Fight 4 It

Over the course of life I am always amazed at how people frame the creative process. Often it is thought that creativity just comes to people and there is no work, no process, no effort put into that process. Ask any creative and they will tell you this thinking is false. We all have an inborn creativity. Sadly,over time, some of stopped exercising that muscle.

“Continuous effort–not strength or intelligence–is the key to unlocking our potential.” -Black Elk

Black Elk was a spiritual man. He traveled the world learning, studying and working to advance his life and the lives of his fellow tribe members. Black Elk understood the importance of sticking to “it”.

Here are 5 steps you can take today to flex your creative muscle (or any muscle really)

1. Start. Get up, create space design time in your life to do “it”
2. Avoid distraction. Don’t be sawayed. You need to focus and commit.
3. Measure Expectations. You won’t have a jump shot like Ray Allen on day one of basketball training. Expect hard work and low returns early. Then over time you will get great.
4. Manage your wins and losses. You are in a marathon not a sprint so don’t let your wins get you to high or your losses to low.
5. Never give up. You might change paths, startegy, or tactics but remain true to your call, to your ethos, to that thing that makes you passionate.

Just like Black Elk’s tribe needed him, we need you. We need that thing in you that no one else can do the way you do it.

*This is a iPhone blog post. be gentle on the typos.