bloglovinBloglovin iconCombined ShapeCreated with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. rssRSS iconsoundcloudSoundCloud iconFill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch. Fill 1Created with Sketch.

Go on an Inspiration Walk

  1. Set a timer or alarm for ten minutes. Carry this with you.
  2. Start walking in one direction. Resist the urge to check your phone. Instead, pay attention to your senses: What do you feel, see, hear, smell, taste?
  3. If you struggle to focus, concentrate on your footsteps and notice your feet on the ground. What does the ground feel like? What do you hear as your foot strikes the surface?
  4. When your alarm goes off, return along the same route. See if you notice anything different from your initial journey.
  5. Upon returning to your starting point, set your timer for another ten minutes and write about your experience.

This is an Inspiration Walk.

Note: You’re not walking to solve a problem or cultivate inspiration (though either may occur); you’re walking to walk. Often by focusing on the present, the greatest sources of magic are found…

Tell me what you notice @redheadlefthand.

Know your audience

Your customers may not believe what you do. They may not see the world the way you see it.

Where do your clients come from? What influences their likes and dislikes? Where do they spend their time online? What do they do in their free time? What do they wish for? What will they never admit out loud?

Understanding your audience is key to writing well, selling better, and creating more effective products.

How do you know what your audience wants? Listen. Observe. Research. Repeat.

Silence as a medium

Silence can be uncomfortable, and it can be tempting to rush to fill “dead air.” When silence falls upon a meeting or lands abruptly in conversation, it can be unsettling and anxiety-provoking. You may question the efficiency of communication or worry that your message has been misunderstood.

But silence is one of the most powerful communication tools we can use. When harnessed, silence allows room for focus, self-reflection, empathy, and introspection. Sometimes, silence is exactly what is needed for a creative storm to follow.

The next time you find yourself in a silent standoff with a friend or among colleagues… pause. Invite silence into the space and watch what blossoms.

“Everything that’s created comes out of silence. Thoughts emerge from the nothingness of silence. Words come out of the void. Your very essence emerged from emptiness. All creativity requires some stillness.”

Wayne Dyer

Dealing with fear

Fear stops relationships from growing, businesses from booming, and projects from shipping. But to deal with fear — to dance with it — you have to first recognize the role it plays in your creative process.

Fear is natural. It’s not going anywhere.

It’s much better to learn to see it and confront it so you can put it in its rightful place.

Don’t shy aware from fear. Dance with it, instead.

Tell me what helps you manage your fears @redheadlefthand.

What keeps you going? (4 ways to spark curiosity)

I’ve been asked what keeps me motivated. The question echoes when I pick up a book, stop at a piece of art, choose a film, or marvel at a friend’s project. What drives passion and fuels excitement? Curiosity.

What keeps you going?

I understand when life becomes disenchanting and hard, curiosity isn’t a natural tendency. The ability to become and remain curious is something like a well; a source that gives back with the right attention. Here are four ways you can spark your own curiosity:

Prepare yourself

Curiosity, like creativity, requires space and intention. You have to invite curiosity into your life. It starts with awareness and depends on your ability to observe not only the world around you, but yourself.

Get active

Curiosity requires participation. When you become curious, you no longer passively gaze at photographs or mindlessly consume shows. Curious individuals wonder. They wonder why certain topics are triggers and think of questions to ask creators.

Lose your pride

Curiosity demands that you set aside “expertness” and search for that which you do not know. You might feel silly or out of place, but your questions will direct you to new territories of understanding.

Aim for overexposure

Search for a variety of sources: Books, people, professionals, amateurs, stories, news, programs, Google, teachers, friends, art, songs, podcasts. The more sources you confront, the richer your experiences become.

How do you feed your curiosity? Tweet me @redheadlefthand.