Idea Sharing Is Caring
"Creativity doesn't exist in a bubble"
Build Accountability
Creativity is a process often thought of as done in solitude. You may think of artists alone in their studios, writers tucked away in their offices, and musicians in their practices rooms. However, creativity doesn’t have to exist in a bubble, and in fact, some of my favorite creative memories involve a community.
Idea sharing, which involves talking through your thoughts and vision for a project or creative venture, happens in social settings and it’s a great way to gather new project ideas and build accountability for each other. I’m personally fairly introverted and keep a tight circle. It can be challenging for me to step outside of my comfort zone and connect with others, especially to share my ideas and receive feedback. My absolute nightmare was critique days in school when the whole class would share their work and give and receive feedback. Even on days when I knew I had a kickass project that I was very proud of, I hated listening to people talk about it. Even to this day, it’s hard for me to hear feedback on my work, even the good stuff! Maybe I’m just a humble Minnesotan who was raised to be way too modest. It may not fall within my comfort zone, but I also recognize the numerous benefits to receiving feedback, both positive and negative, both critical and constructive. It’s how we grow.
At the end of the day, your creativity is owned by you and you get to make the decisions. If someone says it sucks, that’s okay, as long as you enjoy the work.
You may certainly work in solitude, and sometimes it feels great to have your creative thing that you can keep to yourself. But if you’re feeling open to it, I recommend letting someone else in, even if just to let them know what you’re thinking about. Personally, my friend Kevin comes to me periodically and says, “I’m thinking about starting an art project.” Something I love about Kevin is that he doesn’t consider himself to be “creative,” and in fact he’s said some pretty self-critical things about his creative abilities, but he keeps on thinking of new ideas and making them happen. I love being able to check in on him and see how they’re coming along. Sometimes I feel like that’s the reason he sees them through to the end. I do the same thing by telling at least one person what I’m doing or thinking about. Idea sharing and creativity can happen in a bubble, but if you’re able to venture out, even on a small scale, you may surprise yourself with how more connected you become to your idea.