ThE C*r*E*a*T*i*V*i*T*y RoAdbLoCkS

I always wondered how to make the work I do as interesting as possible. Sometimes, even if I'm doing the most mundane things, I find myself wondering - "Hmmm...how can I make this interesting? How about some color, or maybe font or maybe ...maybe I can read some more and put in a model or two...some interesting block diagrams, maybe a flow chart, or I know I know..have a sip of diet coke, itll help me think better, no nothing yet...and then I keep staring at the screen..hey how about if I play Rock On, maybe the energy from that song will flow into me brain and ignite the grey matter (most of the times it leads to incineration)....and then I decide to Alt+Tab and do something else...maybe Im pushing myself too much..I try diverting my mind, chat with someone and then I realize, the original intention behind chatting is lost...Im enjoying the conversation too much....RED ALERT RED ALERT....ship going off course...

I stare intently at the screen and then I remember the last time I had this problem- The "erstwhile" Creative Roadblock"....what did I do then? what triggered the roadblock..was it Indecision of thoughts bordering on pessimism, or edging on rules; preventing an out-of-the-box thinking, or thoughts of practicality, seriousness, indecisiveness, or too much logic pumping around, premature killing of ideas-saying naah...too boring/too simple/too extravagant/too elaborate/too old school. Was my Roadblock caused by Emotions (!!!!!????)..like emotions of anger, or even frustration caused by a world inundated with overwhelming people and thoughts.
Sipping my diet coke, and unnaturally I'm hit with an idea..what if there are internal and external reasons for creative roadblocks.

Was it The F word- Fear, fear of being criticized or ridiculed or fear of making mistakes and not being appreciated or fear breaking rules and being told after all the effort..sorry this is not what we wanted..we wanted something different, we wanted to see something different, but not this and Im screaming in my head - I spent so much time on trying to make this different and creative and worthwhile, is it really not that good..do I fear walking away hurt because I tried to be different.

Sipping my diet coke it also occurred to me that The L word has also had a profound road sign on the roadblocks. Lack of - confidence sometimes, or Inspiration or merely the lack energy (is known to happen to even people who drink diet coke/Protein Shakes, work out, dream of trekking in broad daylight and are nicknamed Rambo!!).

But you know Externally it occurred to me, while sipping my diet coke, there have been reasons too causing these Creative Roadblocks. The M Word, The D word, The C word, the Es, Ps, Ss of the world...good lord...do they ever end. Messy, Distractions, Clutter, Environment, People, Sensory...all Handle with Care situations.BLAH. All BLAH.

I have also managed to examine all plausible reasons for my roadblocks. But heres the thing..and straight from the bottom of my content heart caused by consumption of the bubbling sparkling dark colored liquid courage namely diet coke (I'm not addicted by the way)..creativity by itself is all of the above. You dont have to clear space to create in. You just need to be all of the above and creativity surges through. The struggles, the pain, the happiness in a depression (:P) all translate into something creative. John Keats says so. JK Rowling believes so.PG Wodehouse endorses so.Thomas L Friedman envisages so.Jeffrey Archer practices so.Christopher Paolini understands so.

When you know, why you want to create at all...The Creativity Roadblocks become The Creativity Enhancers. When the purpose is clear, when imaginations are clear, you will be what you imagine, and at last you will create what you are and what you will.

Lookie that.....I wrote.