{"id":36,"date":"2010-03-13T01:59:51","date_gmt":"2010-03-13T01:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/?p=36"},"modified":"2010-04-01T23:56:59","modified_gmt":"2010-04-01T23:56:59","slug":"embarking-on-a-creative-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/creative-inspiration\/2010\/03\/embarking-on-a-creative-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Embarking on a Creative Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Draft One \u2013 Where I\u2019ve Been<\/strong><\/h3>\n

My Journey to the Here and Now<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n

This is my first ‘official’ \u00a0post in my new RachelleFordyce.com Creative Inspiration blog, marking the embarkment of my new creative journey in the realm of the blogosphere. \u00a0The general theme of my blog is “Inspired Living for Creative People”. \u00a0You can read more about my view of creativity and what it means to be a creative person by checking out\u00a0my\u00a0home page<\/a><\/span><\/strong>. \u00a0It’s my intent that this blog will serve as a means of inspiration for both myself and others.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In terms of my ongoing creative journey as a theatre artist, I\u2019ve been writing and creating plays for approximately seven years now.\u00a0 I wrote my first play in 2003 and I gave it the title \u201cHate Your Job? Quit! \u2013 Eve Rae Mann and the Pursuit of Happiness<\/em>\u201d.\u00a0 I self-produced and performed it locally at an International Fringe Theatre Festival.<\/p>\n

Since then, I\u2019ve created a handful of other plays, including rewrites of some of my previous works.\u00a0 Thus far, all of my completed plays have been written with the intent that I would self-produce and perform the plays myself. \u00a0Although many of my plays and performances have been met with great feedback from critics and audience members alike, I\u2019ve never really thought of myself as an accomplished playwright.\u00a0 Having just said that, I\u2019m forced to ask myself \u2013 Why not?<\/em><\/p>\n

Why shouldn\u2019t I consider myself to be an accomplished playwright?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve accomplished the task of writing several plays.\u00a0 These plays have indeed seen the light of day, versus the alternate of never having been brought into reality, performed in front of an audience.\u00a0 Sure, I produced and performed them myself; yet that fact does not negate the legitimacy of the results.\u00a0 I\u2019ve received great reviews from both audience members and critics, including a few four-star reviews gathered along the way. Conclusion?\u00a0 Well, whaddya know – I am<\/em> an accomplished playwright! \u00a0\ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Draft Two \u2013 Where I Am<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You Are Here<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You might not consider yourself to be a writer, accomplished or otherwise. But hey \u2013 guess what? \u00a0You are! \u00a0 You may simply not realize it.\u00a0 I am an accomplished play-write, and likewise, you are an accomplished life-author. \u00a0i.e. you are the writer, or author, of your life.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re still dubious as to whether or not you should consider yourself to be an accomplished life-author, consider this:\u00a0 Have you ever made any decisions, and then followed through on those decisions with action? If the answer is \u201cYes\u201d, then congratulations!\u00a0 You are indeed an accomplished life-author.\u00a0 Your degree of accomplished-ness depends on how skilled you are at bringing your creations into being.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t necessarily matter if you\u2019re awesome at it or just starting to get the hang of it.\u00a0 Either way, you\u2019re still a writer.\u00a0 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

As a writer, there are infinite possibilities available to you.\u00a0 With each moment, you are continually writing the next sentence, paragraph, and page in the story of your life.\u00a0 With so many choices of paths, paragraphs, and possibilities available to you, it\u2019s no wonder you may, from time to time, find yourself uncertain as to the next paragraph to write, or the next path and destination to journey towards. \u00a0Heck, I know I sure do! \u00a0This uncertainty and indecision essentially equates to writer\u2019s block, or in other words, procrastination.\u00a0 How can we prevent ourselves from getting stuck in the limbo of perpetual possibilities of the here and now? \u00a0I’m still working on that myself. \u00a0Here’s part of what I’ve discovered so far.<\/p>\n

In the interest of Getting Somewhere, let\u2019s compare the decision to embark on a creative journey to the decision of taking a trip.<\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Draft Three – Where I\u2019m Going<\/h3>\n

Your Creative Journey – Taking a Trip<\/h4>\n

So, you\u2019ve decided to take a trip.\u00a0 Exciting!\u00a0 Now it\u2019s time to start planning your trip.<\/p>\n

Before you start planning your trip, it\u2019s essential to consider your motivation or reason for taking the trip in the first place.\u00a0 Why<\/em> did you decide to take this trip?\u00a0 There are likely two main motivators:<\/p>\n

1 \u2013 You\u2019re passionate about traveling and the idea of a trip seems really fun to you. It excites you.\u00a0 You desire a change of pace and scenery; you want to go somewhere \u2013 anywhere \u2013 other than where you are now.\u00a0 You want to immerse yourself in a new experience.<\/p>\n

OR<\/p>\n

2 \u2013 You have a specific target destination in mind that you\u2019d love to visit.\u00a0 You anticipate you\u2019ll gain specific desired experiences once you arrive at your destination. \u00a0Thus, you make the decision to take a trip in order to ensure your arrival at your desired destination and to in turn achieve your desired experiences.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible for both of the above motivators to simultaneously propel you to take your trip, but for now, let\u2019s imagine it\u2019s an either\/or approach.\u00a0 I\u2019ll address the scenario of when and how to simultaneously include both motivators later on in this article.<\/p>\n

Knowing your reason or purpose for taking the trip is essential in order to effectively plan for and get the most out of your trip.\u00a0 Of course, there\u2019s nothing wrong with taking a suddenly inspired impromptu spur-of-the-moment trek to some exotic locale.\u00a0 In fact, those kind of trips are often the most memorable and rewarding kind.\u00a0 Yet even impromptu trips require at least some minimal amount of planning.<\/p>\n

Seeing as there are two main motivators that can compel you to take a trip, there are in turn two main approaches that can be taken when planning and executing your trip.\u00a0 One approach focuses on the journey.<\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Draft Four \u2013 Planning Your Trip<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Focus on The Journey<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you\u2019ve decided to take a trip but you have no idea where you\u2019re going (yet), it\u2019s quite likely that your trip\u2019s focus will be on the journey itself rather than on the destination.\u00a0 In the context of deciding to embark on a creative journey, this approach is akin to saying something like, \u201cI want to write a play (or something else, like a book, or a screenplay, etc)\u201d.\u00a0 It\u2019s a very general and loose goal you want to achieve or accomplish.\u00a0 In this example, you don\u2019t yet know what you want to write about, or what you want your message to be.\u00a0 You expect that those will be something you discover along your way.\u00a0 For the time being, you just know that you\u2019d like to write something and\u00a0practice\u00a0or explore that skill, and take things as they come from there.\u00a0 No clear destination has yet been determined, and thus your focus is on the experiences to be gained from taking a journey.<\/p>\n

Focusing on the journey can be a valid approach to planning your trip as long as what you\u2019re seeking is congruent with that form of approach.\u00a0 If in fact you want to achieve a specific and concrete end result like the first draft of a play or a final draft of a blog post, then focusing on the journey is likely not<\/em> the best approach you want to take.<\/p>\n

Focusing on the journey can be a great path to discovery, as it\u2019s essentially akin to traveling without a map.\u00a0 When you focus on the journey, you have no clear idea of what\u2019s around you; your surroundings only become clear once you\u2019ve departed on the journey as you sketch out and create your own map.\u00a0 You\u2019re an explorer, treading new uncharted territory.\u00a0 On the other hand, it\u2019s possible that this territory has already been charted and that someone else has already made a map to help out and save others from the trouble of charting out their own maps.\u00a0 But if you want to have the experience of traveling without a map, then by all means, focus on the journey.<\/p>\n

When you focus on the journey, you leave yourself open to new experiences that you might not notice had your focus been narrowed on the arrival of a specific destination. \u00a0You may wish to focus on the journey if it\u2019s possible that numerous paths and numerous destinations might supply you with the new experiences you desire.<\/p>\n

In terms of a creative endeavor, focusing on the journey equates to focusing on the creative process versus focusing on the end product and result.\u00a0\u00a0 If you love the creative process, such as writing, then you\u2019ll likely agree with Greg Anderson\u2019s stance in his famous quote, \u201cFocus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Draft Five\u2013 Planning Your Trip<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Focus on The Destination<\/strong><\/h4>\n

On the other hand, perhaps you\u2019re like Dorothy Parker, who said, \u201cI hate writing, I love having written<\/em>\u201d.\u00a0 In Parker\u2019s case, joy is found in having completed a creative activity and finally arriving at the destination of delivering creatively valuable content.\u00a0 If you\u2019re like Parker, you may want to plan your trip by focusing on the destination.<\/p>\n

When you decided to take a trip with a specific focus and target destination in mind then it seems natural to conclude that you\u2019ll want to plan your trip by focusing not on the journey, but\u00a0on the destination.\u00a0 In the context of deciding to embark on a creative journey, this approach is akin to saying something like, \u201cI want to write a play that shares my experiences providing over-the-phone technical support for a high-speed internet provider, set in a call centre. \u00a0I want my message to express the dehumanizing soulless aspects of working in this environment and other similar\u00a0environments.\u00a0\u00a0I want to plant the seed of the notion that life and work doesn\u2019t have to be this way.\u201d\u00a0 This is certainly a lot more specific.\u00a0 You have your coordinates set.\u00a0 The next big question is, \u201cHow do I get there from here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Focusing on the destination is a desired approach to planning your trip as long as what you\u2019re seeking is congruent with that form of approach.\u00a0 If in fact you want to achieve certain results that can be derived or experienced from your journey to and arrival in a variety of locations, then narrowing your focus to a specific destination may not necessarily be the best approach for this trip.<\/p>\n

Focusing on the destination can be a great path to getting things done.\u00a0 It\u2019s akin to traveling with a map because it\u2019s clear what direction you need to head toward in order to get to your destination.\u00a0 When you focus on the destination and on the path you need to travel to get from point A to point B, you have a clear idea of your immediate surroundings and what you can expect to encounter as you get closer and closer to your destination.\u00a0 The territory you\u2019re treading is not necessarily new, as a map already exists and shows you the different routes you can take to get there.<\/p>\n

If your desire is to achieve specific concrete measurable results, then you’ll certainly want to travel with a map, and you\u2019ll most definitely want to keep your focus on the destination.<\/p>\n

One thing to be conscious of is to realize when you narrow your focus on arriving at a specific destination, you block yourself from the possibility of taking other paths that might very well lead you to other potential destinations; these other potential destinations might turn out to be more in tune with the experiences you desire to create for yourself.<\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Draft Six \u2013 Getting There<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Destination and<\/em> The Journey<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Embarking on a new creative journey with a focused destination of a concrete result can be a very daunting task.\u00a0 You may find that planning your creative excursion by focusing on only the journey or only the destination would be an inadequate approach.<\/p>\n

As a creator, it’s important to realize embarking on a new creative journey and toward a new creation equates to journeying toward a destination that does not yet exist.\u00a0 This means that the destination you seek cannot yet be located on any map, because that destination has not yet been brought into existence.\u00a0 You must first complete your journey before you can bring your destination into being.<\/p>\n

The act of creating something new will inevitably involve the need for you to focus on the path of your journey, sketching out your own new map while simultaneously <\/em>keeping your targeted destination in the focus of your mind.\u00a0 Otherwise, if you lose sight of the importance of reaching your destination, you risk the chance of getting lost or stuck or running in aimless circles.\u00a0 Sure, you\u2019ll still learn and grow from your aimless wanderings; however, doing so would result in your creating new experiences for yourself and yourself alone. \u00a0If you want to create something new that can be shared you’ll need to focus on both the journey and\u00a0the destination.<\/p>\n

If you’re creating a destination that’s never yet existed, how will you know when you get there? \u00a0You will know you have reached the destination of your creative journey once you stop tinkering with the map and are able to pass on the map and share your journey and destination with others.<\/p>\n

Knowing when to stop tinkering with perfecting your journey and map to your destination is a whole other adventure unto itself, one that I personally struggle with. \u00a0What can I say – it’s the perfectionist in me. \u00a0Even Leonardo da Vinci said,\u00a0“Art is never finished, only\u00a0abandoned.” <\/em> I know if I ever want to get anywhere, I need to keep my destination in mind and not focus so much on perfecting the journey. \u00a0So too is the case when traveling. \u00a0A creative journey is never finished, only abandoned. \u00a0The point of abandonment is the point where your destination has sufficiently been created and brought into being. \u00a0You can now share your map, journey and destination with others.<\/p>\n


\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Final Draft \u2013 Departure = Arrival<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Journey IS The Destination<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It was Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu who said, \u201cA<\/em> journey of a thousand miles<\/em> must<\/em> begin with a single step<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

What I find so amazingly wonderful about a creative journey is that it contains within itself a potentially infinite amount of destinations, and therefore a potentially infinite amount of journeys. Each step denotes the simultaneous departure and arrival of one destination to another.\u00a0 Each step within a journey marks the simultaneous initiation and completion of a journey unto itself.<\/p>\n

In other words, as you journey along, each step you take leaves behind a previous destination.\u00a0 Simultaneously, each step you take creates a new destination within the journey.<\/p>\n

As you depart one destination, you arrive at another.\u00a0 As you complete one journey, you initiate another.<\/p>\n

Each step in the journey is a destination unto itself. \u00a0The destination is<\/em> the journey, and likewise, the journey is<\/em> the destination.<\/p>\n

We are all on a perpetual, ever-continuing creative life-journey. Each destination reached is but a step in the journey of your life.<\/p>\n

I always strive to journey towards creating and experiencing new destinations, otherwise I know I risk the chance of growing stagnant.\u00a0 Stagnation would equate to a pretty boring journey because it would mean you\u2019re not going anywhere!<\/p>\n

When we journey towards creating and experiencing new destinations, we create new maps.\u00a0 We learn from the new path we\u2019ve taken.\u00a0 We grow.\u00a0 And we can help others journey along these new paths, sharing the maps of the journeys and destinations we\u2019ve created.<\/p>\n


\n<\/em>
\nIf you\u2019re reading this now, I\u2019d like to thank you for traveling with me as I embark on my first step along this new creative journey that is this blog and website. \u00a0This post is both the first step and the first destination along the path of my new journey. Feel free to share my map with others! \u00a0I may not have perfected the map, but perhaps it may still serve to be helpful to you. \u00a0I hope you enjoyed the trip, fellow writer. \u00a0\ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

As writers, life-authors, and conscious creators, realize your destination is also your journey.\u00a0 The explorer is also the map-maker.\u00a0 The creator is also the creation.\u00a0 The artist is also the art and masterpiece. \u00a0And the writer is also the protagonist and the story.<\/p>\n

…Now, did I just write you into my journey-story, or did you write me into yours?\u00a0 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Draft One \u2013 Where I\u2019ve Been My Journey to the Here and Now This is my first ‘official’ \u00a0post in my new RachelleFordyce.com Creative Inspiration blog, marking the embarkment of my new creative journey in the realm of the blogosphere. \u00a0The general theme of my blog is “Inspired Living for Creative People”. \u00a0You can read […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,11,9,10],"tags":[120,13,15,12,14,119],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachellefordyce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}