The Creative Instinct

Planning and goal setting? Is the mere mention of these twin devils making your stomach churn?
I know that many successful artists have harnessed the dark arts of planning and goal setting to their advantage. But it’s my guess that for many more, any thought of imposing any kind of order on their creativity is enough […]

Have you ever been hit by a bout of unexpected creativity? A moment when out of the blue, your head is aflame with ideas that are coming faster than you can write them down? It happened to me last week – and I felt as if I’d been gifted enough material to write at least […]

Here’s the scene:

Walking slowly down the corridor of Doncaster Infirmary – because I’m accompanying my 83 year old mother-in-law, Vie, to her appointment for her gall stones – that is – getting rid of them. (Yes, I know it’s an exciting life, but somebody’s got to live it)

The walls are lined with colourful […]

Everyone knows the term ‘writers’ block’ and perhaps to a lesser extent ‘artists’ block’. I guess you might have suffered it yourself on occasion. The trouble with these terms, for me, is the clichéd images they conjure up: some lone writer, hands on keyboard and ready to produce their masterpiece. Or the artist pacing to […]

You know, there’s a huge, yawning and in my case, quite tetchy difference between getting ready to start a creative project, and then actually starting it. In this particular case I’m talking about this blog, The Creative Instinct, but it’s a pattern I’ve learned to recognise as part of my own creative process.
I’m sure many […]