Balancing Thinking and Doing in a Creative Process.

19th February 2015.

For me it feels like most of the time, the best way to 'get creative' is simply to do stuff. When I do stuff, I have something to react to ... one thing leads to another.

Thinking about doing creative stuff can be an enjoyable activity but thinking about doing stuff sometimes doesn't relate that much to actually doing it ... it can often end up being a more or less pleasant fantasy with little relationship to the actual doing. At the worst, it can have a negative effect on it.

Of course, thinking is a particular type of doing, so the doing might actually be 'doing' thinking, but I feel like it can be useful to remind myself not to overrate the relationship between thinking and some of the other types of doing.

Which isn't to say that it has to be unconscious. I can be aware of and receptive to what I'm doing. I can be conscious of my feeling reactions to it and of course, a bit of thinking often seems to come in handy ... sometimes a little bit of thinking can kick start me into the doing. Thinking can also be very useful in setting up the framework without which the doing just wouldn't happen. Thinking from a safe distance after doing can sometimes be helpful too. Seems useful to me to get it in proportion and in the right place though.