For many individuals this method can work. But what if it doesn’t work for you? What if you find that you are always cluttered with creative voices in your head and ideas that have no intention of going away? You might feel frustrated with so much head-noise and so many ideas floating around that you feel like a failure at your inability to stay on a single track for success. If you belong to this group, there is no reason to panic! There are ways to work with your, let’s call it creative ADD, to boost your productivity and find your way to success; and not despite those noisy voices in your head and creative muses that seem to have taken up permanent residence in your head, but because of them. What you need to do is stop trying to follow the Zen-trend and longing for quiet creative production. In Psychology Today, Cultivating Creativity, author Dr. Lara Honos-Webb says:
Don’t clear your mind, fill your mind!
We talk because we want people to listen. The voices in your head are talking because they want you to listen. The more you try and shut them up, the louder they will become, because they are, after all, you. When intense creativity is a big part of who you are, embrace the gift, forget what people will say about you, and take note of what you’re hearing inside because it will lead you to greatness. Stop trying to run from your internal clamor and really listen. Let your mind fill up with all the thoughts and strangeness and ideas.
Find the meaning in the noise
The more you listen to the creative goodness that is you, and the more you take big actions on behalf of your creativity, the better chance you have of getting your important work done. Think of it like walking into a party; noisy, countless conversations going on covering unconnected topics. You might catch a word or phrase that makes sense but mostly it’s just noise. And then you focus in on a single conversation. The words flow together in a way that has meaning. Then you drift to another conversation and another and by the end of the night you know what all the conversations were. When you focus on the party in your head and then pay attention without trying to banish anyone from the party, you will find meaning for yourself.
Take action
Once you’ve begun the habit of actually listening to yourself, allot chunks of time where you are taking action on behalf of some of your ideas: start that book, write that weird post, doodle with crayons. Don’t take action at this point with an end in mind, rather take action as a way of honoring the voices in your head; as a way of honoring yourself. Feel free to jump from activity to activity.
Now take bigger actions
If you give yourself a few weeks of random actions in response to the ideas in your head, you will begin to find that there are creative impulses which come up repeatedly. These are ideas you should pursue because they are important to your creative self. Now take directed big actions; go all out. Write those 5 books, start that non-profit, or do at all once. Just keep doing!
Your personal success
When you have the gift of intense creativity it’s important to stop trying to “find yourself” by doing what others are doing. By honoring your inner creative voices, you give yourself the opportunity to get on a path to success that is personally meaningful to you, gives you more control, and is filled with your personal brand of creativity and passion. Those voices? They are a good thing, after all. (Photo credit: Blank Speech Bubbles via Shutterstock)
