Ask HN: How do you stay creative? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do you stay creative?

23 pointsskidding16 comments

I believe that the difference between "creative" people and the rest is this: the former have COURAGE to try out their ideas whereas the latter only think of novel ideas, and then continue to do what everybody else does.

I find it isn't about how much you believe in some idea, but how willing you are to risk pursing something that probably won't yield what you expect. Curiosity helps. Being low maintenance helps. Ego doesn't. Ego wants to be sure we look like we know what we're doing at all times.

Do you agree?

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Sorry, based on personal experience, I don't agree at all.

1. I believe that there is a link between ego/confidence and being creative/innovative. To consider or suggest doing something different --whatever the domain-- takes self-belief - the confidence that your ideas are better than the prevailing status quo that the rest of the world is satisfied with.

2. Mostly, in addition to #1, I see being creative/innovative as just a mental habit. Some people examine the world around them critically, and want to improve some aspect or other, while others don't. Practise this sufficiently often, and you'll improve, as with most pursuits.

(1 & 2 would become a virtuous cycle - you believe that you can improve things; you more regularly look for opportunities to do so; you [get better at] find[ing] them; you [or others] provide positive reinforcement.)

3. Personal belief: there may also be correlations with certain personality types. For example, people with certain traits may be more prone to noting imperfections in their experience of the world, leading directly to the thought processes which result in ideas for possible improvements.

4. I think you're conflating being creative with actively pursuing generated ideas or opportunities. The difference may just be circumstantial: that someone lacks the financial wherewithal to pursue an idea, or for personal reasons (e.g. conflicting responsibilities) can't dedicate the time or energy to pursuing that idea. Action ≠ creativity. In fact, the opposite may often be true: it's well noted that creative people need to be teamed with people that can/do execute their ideas fully (e.g. 'implementers' and 'completer-finishers' in Belbin's team-roles).

> Ask HN: How do you stay creative?

Smoking marijuana

I like to plan my stuff when I'm high because it put me in some of the most interesting adventures I've been. If you are a daydreamer, it is also good because you will have more fun with your wasted creativity.

How do you find marijuana affects your coding ability?

I think I tried doing some code when in Amsterdam in a coffee house ... with this super high hope that it was going to be great. IIRC, I couldn't think at all. Zero productivity.

But that could have been a consequence of the "setting" rather than the drug. It would be cool to try out coding when high in a THC cowork space in Amsterdam specifically designed for people coding on laptops when high. That could be some hackathon!

> How do you find marijuana affects your coding ability?

I feel really easy to get into the "zone" (or how you call it) programming high. And I usually find clever solutions to problems I'm stuck too. Also, if I'm totally not in the mood of programming but I have too, a joint sure helps a lot.

That's interesting. I'll have to try that.

As other commenters have said, ego is central to creativity and I tend to agree with them. Especially in context of hyper-ambitious ventures.

However, I'd say the first step to being creative is not being depressed. While history has numerous examples of tortured artists producing masterpieces, most people (myself included) are much more creative and productive when they're dreaming of their ideas on a whiteboard and not their grey matter.

How to mitigate depression is of course another topic entirely. It does however tie neatly into ego via way of self-esteem. Startups are a rough ride, so having a healthy reserve of ego, self-esteem, or whatever you want to call it does come in handy. That isn't to say you must be some egotistical prick, just that being self-delusional to some degree can be advantageous.

Personally I prefer belief in extreme conflicting dualities—regarding oneself as dirt while simultaneously believing in your capacity to execute the most crazy of ventures. Big thinking with extremely low expectation, in other words. The former keeps the spark alive, and the latter keeps you going when the ride gets bumpy.

for me, if I exercise well and keep my circulation going, I tend to have better ideas. I try to fast walk every morning for 2 miles. This gets my mind thinking.

trying lots of stuff even if its just throw away small stuff really helps in the initial stages.

you need time to focus on the bigger projects. If you are in a job or some other situation where you are always putting out fires, you will have less of a chance to build things.

After years of working in an extremely left-brained field, I find myself longing to engage in right-brained activities outside work - but it's almost as if the right brain has atrophied. It's kind of depressing.

it _is_ depressing. but you can work your way up from being nothing to being a second-rate hobbyist. just find a medium that doesn't feel like a chore to you and keep challenging yourself to do better. that also sounds a bit sad, but I think its worth it, even if a bit late.

Creative pursuit is about the release of ego, freeing yourself of it imho. I have spent almost 3 weeks for example, 2 hours a day or so minimum, just to reach the point where I can play a 4 minute song on guitar at 1/3rd of the bpm needed. It is not just so I can look like I know what I am doing for 4 minutes eventually, it is to prevent myself from letting ego grab hold and focus on unhelpful wants and desires during this process of self development.

creative people create / practice a lot, and yes, you get more confident the more your practice and experiment. you stop copying and start creating.

I expose myself to the creative works of others. Reading, museums [art, history, armories, scientific//technological...], talking with or listening to others about their hobbies [building arcade machines, older cars...], going to conventions where I shall encounter cosplay [and I bring my camera and subsequently ask permission to click], and like this.

I myself create, be it a dribble-out or starburst of output depending on the tides. I went through a lamp phase two years ago; last year, I went through a clock phase; 3-4 years ago I went through a sculpture // 3D-scenery type phase. I tend to do this by coming across debris and considering how I can turn that into something I wouldn't want to throw away. Probably a hand-me-down from my Depression Era grandparents, but I'll take it.

I make effort to keep my imagination alive, even if on only life support. Many years ago I started writing short stories to put threads in my head out onto paper. I'm not very good, and my genres have shifted as they are want to do, but I do it. Certain circles think me a writer more than anything else, which I can't blame them for, but I know better yet still do it.

I've been in and out of photography over the decades [sweet jesus, I'm halfway through my life already], and am currently in and In Phase [in part thanks to my current job where by day I take pictures for money and by night I take pictures for myself]. I find myself in a place, oh hey this is a cool angle, click. I see something different or mundane, click. I turn to the right and see something cinematically cliche but pix or it didn't happen and it's lost like tears in rain, click. I then go to my extortion-priced URL and upload what's not the worst.

I explore. This might port into your "curiosity" angle, e.g. "I've not been down this side street" or "I've always wondered what this empty courtyard was about". "Say 'yes' to Life" as a certain recent sequel proclaimed. Repeat until dead.

I remind myself that I have no excuse to be bored. I then allow myself to be bored and do boring things.

You mention Risk. Sure, there can be risk. But how big does something have to be in order to register as Creative? The things I create, make, build, your thesaurus here... I die and nobody but the guy cleaning out the overpriced apartment will care. I was still creative, and it didn't matter to The World. You know what did matter? How my creativity rippled through the rest of my life -- e.g. into my work, my relationships, my enjoyment of life, and so forth.

TLDR: I keep the fire alive via various avenues I find fits my life and personality.

I think the key to growing long-term creative ability is getting in the habit of daily creation. For me I build a lot of HTML + CSS demos, so that means starting my day by experimenting and looking things up in the spec, then building some demos with what I learn. :)

Interesting. I read the comments and I did not see anyone saying "read a lot". For me, reading and taking your time to digest the stuff you read is the key to stay creative. Making bets in risky projects and trying to execute them too.

Get plenty of sleep. Eat well. Exercise. Don't read articles about creativity.

No. I'm creative and I have a lot of ego. I find ego helps with belief in myself so that I can take risks. When things don't work out, I can use my self belief to spin it in a way that works for me. Elon Musk does the same thing. Ask his wife.

I disagree with your notion. I think that having an ego is necessary to deal with the slings and arrows of failing when from taking outrageous risks.

Take risks. But take calculated risks. If you don't believe in yourself, and trust your own vision, someone might talk you out of it. Or your metric of safe will include acquiescing to or acting with the advice of others.

There's not really a way to rationalize courage in my opinion. And it's not a case of you have it or don't I've found. At some point in my life I feel brave, other times no. What makes courage in my experience is just saying, 1,2,3 do it, and making yourself do it. If there wasn't fear it wouldn't be courage. You have the vision or desire, you're afraid to take the step, then you take it. That took courage.

Ego helps me believing enough in myself to dream up outrageous ideas. I find that if I'm low confidence or not freed from cares and worries plaguing doubters, my mind isn't free enough to dream up, and my heart isn't free or strong enough to take risks. So have ego and believe in yourself (for me, they are the same thing). Having ego lets me enjoy myself, and makes me happy. And enjoying and being happy helps my creative process.

Have ego. But be rational and strategic about your ego and keep it in check. Use it in a way that works for you, not against you. Is my advice.

YMMV.

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