Creative Outlet

[MEDICaustik]

Sometimes I feel a very very deep need for some kind of creative outlet. It becomes a bit of an obsession that makes me feel unable to get comfortable. I'll sit for hours wasting away, trying to think of some creative way to let loose.

I have no talent for drawing or painting. I do try writing from time to time, but my patience wears thin quickly. I occasionally make a film of some kind. I've tried my hand at music. I feel like I've tried every different kind of traditional creative outlet.

In the end, I tend to stay up late with an inner battle trying to commit myself to something, and I just end up going to sleep, unsatisfied, unfulfilled, and in a way depressed.

Do any of you ever feel like this? What do you guys do to let a little creativity loose?

 

[Chronomar]

I have felt like this before, especially when I want to be creative, and have ideas, but lack the actual energy to get the pen or paint or piano or whatever and go.

To you, though you said patience wears thin, I would recommend not caring about talent. Perhaps patience runs out because you have a particular vision for what you want. Maybe try just doing some observational drawing, or just draw without trying to do anything in particular, building up the technical skill to actually do what you want (just using drawing as an example here).

Or, if that becomes daunting/boring/not worth it, try a medium that doesn't immediately demand as much skill. Not that one could not be highly skilled in it, but rather that you wouldn't have the same kind of preconceived notions of what "good" work looks like in that medium (which we often do have in mind with drawing or painting).

For example, perhaps make things out of scraps of metal, or things you don't need anymore, or maybe sing or whistle or play the harmonica or make something 'practical'.

You could always write. Maybe do stream of consciousness stuff, which is generally easy.

Then there is always the meta-creativity...finding a way to be creative about being creative. One way to do this is to focus on something interesting you'd like to do art about, and then think which form best conveys that.

Sometimes you can feel creative just by reading / seeing / hearing or otherwise experiencing someone else's work.

Sorry, I was thinking quite a bit about creativity today. In an argument with my dad, I found that at in some main type of psychology, creativity is often "defined" on the basis of its usefulness to society, for some reason. I am not sure if he wasn't just messing with me, but I thought that was a weird basis for defining creativity.

 

[nanook]

the only way i can get creative these days is by annoying you guys with my posts. creativity can not be forced or demanded, only the routined artist can tolerate a little bit of such imposed structure, ie timing, within his routine of simply being himself everyday - the guy with the canvas, creativity comes from flow, flow comes from doing something that is easy to do without watching yourself, such as annoying you guys with my posts. it's that sepperation of observer (the mind) and the rest of yourself, that kills creativity. how can you forget yourself? (i don't know)

also: never tell other people of something subjective that isn't born/manifested jet, be it your attempt to understand your self or a particular dream or the wish to bring something to paper. telling other people implies cutting yourself into (at least) two halves, also you begin to pull the mystery into a story, it can't breathe there. the energy is broken and gone.

someone (a famous quote or so) has even suggested, that one needs to have a big secret, to become artistically creative. maybe the idea is, that living with a secret creates some pressure in the subject, that wants to get out, but can only be allowed out in cryptic manner (such as art, or abstract philosophy). so what is in you, that's not tolerated by the social circle you live in?

 

[nanook]

Sorry, I was thinking quite a bit about creativity today. In an argument with my dad, I found that at in some main type of psychology, creativity is often "defined" on the basis of its usefulness to society, for some reason. I am not sure if he wasn't just messing with me, but I thought that was a weird basis for defining creativity.

psychology has long been abducted by zombies.

creativity is often used as a synonym for the productivity of objective types, such as the Ne dominant, who basically reassemble elements that they have taken in from the objective world into something seemingly new (ever noticed, that there are plenty of ESTJ techno DJ/producers?). if there is any art in that, it comes from introverted judgement, that is to say conceptual thinking. but the richness in ideas, of material to toy with, is simply 'creative'. so i would propose to just give the word creativity up, leave it to the objective types to toy with, and use the word artistic for something that comes from subjective depth, something that tells you who you really are, instead of creating you another virutal identity as popstar, for every day of the week, which is what creativity does.

 

[emRec]

I would suggest not worrying about outcomes. Instead of focusing on the sharing of your final product, think about the joy and loss of consciousness associated with states of deep focus. Even if you spend three hours sketching meaningless doodles with pen and paper, you can still derive the pleasure of time well wasted. And as an INTP, you'll come up with tons of interesting thoughts along the way.

On an unrelated note, if you have any inclination to try programming, I would highly recommend it. You have the opportunity to create useful, fun, or personally rewarding projects. With a Ti, Ne brain, you will almost certainly have an aptitude for it. I've been into game programming for most of my life, so I've also picked up some audio, 2d, and 3d graphics skills along the way.

 

[SpaceYeti]

I imagine a large chunk of why I like DMing in D&D is because it allows me to create an entire world, it is my creative outlet. I do other things, but that's probably Anumber1. Then I get to run the players through the world I created.

Otherwise, it's pretty easy to get into music, so long as you don't get bored of learning how to play whatever you're trying to play.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

If you have no talent or skill try dancing, well not dancing, unrestricted movement.

If you need inspiration:

M. I. A. / Bamboo Banga

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jU5riJNrQQ

M. I. A. / XR2

Spoiler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTb2vbjdyJc

 

[Lfnunley]

My creative outlit is programming. People say programming is not an art because of its structure, but I say its structure is the art. Take something that you like to do, and do it with passion. That is the very definition of art, an act done with passion. This is why a guy who plays D&D calls it art, because it is (reference SpaceYeti's earlier post).

 

[Architect]

I exercise creativity whenever possible - quite frequently throughout the day. Sometimes (often?) I feel like I need to do it in another realm, usually photography satisfies that for me. If you're an INTP I can recommend the hobby as a great outlet.

 

[Moseley]

Sometimes I feel a very very deep need for some kind of creative outlet. It becomes a bit of an obsession that makes me feel unable to get comfortable. I'll sit for hours wasting away, trying to think of some creative way to let loose.

I have no talent for drawing or painting. I do try writing from time to time, but my patience wears thin quickly. I occasionally make a film of some kind. I've tried my hand at music. I feel like I've tried every different kind of traditional creative outlet.

In the end, I tend to stay up late with an inner battle trying to commit myself to something, and I just end up going to sleep, unsatisfied, unfulfilled, and in a way depressed.

Do any of you ever feel like this? What do you guys do to let a little creativity loose?

This happens to me also. Sort of strange, I don't know what causes it.
I just improvise on piano or think about stuff I could theoretically do.

Maybe it's just about wanting to achieve something, to make things worthwhile/

 

[pjoa09]

I blog a little time to time. It's not blogging really, just words of frustration. Occasional photography, I am scared of holding cameras because I am very clumsy and when I do take photos it's only of cars.

 

[redbaron]

Finding a creative outlet is more to do with personal desire than to do with outcome. I play drums 3-4 hours a day and those hours go by in what feels like one. I ended up buying an electronic kit so that I could play without irritating neighbours, and set up metronomes/click tracks/music tracks easily and hassle free. I can do exercises in 7/8, 11/4, whatever.

I've often had the urge to try other things, but I think that you really need to find something you love to do. I don't know how to express what I feel when I play drums, but it's like a feeling of complete clarity, where nothing else matters and you're expressing yourself through the rhythms you create.

I don't think this is a feeling exclusive to drumming or music. Any activity that engages your imagination and creative side could do this. Basically, I don't think that the people who are musicians and just want to be involved in and play music set out to create anything specific or to have 'X' amount of talent.

They do what they do, because it's what they want to do. For me the feeling is almost like I'm not even playing it, I'm just the physical extension of my inner self.

But to be honest, it wasn't always like this. I think there is a period of time where you're learning an instrument that can be incredibly frustrating. Where you can't really play the things that you sound out in your head.

I personally had trouble practicing, but I decided that I was going to play for at least 1 hour solid every day. I found that I could do this. I didn't have to play anything, I just experimented with this drum and that. After a few months I realised I was getting pretty good. It was at this point I started doing exercises, because I'd now developed a natural feel for the instrument, I wanted to do exercises to improve my technical skill to expand my ability to improvise even further.

Essentially I just want to be able to play whatever it is that comes into my head. Be it a 7/8 poly-rhythm, or a syncopated 4/4 rock beat. I don't care if no one else knows that I played it or came up with it, I just want to know that I have the ability to play what is in my head in a recognizable fashion and that I have the capability.

I don't know if this can help you choose a creative outlet of your own. I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes your creative outlet is not always as apparent as you think it would be. You really need to dedicate yourself to something regularly to gain some deeper understanding of it, and only then will you know if you want to pursue it further.

If you only scratch the surface of things, it's going to be hard to glean some sort of creative insight and to really develop it as an outlet. I hate structure and practice exercises, so I learnt by improvising every day. The real key was just that I played every day and eventually developed some skill and started to see the endless possibilities that having more technical ability would bring.

Jimi Hendrix learnt guitar just by screwing around on it every day. Most drummers just bang pots and pans as kids and while they're young they don't really practice.

Try some stuff out, just do it for the sake of it for a while. Eventually you'll start to see the connections and the possibilities and if it's something you like, you'll take it further naturally.

Whew. Wall of text. Don't know if it helped any, but good luck finding your own creative passion regardless

 

[MEDICaustik]

I have many outlets, but the frustration of not being perfect at any of them gets .. uhhh.. frustrating.

Im not really seeking a creative outlet idea, i have many.

I just wanted to see if anyone else feels that very intense, overwhelming feeling of emptiness and uselessness on occasion that seems only curable through a creative outlet. I get this feeling often.

 

[redbaron]

I have many outlets, but the frustration of not being perfect at any of them gets .. uhhh.. frustrating.

Im not really seeking a creative outlet idea, i have many.

I just wanted to see if anyone else feels that very intense, overwhelming feeling of emptiness and uselessness on occasion that seems only curable through a creative outlet. I get this feeling often.

I suppose I can relate to the frustration, but I think that's where I realised I had to have some dedication and discipline to get to the level I wanted to be and suck it up and stick to a schedule. Maybe the problem is that you have too many creative outlets to master any of them?

The great thing about things like this is that you don't really forget what you learn. I could spend half the time I now spend drumming on another hobby, and I wouldn't lose any ability at drumming. It would be enough to maintain my current level and still improve.

Yes I have felt that feeling of emptiness, where I would desperately want to play something but not have the ability to produce something like in my imagination. With practice and determination I don't get that any more. More often than not I just hit a zone when I play and it just flows through me.

Again I don't know if this helps, I'm just a firm believer that dedicating yourself to one thing is an excellent way to find success in creative pursuits. There's no real limit to how creative you can be with something, so to me the more you learn about something the more exciting it becomes. You see and hear things differently, see possibilities where before there weren't any and you can act on these impulses and sensations.

But yes, I can confirm that I've had the same feelings of frustration/uselessness in creative pursuits before, not now though.

 

[eagor]

i can empathize (strangely enough) but i learned long ago being creative isn't always tangible so if ever need an outlet i do something like examine my life and change one aspect, and simulate my life in my head . or you could think of a landscape you really like and change it in little subtle but odd ways until your satisfied with what you have pictured in your head, or just flat out argue with yourself (may sound loony tunes, but hey fuck off it's entertaining) though to do these things you do have to be very introverted and intuitive...and thinking...hmmmm, sorry i guess i wasn't any help, but if i was well good for me i did something