Cracking the creative whip

I've heard the argument that if one were truly passionate about something they would just do it. It seems to me that there are a few ingredients missing in this theory though. Some I know, some I think I know and, no doubt, some ingredients I'm not yet aware of (read what Donald Rumsfeld has to say about "knowing". Thanks adliterate!) . Discipline for sure. I don't think that discipline is born out of passion. You've gotta have it to get anything done obviously. Maybe passion necessitates discipline? I'm thinking out loud here folks (the three of you who may read this). Fear? Fear can certainly hold a person back from pursuing something. Fight or flight man. Are we all passionate? Is passion sometimes buried under layers of expectations? There seems to be a lot of pressure to know what one's passions are. And then, when you know what you're passionate about, it would be unforgivable not to dedicate time to your passion, right? How much time? Bah! I could go on, but what I really wanted to post about was the following:

This is the last day of "Create-a-Thing-a-Day Month". What a great way to invite a little creative commitment into your life (and your community). Thanks to Keri Smith of Wish Jar fame for pointing me to the site. I loved Keri's piece "Things that I've Consumed Today". It reminds me of an exericise in practicing mindfulness.

Here are the basic rules of Create-a-Thing-a-Day Month:

For 4 weeks starting on Thursday the 1st of February,
Participants create one new work/exercise a day.
Choose your own themes, one per week,
Work in any medium.
And post your work on the group blog every day.

It's a bit late to get involved, but maybe I'll invite a little creative commitment into my life as a result.

Image Source: jcolman

Comments

[Sean Howard]

Wow. Alex quotes Rumsfield! Someone write down the date!!! ;)

I agree Alex. The things we are passionate about are the things that scare us the most.

But by the same token, one could argue this is a logical fallacy and just an excuse we toss about to take the pressure off.

[Jonathon D. Colman]

Nice post! Thanks for using my photo, crediting me, and for providing a link -- I really appreciate it! :)
--jdc