Erik Wahl - The Spark and the Grind: Ignite the Power of Disciplined Creativity

C reativity is a complicated friend.

But not at first.

When you and creativity initially met, you were young and the friendship was fast and easy. Wherever you went, creativity went, too. It never argued about the rules or who went first or whether an idea was relevant. And no matter how many times the two of you crashed and burned, creativity dusted itself off and was ready for more.

Then, sometime in middle school or high school, your relationship with creativity started to change. Its hard to say whose fault it was, but suffice it to say you two began growing up and growing apart.

You sought creativitys input less and less. Schoolwork and homework didnt require its companionship, and while you remembered fondly those carefree hours in the backyardmaybe even missed them now and thenthere wasnt time for that anymore. Getting older meant your time was occupied by more mature activities. Your days of role-playing and fort building were replaced by studying and socializing and sports. Although creativity was welcome when it showed up, its youthful exuberance made things a little awkward. It was like a goofy younger sibling who wants to join but doesnt really fit in.

Creativity tagged along for a little while but eventually it just stopped showing up. You understood; it was an amicable separation, after all. You and creativity had simply grown apart. You didnt have the chemistry you once did.

One day, a few years laterprobably when you set out to write your college entrance essayyou realized you could use creativitys input again. You called it up and asked it to coffee... but when you two sat down, creativity was cold. The relationship had become complicateda connection that required work. Getting anything out of creativity was like pulling teeth. But with the help of a venti latte and a cinnamon scone, you got through the ordeal. Your entrance essay written, you said good-bye and parted ways again.

You went to college. You got a job. Maybe you got married and had some great kids. Now here you are. How many years has it been since you were close to creativity? Even as you reflect on how long its been, youlike everyone elsehear creativitys name frequently. Its become a celebrity! Countless articles and books are written about it. Seminars praise its power. Gurus promise to reveal its secrets. Studies prove its indispensability. Everyone wants to know creativity again. Everyone wants a pieceto touch its cloak, to kiss its ring, to kneel at its altar.

What is it about creativity that draws us in? If we grasp it, understand it, embody it, we believe it can give us a new start. A first step. A cutting edge. A breath of fresh air. A breakthrough. Originality. Freedom.

Our desire for creativity is one of the most transcendent desires of our livesif not the most. Thats because our desire for creativity is ultimately a longing for more meaning, and more meaning breathes more life into our days. When our creations are an unobstructed outflow of our purest thoughts, beliefs, and convictions, our doing is in step with our being.

Im not a vaunted sociologist, but I dont believe it takes a PhD to see that events over the past two decadesfrom 9/11 to the Great Recession to the rapid emergence of social media and the persistence of terrorismhave led to a recalibration of both personal and corporate values. Sure, the ability to BS ourselves and others will always remain. But the state of our world has prompted us to consider more deeply why we are doing what we are doing and where we are going. The beauty is that we live in an age where quick change is more possible than its ever been. If we dont like why we are doing what were doing or where we are heading, we have instant access to infinite resources that can help us alter our pace, direction, or trajectory. And we believe that creativity will get us to a better place, faster.