An Organizing Principle

People convince themselves they aren’t creative. They have a vision of what creativity looks like and it isn’t them. They struggled in art class and never played an instrument. But, one of the qualities that make us human is the ability to make something from nothing. It’s listening to a friend who’s struggling with a decision and suggesting a novel approach. It’s giving feedback on a logo design from an outside perspective. It’s figuring out a way to mount a child’s basketball hoop to a fence with old spare wood pieces. It doesn’t have to just mean the ability to sing an aria, design a kitchen, or paint a mural. The capability is within us, it’s just blurry or hidden in some cases. 

First, let’s separate great art from general creativity. 

Only a small percentage of people in the world will write songs and sell a million copies of their record, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t cultivate a creative capability.

In its simplest form, creativity is a unique arrangement of found elements.

The basic equation is to find the elements and put them together your way.

Want to try it?

1️⃣ Take note of the elements around you. It could be how the trees move in the wind, how a teacher inspires a student, how a song creates a mood, or how your dog chases a ball. 

2️⃣ Be willing to play. Playing means releasing your need to be right, being okay with a mistake, and not worrying about how others react. It also gives you permission to be a little silly. 

Your unique arrangement of these elements is based on your perspective. Your perspective is a collection of your experiences and knowledge. Everyone has a perspective that is the root of their organizing principle. Your organizing principle is how you approach any opportunity to make something from nothing.

If you give two different people the same four elements, you’ll likely get a variety of outputs. Similarly, if two drummers play the same beat, each version will have an imprint of that performer’s tendencies. Levon Helm was a little behind the beat, and J-Dilla preferred to push the beat just a touch. 

What is your organizing principle? Have you ever taken note of how you make something? Is it always the same? Rules help us in some cases but limit our potential in others. What if you did the opposite of your organizing principle the next time you were pulled into making something?

Challenge: Identify two elements you saw today that made an impact on you. Write them down in a notebook. Come back to them in 24 hours and write about their similarities and differences. Don’t worry about the results. The action is the result. 

Prefer listening to these ideas and insights? Check out The 52Musings Podcast.