The Power of Creativity \(Book 1\): Learning How to Build Lasting Habits, Face Your Fears and Change Your Life pdfdrive com

Experiment Without Expectation
Consider  your  side  project  a  creative  experiment  that  will  give  you  a  new
perspective  on  your  craft.  Defer  critical  decisions  like  a  final  deadline  or  the

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ending of a story.
You’ve got a chance to become tolerant of the ambiguity that comes with not
having reached a decision or closed a loop; so seize it!
Practise  accepting  the  discomfort  of  having  an  open  loop,  an  unreached
decision or a final cut: all luxuries you probably don’t have while at your main
gig. Use your side projects to practise facing your fears.
Avoid pressing hard for a great idea or for something you must use. You’re
free  to  abandon  reason,  logic  and  even  clarity.  Be  reckless  and  bold  with  your
ideas.
If you fail or if the experiment blows up in your face, this isn’t a catastrophe
because  you  haven’t  invested  all  of  your  emotional,  financial  or  creative
resources in your side project.
Break It Down
You shouldn’t feel intimidated by the scale and ambition of your side project.
If  you  do,  break  your  side  project  down  into  little  treats  you  enjoy  or  that
offer a relief when your main gig is turning sour.
Today,  it’s  enough  to  read  up  on  the  background  for  your  television  script.
Tomorrow, it’s sufficient to transcribe your notes. It’s enough because there are
no expectations. It’s only you and your ideas.
Here’s a caveat:
You must progress your side project in some small way and not just hold it in
the back of your mind or talk about it with friends over a beer.
Matthew Weiner would never have filmed Mad Men if all he did was tell his
friends  he  had  a  great  idea  for  a  television  show  and  that  he’ll  get  around  to
working on it someday.