Do your part & let the creative genius in the wall come out and play!

Elizabeth Gilbert Ted Talk on Your Elusive Creative Genius

TedTalk Elizabeth Gilbert

I watched again this oddly comforting talk where author Elizabeth Gilbert (her website) focuses on what happened when she sat down to write the follow up book after her unexpected bestseller ‘Eat, Pray, Love’.

She tells of the lovely Roman theory that creative genius hides in the daub walls and comes out to inspire and  direct us when we sit down to do the work. She extrapolates that this is a great idea as thus the work is removed slightly from oneself, that the success or failure can be blamed on that genius or muse in the wall. All you have to do is show up and do your part in painting, writing, creating in your own medium. (at 06.48min in the talk)

This is indeed like a Farley’s Rusk biscuit for me; a place of home and love whether you are coming from a place of success or a new venture in an art form you are not sure you have cracked yet, a place of rest from the worries that you don’t have enough technique, connections, talent. This reassurance that you do indeed just have to sit down and do the work,  to put aside concerns about lack of success or the gas bill aside and just create.

How indeed do we expect our muse to come out and play when we dump dark thoughts on her, never actually even do the practising, the dreaming or the doing she needs. You can’t start a fire without something to burn.

The Allah tale in her talk though is the idea that has stayed with me; the artist demonstrating that flicker of god, divine creative genius, being in the zone and taking the audience with them into wonder, showing that magic we all can demonstrate at times,  and then the morning after….
(If you cant spare the 19 minutes to watch the whole talk, this is  at 15.37 to 18.00)

13 minute task of the day
*Prepare in a space what you need to create; paints, pen and paper, a musical instrument. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just ready to be worked.
*(Optional element – look at the wallpaper or nearest wall and sing/smile/encourage that creative muse of yours to come out of hiding just before you start)
*Set your timer for 13 minutes
*As soon as you start your timer do your work. Don’t question the work, just do your part –  let the words, story, art flow out without criticism or your pesky internal editor.
*When the timer buzzes to finish, stop…. if you can
*Before you go to bed this evening, think on how you feel showing up and doing your part today.