Category: work

This is it. This is the last day of 5 Days to More Creativity.

Today, I want you to put your inner critic in jail for the duration of your current project. Draw a representation of him/her/it. Write down things it usually says to you. Tear that page out of your notebook, put it in an envelope, and put it in a drawer. Tell it you will let it out of jail when your project is done and it’s time to edit/evaluate. Then it can have its say, but not before.

Next to giving yourself permission to create, this is the second most important thing you can do for your creativity.

Before you put it in jail, take a picture of your inner critic and share it with the hashtag.

This is probably one of the most important things you can do for your creativity.

Nobody, not one single other person, can give you permission to be creative. The only person with that power is you.

Here is a sample permission slip you might want to use.

I, _____________, do hereby give myself permission to be creative and to explore my creativity regardless of what form it takes.

Signed: _______________

Date: _________________

Keep it at the front of your notebook or tape it to your bathroom mirror or your refrigerator.

Show me your permission slip. Share your picture on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter with the #morecreativitychallenge hashtag.

We’ve made it to the hallway point.

Day 3’s prompt is to write every day. Call it a journal, writing practice, or Morning Pages. Even call it scribbling if you want to.

Daily writing, whether you are a writer or not, keeps your creativity primed. It makes it easier for you to tap into your creativity when you need it.

When you post your pictures today, you don’t have to show a close up of what you’ve written. An overhead shot of a written page is fine.

Day 2 is about knowing what’s in your toolbox. It doesn’t have to be a physical toolbox. You do need to know what’s in it, though.

For example, as a writer and fiber artist, my toolbox has:

• Computer
• Word processing software
• Printer
• Paper
• Pen/pencil
• Yarn
• Crochet hooks
• Knitting needles
• Stitch markers
• Row counters

And so on.

What is in your toolbox? Show me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook using the hashtag #morecreativitychallenge.

First, I have to offer an apology. I intended to start this challenge yesterday. I kind of had a blond moment. (I am blond, so I’m only poking fun at myself.) I went through most of the day yesterday thinking it was Wednesday. So now the challenge will go from the 11th to the 15th. Everything else is the same.

Day 1: Carry a notebook with you at all times.

This is true even if you aren’t a writer. The notebook is a tickle file where you put all of your ideas, even lists and conversation snippets, so you won’t forget them.

Your assignment for today: Post a picture of the notebook you intend to use. Use the hashtag #morecreativitychallenge.