Can Creativity Be Forced?

“Give me a good 20 minutes of utter peace and clear mindedness,” I’ve remarked on more than one occasion, “And I can change the world!”

Twenty minutes of blissful inspiration have enabled me to conjure up best-selling book titles, profitable seminars, and tremendous business alliances.

I’ve changed my life and my small corner of the world in a mere matter of 1200 seconds, and I hope to do it again and again.

But you never know when inspiration will nudge, or thrust you into action, so all I can do is “hope” that it will return, and pronto.

Last night I watched a mostly forgettable film set in a futuristic Paris where walls have been erected to ghettoize dissidents and the underclass. At one point, a mob boss says to a lineup of cronies, “I need an idea, fast!” and the first few blokes are speechless, gesturing in futility.

He blows them away, one after another.

Again, he blurts, “I need an idea!”

“Okay, okay, okay!” the next in line stalls.

Within ten seconds, he offers a decent plan, and the boss grins, holstering his gun, with the words, “Now that’s an idea!”

This scene makes you wonder, can creativity be forced?

Or, do we have to wait for inspiration, which operates on an erratic schedule of its own?

Yesterday morning I faced a deadline for submitting a seminar plan to a sponsor. I had worked up most of it in the preceding days, but I was acutely aware of the fact that I had mere hours left to clean it up and to breathe life into the design.

The final 240 minutes of work flew by like 20. Totally immersed, I came through with something I’m proud of; that I’m confident will be well received.

By drifting dangerously close to the deadline before completing the task, did I force myself to be creative?

Lots of people say they work well under pressure, and this may be quite true, even for creative types.

Consider TV comedy writers who have to produce every day on a deadline, so Jay Leno and David Letterman will get laughs every night.

They seem to labor under the type of pressure you’d feel if someone put a gun to your head and demanded, “Be funny!”

But they come through.

Maybe they’ve figured out how to find, each and every day, that blissful 20 minute zone I like so much!

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 850 articles, Dr. Gary S. Goodman is considered "The Gold Standard"--the foremost expert in sales development, customer service, and telephone effectiveness. Top-rated as a speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the globe and the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

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