more lonely it is.
6. EverÂyone is born creaÂtive; everÂyone is given a box of craÂyons in kinÂderÂgarÂten.
Then when you hit puberty they take the craÂyons away and replace them with books on algeÂbra etc. Being sudÂdenly hit years later with the creaÂtive bug is just a wee voice telling you, “I'd like my craÂyons back, please.“
I'm not just saying that for the usual reaÂson i.e. because I think your idea will fail. I'm saying it because to sudÂdenly quit one's job in a big ol’ creaÂtive drama-queen moment is always, always, always in direct conÂflict with what I call "The Sex & Cash Theory".
8. ComÂpaÂnies that squelch creaÂtiÂvity can no lonÂger comÂpete with comÂpaÂnies that chamÂpion creaÂtiÂvity.
Nor can you bully a suborÂdiÂnate into becoÂming a genius.
9. EveryÂbody has their own priÂvate Mount EveÂrest they were put on this earth to climb.
You may never reach the sumÂmit; for that you will be forÂgiÂven. But if you don’t make at least one serious attempt to get above the snow-line, years later you will find yourÂself lying on your deathÂbed, and all you will feel is empÂtiÂness.
10. The more talenÂted someÂbody is, the less they need the props.
MeeÂting a perÂson who wrote a masÂterÂpiece on the back of a deli menu would not surÂprise me. MeeÂting a perÂson who wrote a masÂterÂpiece with a silÂver CarÂtier founÂtain pen on an antiÂque wriÂting table in an airy SoHo loft would SERIOUSLY surÂprise me.
11. Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altoÂgether.
Your plan for getÂting your work out there has to be as oriÂgiÂnal as the actual work, perhaps even more so. The work has to create a totally new marÂket. There’s no point trying to do the same thing as 250,000 other young hopeÂfuls, waiÂting for a miracle. All exisÂting busiÂness models are wrong. Find a new one.
12. If you accept the pain, it canÂnot hurt you.
The pain of making the necesÂsary sacÂriÂfiÂces always hurts more than you think it’s going to. I know. It sucks. That being said, doing something seriously creaÂtive is one of the most amaÂzing expeÂrienÂces one can have, in this or any other lifeÂtime. If you can pull it off, it’s worth it. Even if you don’t end up pulling it off, you’ll learn many incÂreÂdiÂble, magiÂcal, valuaÂble things. It’s NOT doing it when you know you full well you HAD the opporÂtuÂnity– that hurts FAR more than any faiÂlure.
13. Never comÂpare your inside with someÂbody else’s outside.
The more you pracÂtice your craft, the less you conÂfuse worldly rewards with spiÂriÂtual rewards, and vice versa. Even if your path never makes any money or furthers your career, that’s still worth a TON.
14. Dying young is oveÂrraÂted.
I’ve seen so many young peoÂple take the “Gotta do the drugs and booze thing to make me a betÂter artist” route over the years. A choice that was neither effecÂtive, healthy, smart, oriÂgiÂnal or ended hapÂpily.
15. The most imporÂtant thing a creaÂtive perÂson can learn proÂfesÂsioÂnally is where to draw the red line that sepaÂraÂtes what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
Art sufÂfers the moment other peoÂple start paying for it. The more you need the money, the more peoÂple will tell you what to do. The less conÂtrol you will have. The more bullshit you will have to swaÂllow. The less joy it will bring. Know this and plan accorÂdingly.
16. The world is chanÂging.
Some peoÂple are hip to it, others are not. If you want to be able to afford groÂceÂries in 5 years, I’d recomÂmend lisÂteÂning cloÂsely to the forÂmer and avoiÂding the latÂter. Just my two cents.
17. Merit can be bought. PasÂsion can’t.
The only peoÂple who can change the world are peoÂple who want to. And not everyÂbody does.
18. Avoid the WaterÂcooÂler Gang.
They're a well-meaning bunch, but they get in the way evenÂtually.
19. Sing in your own voice.
PicÂcasso was a terriÂble coloÂrist. TurÂner couldn’t paint human beings worth a damn. Saul Steinberg’s forÂmal drafÂting skills were appaÂlling. TS Eliot had a full-time day job. Henry Miller was a wildly uneÂven wriÂter. Bob Dylan can’t sing or play guiÂtar.
20. The choice of media is irreÂleÂvant.
Every media’s greaÂtest strength is also its greaÂtest weakÂness. Every form of media is a set of funÂdeÂmaÂtal comÂproÂmiÂses, one is not “higher” than the other. A painÂting doesn’t do much, it just sits there on a wall. That’s the best and worst thing thing about it. Film comÂbiÂnes sound, phoÂtoÂgraphy, music, acting. That’s the best and worst thing thing about it. Prose just uses words arranÂged in linear form to get its point across. That’s the best and worst thing thing about it etc.
21. Selling out is harÂder than it looks.
DiluÂting your proÂduct to make it more “comÂmerÂcial” will just make peoÂple like it less.
22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourÂself.
EveryÂbody is too busy with their own lives to give a damn about your book, painÂting, screenÂplay etc, espeÂcially if you haven’t sold it yet. And the ones that aren’t, you don’t want in your life anyÂway.
23. WorrÂying about “ComÂmerÂcial vs. ArtisÂtic” is a comÂplete waste of time.
You can argue about “the shaÂmeÂful state of AmeÂriÂcan LetÂters” till the cows come home. They were kvetching about it in 1950, they’ll be kvetching about it in 2050.
It’s a path well-trodden, and not a place where one is going to come up with many new, earth-shattering insights.
24. Don't worry about finÂding insÂpiÂraÂtion. It comes evenÂtually.
InsÂpiÂraÂtion preÂceÂdes the desire to create, not the other way around.
25. You have to find your own schÂtick.
A Picasso always looks like PicÂcasso painÂted it. HemingÂway always sounds like HemingÂway. A BeethoÂven Symphony always sounds like a Beethoven’s Syynphony. Part of being a masÂter is learÂning how to sing in nobody else’s voice but your own.
26. Write from the heart.
There is no silÂver bullet. There is only the love God gave you.
27. The best way to get approÂval is not to need it.
This is equally true in art and busiÂness. And love. And sex. And just about everything else worth having.
28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
PeoÂple who are “ready” give off a difÂfeÂrent vibe than peoÂple who aren’t. AniÂmals can smell fear; maybe that’s it.
29. WhaÂteÂver choice you make, The Devil gets his due evenÂtually.
Selling out to HollyÂwood comes with a price. So does not selling out. Either way, you pay in full, and yes, it invaÂriably hurts like hell.
30. The harÂdest part of being creaÂtive is getÂting used to it.
If you have the creaÂtive urge, it isn’t going to go away. But someÂtiÂmes it takes a while before you accept the fact.