When I decided to dedicate this week’s post to creativity, it never crossed my mind that I would have so many doubts and reservations when putting pen to paper. So I’m treating it as I would writer’s block, and telling myself that this is simply my approach on the subject today. It doesn’t have to suit everyone; it might not even suit me in a few years’ time. So without any pressure, let’s talk about the beauty and challenges of a creative life.
How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m not a creative person”? It would appear that this is the kind of subject that seems vital for those who focus on it and completely optional for all the others. Science has studied in depth the various neural networks across the brain that spark creativity, and while not so long ago it was thought the right hemisphere is solely responsible for inventiveness and innovation, more recent discoveries have shown that, in fact, the entire brain can respond to stimuli that awaken creative responses. Who knows what we’ll learn next?
However, knowing this happens in every human brain, how come we still hear people claiming that’s not their thing? I think that for decades, the border between being creative and being an artist has been very diffuse. While creativity can manifest in many different forms—from the way you dress to how you solve problems, the recipes you cook, or the photos you take—it remains an impulse generated by brain activity. You can act on it in many different ways. And if you choose to give it an artistic expression, depending on the intention you add to the impulse, combined with the skill you have acquired and, most importantly, your ability to deliver your message into the art form you have chosen, then we can speak of artists. In my humble opinion, of course.
This calls for a bit of self-analysis, without any judgment or fears, and I feel that many people are not willing to think about this. And if you look for guidance, the help is often buried under piles of well-marketed shams that give the impression that all of the self-help industry is just that: an economic activity instead of a personal aid.
My creative endeavors have evolved through the years, and if you’ve been following The Ritual of Reading for a while, you already know that my reading is an excellent spark for my creativity. The books I come across open infinite possibilities, and I like to experiment whenever inspiration strikes, be it while filming or cooking, traveling or knitting. This is not made for the camera: I love to live like this and balance my daily routine of office life. But every once in a while, I get stuck, as we all do, and can’t seem to rekindle the enthusiasm. That’s when the self-help section in my bookcase comes into action. It’s not a huge selection; I have learned (with time) to sift through the noise of the well-designed book cover, and I consider many of the books that have stayed with me as well-intentioned friends. However, if I only had to pick one…
Elizabeth Gilbert’s Greatest Gift to Creatives: Big Magic
Just as the frenzy of self-help seems to have trivialized essential values like positivity (no, it’s not always toxic) or mindfulness (if you’re rolling your eyes right now, then maybe you should look into it), the Hollywood movie starring Julia Roberts has also placed Elizabeth Gilbert in the “trendy” category with her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love. Yet many of her readers have come to know Elizabeth Gilbert beyond the title that made her famous and choose to follow her writing adventures both in fiction and non-fiction. I’ve reviewed her novel The Signature of All Things here a few years back (catch up HERE) and recommended her latest fiction City of Girls several times. Yet her most impressive book for me was the ever-so-inspiring Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear.
A book I come back to, time and time again, whenever I need a boost of reality. Not the kind that tells you, “Get real, you’re an adult, go to work, earn your living, pay your mortgage, and stop whining about lacking inspiration or talent.” The other kind—the kinder kind—like a pep talk from a best friend that isn’t afraid to say, “Are you willing to spend your whole life in fear of what might happen if you simply try?” Except she says it like this:
Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?
Big Magic feels like a long conversation; you can read it in a day and feel completely refreshed afterward, because it’s not only theoretical talk about creativity—it’s motivation to act. Or as Gilbert says:
I’m talking about living a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear.
She challenges the limited human scale of success and failure, of winning and losing, of comparison and competition, and lets you envision your life on your own terms. How freeing to read the chapters about creating for oneself instead of saving others, or giving yourself permission to make something without the pressure of quality. The joy of letting our imagination express itself freely—what a liberating thought.
The book has been out there, in the world, living its life for the past ten years. Many have read it (even more than once) and felt transformed, others have skimmed the surface and put it in the self-help pile along with all the others, and some have ignored it completely. I am in the multiple-readings group, and every time I get back to it, I grow wings, I float on a breeze of inspiration and courage. And then, with time, I slowly land back on earth, where freedom is more tamed by my daily routine, until one day, I see myself in the mirror and think, “It’s time for some Big Magic.”
The book launch was followed by two seasons of the Magic Lessons podcast, the perfect companion to prolong the experience. Read the book, gift the book—to your creative friends, but most importantly, to those who haven’t yet found a way to express their inner genie. This is the book that gives hope, courage, and reignites enthusiasm.
A Spring Artist Date: Stop and Smell the… Perfume!
When it comes to cultivating inspiration, a title stands out in the life of many artists : Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. This 12-week course in creative recovery was groundbreaking at the time of its publishing, in 1992, with two of the methods becoming staples in the field : the Morning Pages and the Artist Date. While the practice of free-flow writing first thing in the morning has not been a constant practice in my life, the Artist Date is something I enjoy on a regular basis.
The concept is quite simple really : take yourself out on a date and marvel at something that will bring a smile to your face. It can involve spending but it can also be completely free, the most important thing is to be on your own, so that you can be fully present. Over the years I’ve been to many artist dates in bookshops (keep an eye out, I’ll give you my top three bookshops in Paris really soon), I went to the garden center, many museum exhibitions, a special tea house or café just for people watching. I also have a few remarkable trees in Paris that are spectacular in the Spring time when they’re in full bloom, so that’s another favourite Artist Date.
But the one that never fails to elevate my mood and get the creative juices flowing is going perfume hunting. I obviously don’t buy a perfume each time, but I like to have a list of favourites for that special occasion when I want to treat myself, and in order to know your coup-de-foudre, you need some study sessions. So every once in a while, when I leave the office on a Friday evening, I like to get the week-end started with a visit to the famous Parisian department store, Le Printemps. While I love the Galeries Lafayette for the historic feel of their glass dome and Art Nouveau staircases, every Parisian will tell you it’s not the ideal place to shop, mainly because of the crowds. So I go next door, where Le Printemps seems to have escaped the frenzy of shopping culture just a bit, even if, out of the two it is the older brother with a head start of almost 30 years. The beauty section has its own building, and even a whole floor dedicated to perfume alone. This is my happy place : I smell famous historical compositions, I discover new perfumers that surprise me, I add new volumes to my personal perfume library.
Whenever I have an Artist Date like this, I feel like I’m refreshing my approach on creativity by switching the mechanism : instead of leading with the mind, like when I’m writing or editing a video, I let the limbic system take the lead, through my emotional and olfactory memory. A perfume makes you feel a certain way, before it makes you think of something. And more importantly, that feeling is an almost instant reaction : it envelops you like a woollen hug, it makes you hungry or thirsty, it’s refreshing like a cold plunge or lazy like a Summer afternoon.
And once I can identify that initial feeling, the imagination follows the trail, and it can lead to a video idea, or a photograph, a blog post or simply make me pick up an unexpected book. My instant feel-good Artist Date, a recommendation for all of you.
Do you go on Artist Dates ? Let’s exchange ideas, I’d love to know where you find joy and inspiration, drop me a comment and we’ll continue the conversation. And if you’re new here, have a look at my selection of books for perfume lovers I did a while back, these are still absolute favourites in my personal library (read or watch here).
Until next time, enjoy your reading and live creatively !
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Maria Theresa, Maria Christina and the Albertina Museum