7 Habits Of The Most Insanely Creative People
Creativity requires you to venture beyond the norm.
Frankie Cordoba | Unsplash If you were to ask me who my idols were, I quickly think of people like Picasso, Asimov, DaVinci, Aphex Twin, Agatha Christie, and Ridley Scott.
There is beauty in seeing another human pour out their creative expression in massive and ‘unreasonable’ volume. It fires me up like nothing else.
Here are 7 habits of the most insanely creative people:
1. They set ridiculous targets.
Prolific people are ‘prolific’ because they do what few dare do. If everyone was prolific, it would simply be ‘normal.’
You’re not a ‘normie,’ are you, Jake?
So, to do what few do, you need to set targets that many would deem unreasonable or plain ‘ridiculous.’
This is a good thing because there is a heady vibe to playing a game only a handful play. Write a book a month. Paint and release a painting weekly.
Write a daily thread. Go big to be energized. What could you do that no one else is doing?
2. They push themselves daily.
Woah there, horsey.
What’s Alex talking about? Isn’t this a little naughty and a teensy bit scary?
I’m talking about the supreme power of being willing to let go of the image of who you think you are every day.
Why? Because the enemy of creativity is the need for self-protection and looking good in front of your mates.
If we feel we have something to lose, we won’t express ourselves fully, we won’t do the necessary work, and we’ll shift into perfectionist mode.
3. They create from happiness, not to find happiness.
It might seem commonsensical, but if you’re doing anything in order to acquire happiness (or passion), you’re doing it wrong.
The most prolific maniacs let go of the need to find happiness long ago.
Now, they create from the understanding they are already alive happy, and whole. Powerful creation is the expression of a happy soul, not a means to become happy.
You don’t wait for it; you stir yourself into the creative spirit.
4. They train their bodies in service of their craft.
This may not have been the case with every chain-smoking writer and artist.
But if you can maintain robust health and a well-trained body, you will have a significant leg up. To be consistently prolific, you need to do everything to gain an ‘unfair’ advantage.
I wouldn’t be able to maintain what I do without daily exercise and walking.
Training in service of your mind and mastering your craft and your energy — now this will transform your entire gig.
5. Know their ‘reason.’
Why would you choose to create an excessive volume without a purpose?
Initially, this may be to grow an audience and make foundational income.
Great. Eventually, you may do it to multiply your impact on more people.
Awesome.
Check-in with your ‘why’ daily. Write your dreams down. Don’t worry about what it is. If it energizes you — you’re golden.
6. They know that to create is to connect with god.
Prolific creators have a cheeky little secret they never share. When they create, they get into a mental mode that allows them to talk with a deeper part of themselves.
I put ‘god’ in small caps because this can be viewed interchangeably: ‘wisdom,’ ‘God,’ ‘spirit,’ ‘creative force,’ and ‘Universal energy.’
It’s all one and the same. When we get into a flow, we become a force, and there is nothing more thrilling, therapeutic, and life-affirming than this.
When we see a genius at work, we are watching Universal energy manifest itself in human form.
7. They use their ego.
I can guarantee to you, that there ain’t no prolific creator who wasn’t partly driven to create in mass volume out of ego.
What do I mean by this? Humans are engaged in a continual dance featuring their protective ‘ego’ side and their wise, spiritual side. The best creators don’t attempt to delete their ego entirely; they use it.
There is a very fine balance at play here. Creative insight arises beyond ego. But ego gives you a swagger, a layer of obsessiveness, and a competitive edge that your spiritual side will not.
Don’t step on people. Just find a way to channel the healthy aggression that comes out of having a little something to prove.
Finally: we all have the capacity to explore our fullest creative potential.
Not next year.
Today.
You start by getting a feel for it.
Write five lines.
Record yourself for 1 minute.
Draw for five minutes.
Choose to be crazy prolific.
Decide today to create a body of work so vast and so remarkable, that they can’t help but watch you in awe.
You can.
And you will.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.