Think about the last time you sat down to create. Were you able to let your thoughts and ideas flow freely? Or did you stop them in effort to understand their destination before it was even formed?
Creating with a purpose is a learned habit meant to make us more productive and successful. The intent is good, but with purpose comes anticipations and expectations. They cloud our creative instincts, acting as a fork in a road that’s meant to be traveled freely and without guidance. They imply that there is a wrong direction – a less successful, less productive creative process.
The beauty of creativity is that it gives us time to simply be.
Imagine what could happen if you looked at a blank canvas and asked it “What do you want to be today?”
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At first, your mind will draw a blank. You’ll struggle, feeling as though you’re trudging through a foot of the thickest mud, wearing unlaced boots that have been tied together. You want to stop to fix what isn’t there.
Then an image appears, or a voice that whispers a single word. It’s the first step to letting your curiosity and intuition guide you. When we approach the creative process without a purpose, we open our minds. We allow ourselves to think as ourselves.
In a way, being purposeless is the most purposeful thing you can do.
Create Without Expectations
Every story’s underlying architecture is driven by one word: “Why?”
Why does the character go left instead of right? What will that decision lead to? Why does the bad guy get away this time, and how will that impact the next chapter or book?
They’re all valid and necessary questions, but if asked too soon, they have the ability to destroy the very thing they’re helping to build.
When you’re creating a new world, you often can’t see the whole picture. You may start with a single voice or an ending, but the rest has yet to appear. The story is as new to you as it will be to your readers. If you don’t trust the process, it won’t be a story at all.
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Think of it like this: what if you were trying to teach someone a new skill – only, instead of showing them the steps, you spent the entire time worrying about whether or not they would understand. The anticipation that they might not get it would undermine your knowledge, causing doubt and confusion within your own thought process. Your explanations would become overly complicated. You’d become frustrated and think you’re not meant to teach the skill you know so well.
An anticipated outcome has the potential to ruin what might be, without fail. It steals the joy of learning as you create. Of letting that blank canvas play a role in its own fate.
Mind Your Process
Your brain is like any other muscle – completely trainable and within your control. While we’re taught mind-muscle connection at the gym, mindfulness is still a relatively new concept to the mainstream. It’s the key to forming healthy, creative habits as you begin to understand your own process.
How many times has someone suggested you go for a quick walk if you’re stuck on something? It’s sound advice, but what if that walk becomes more of a distraction as you say “hello” to neighbors on the way, or are reminded of how badly you need to mow the lawn? You might leave anticipating that you’ll feel refreshed and inspired after, only to be frustrated by the time you get back.
Give yourself the grace to explore different methods and routines. Trusting the process doesn’t mean that you only have faith in what works. In fact, finding out what doesn’t work is often much more important than knowing what does.
My breakthrough came when I realized that every time I started to procrastinate, it was actually a signal from my own process. When I fought the urge to let my thoughts wander, I wound up stressed and frustrated, feeling as though I hadn’t been productive. But when I allowed myself to “procrastinate” for a quick break, the question I had been trying to answer suddenly became clear. I wasn’t fighting my own process anymore. I had begun to work with it.
Allowing yourself grace is especially important when traveling or experiencing a change in routine. Particularly with the holidays coming up, finding the time and space to be creative can feel overwhelming. Instead of having the quiet space you crave, you might be at a kitchen counter with noise cancelling headphones, trudging through a process you generally enjoy.
Take a beat. Ask yourself what your anticipations and expectations are. Recognize the path you’re taking. Then, trust your creative instincts to bring you back to joy. Chances are you’ll find it much less stressful to write a paragraph in a stolen peaceful moment than to ignore your loved ones as you try to stick to a process that’s no longer working in that moment.
Create For The Sake Of Creating
I was recently reminded that some of the most entertaining stories are the ones that serve no purpose. They don’t shed light on societal issues or help us see from another’s perspective. They simply are, born from unexpected moments that breathe life into our daily routines.
Creative freedom lies in doing for the sake of doing. In having no purpose, these stories free us. They nourish our souls, bringing us back to a joy that responsibility would have us forget.
They’re proof that if you always focus on the purpose, you just might miss the point.
SAMANTHA PATERNOSTER
Writing is much bigger than a career. It’s more interesting than a hobby. It’s the spark to an eternal curiosity that has led me to learn unexpected skills, treasure knowledge passed down through generations, and create a space for voices that need to speak.
I earned my B.A. in Creative Writing from Brandeis University, with a focus on long and short fiction. I have nearly a decade of experience as a copywriter and editor. But I’ve also worked as an Email Analyst and QA Analyst at Yale University, helping to launch their redesigned Giving page circa 2014.
Most recently, I’ve started my own business – Creatively You. Built for my clients, it is founded on one simple act: listening. By listening to my clients’ dreams and needs, I am able to help them develop their brands through cohesive web design and content that tells their stories.
I don’t believe in linear paths. I do believe in the magic that embracing the unknown can bring.
