Lessons in genius

Lessons in genius

So I have been watching a lot of Creative Live: 30 days of genius and I thought that I would give you a bit of a digest! There seems to be some common threads and patterns so I will try and remember what I can.

Morning routine

It seems that everyone has a routine and a lot of people said that morning meditation and exercise were definitely the way to go. One entrepreneur however admitted to getting straight on his phone to answer emails and that worked for him, but it has been argued that this sets you up for a 'reactive' day where you respond to what the world throws at you rather than actively shaping your own priorities.

I think that it's all very well talking about meditation and exercise as a practice in the morning but it simply might not be your thing . I do see the importance of taking a moment to pause and think. I like to have a cup of tea and a chunk of dark chocolate to put me in a good frame of mind for the day. It works for me!
I then don't mind so much when Tabitha runs round me whilst I'm trying to do yoga as I've already got my head in a good space.

Some people say you should get up an hour earlier if you want to get things done, but that wouldn't make any difference to me as Tabitha gets up when I get up! I would just be more tired! Which leads on to....

Sleep

Thankfully opinion on sleep is changing and its importance is becoming increasingly recognised. The talk with Arianna Huffington highlights the importance of sleep and she tries to break down some of the cultural myths associated with being an achiever.
There is a considerable amount of evidence that points towards the danger of too little sleep, especially if that is combined with a stressful lifestyle.

Getting enough sleep can help you be happier and lead to increased productivity. If you listen to Abraham Hicks then you will know that sleep is a great way to 'reset' your thinking as it can stop negative emotion from gaining momentum.

Sleep and working with your dreams can lead to moments of brilliance and also greater spiritual connectedness. Getting enough quality sleep is therefore definitely worth prioritising and shouldn't be neglected just to get stuff done. It's about working smarter not longer.

Self control and discipline

Obviously it's important to be motivated and passionate about what you do. You need to be focused on your 'why' to keep you going when you experience self doubt. The modern day creative has an additional challenge of the distraction of social media. Kind of ironically there are now apps that will act as self control for you. You can set your social media usage times so you minimise the temptation to check and refresh one more time.

I haven't tried this yet but I am considering it! I am aware of how many times I get the impulse to check Facebook and I don't think it's that healthy to be so addicted to it. I've justified it as its part of my work, but seriously... Sometimes I'm just distracting myself from what I really should be doing.

Adaptability

This seems to be a key ingredient for the modern creative. There is more potential for everyone, but it also means that there is no one route to get where you want. Being open and seeing opportunities is essential, as is knowing when to quit. You don't have to see things out to the bitter end! It's good to test things out and respond to feedback.

Be your own boss

I keep hearing people say 'choose yourself' and create the work that you want to do. You can therefore choose to give yourself the perfect assignment! What would that be? Its also important to think about the market potential, because if you create something then you also need to know if and how you can sell it.

I have found this advice useful as thinking about marketing your work also means you have to do some research and find out where you fit into the grand scheme of things. It also helps you to focus on what you really want, which makes it one step closer.

With that in mind I have started a picture book for children. I have read lots of them now and I have a much better idea as to what is out there. My main issue at the moment is working out how to stay true to my ideas whilst creating something that I can get a publisher interested in.

Anyway, thanks for reading! I'd really recommend listening to the Creative Live 30 Days of Genius as it's full of great insights. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Jacs xxx