Rediscovering Your Creativity - How to Get Your Toes Wet

Many of us find ourselves in the position of creating very little, if anything at all, however desperate we are to be creative. The longer we go without creating, the harder it seems to get back on our artistic horse and gallop bravely onwards. In fact we're so despondent and dejected we'd be grateful of even a gentle trot on a tired old donkey!

This is often the root of the problem, and why we struggle to get going again. We think that because once upon a time we were able to create without thinking, and flow with the momentum of a professional skier down a near vertical mountainside, that we should be able to instantly return to this kind of level.

Surely, if we're REALLY creative - if we're not some dilettante or dabbler - we could create a masterpiece at a moment's notice? Isn't that what "real" artists do?

Whatever your perception of what makes a real artist, the truth is that all of us who create have to invest time and energy, we all have to be aware of what works for us, and nurture and build upon that. The more art you create - the more you experiment and, yes, practice - the more enriched your art becomes, and the easier you'll be able to create freely.

So what's the key to reaching this kind of level when it feels like you can barely come up with a few lines, beats or brushstrokes, let alone a masterwork?

The secret is to start where you are, and literally create those first few lines, beats or brushstrokes...

When we strongly feel we must be able to create a great work of art in an instant it sabotages us in many ways. It's like sitting on a beach, gazing at a tropical island in the distance that's barely a pinpoint on the horizon and expecting to get there after a quick paddle. It's just completely unrealistic.

To get to the island, you need a sturdy vessel, and steady step by step (or oarstroke by oarstroke!) progress. The first step is to get your boat in the water, to set off from the shore.

In creating, the first step is the same - get your toes wet! This for you might mean gathering together some materials, it might mean dusting off some tools, it might mean getting a new set of pens or brushes.

This is the equivalent of getting your boat ready. But you can have the most beautiful boat in the world, and still have it just marooned on a beach, for all intents and purposes a useless object. Same with your artistic materials. Yes that new set of paints might look absolutely delicious in the perfectly colour coordinated arrangement and pretty packaging, but you didn't buy them to be an ornament.

So, roll up your trouser leg and get your feet in the water! Start experimenting with words, colours, shapes, sounds, whatever your chosen medium requires.

Forget about the island in the distance, and simply enjoy being afloat on the ocean, the water gently lapping at the edges of your boat, the sun on your face again.

Where you sail to is up to you. The crucial part is getting in that boat and pushing off from the shore again. And it only takes a moment to do.

Ready to be more creative? Then sign up to "Create Create!" - Creativity Coach Dan Goodwin's free twice monthly ezine - today, and get your free copy of the "Explode Your Creativity!" Action Workbook. Just head over to http://www.coachcreative.com