The Benefits of Daydreaming

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”
- John Lennon

Are you a daydreamer? Chances are if you’re visiting Creative Journey Cafe, you are. You were the kid in math class who used to doodle on your book cover, or stare out the window watching clouds drift by, right?

Daydreaming gets a bad rap, though, don’t you think? To the outside world, it looks an awful lot like wasting time.

But think about it - what would life be like if we didn’t daydream?

You might enjoy this quick story about my friend Ted’s dad - a published novelist:

One day his wife saw him sitting at the kitchen table, staring out the window, doing nothing. After an hour of this she had enough; there was housework to do and she let him know it. He slowly turned his gaze from the window, looked at her and said, “I’m writing.”

It all starts with a daydream, doesn’t it? The novels, the buildings, the paintings…

I remember one bright weekday morning several years ago, I felt inspired to write a poem. I’ll never forget - it was 10am, and there I was “goofing off” - daydreaming - writing this poem while all my ‘responsible’ friends were at their 9 to 5 jobs, wearing ties and bringing home the bacon. I felt totally irresponsible at that moment, yet excited about what I’d written.

Later that day I discussed this experience with my friend Pete. I told him that I felt guilty for writing the poem at 10am on a workday. He looked at me, almost confused, and said, “But that’s your job.”

Coming from Pete, who is one of the most responsible corporate types I know, those words meant a lot. It was as if I finally had permission to daydream, to be an artist, to live a life different from most people.

Of course, daydreaming isn’t enough if your goal is to publish that book, or become a great actor. Daydreaming followed by action is when the real magic happens.

Turning a daydream into reality is one of the most satisfying feelings we can have.

So…are you a daydreamer? What did you daydream into reality?

Be sure to tell us by leaving a comment!

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“I’ve always told the musicians in my band to play what they know and then play above that, because then anything can happen.” - Miles Davis

Years ago I was listening to the radio when Steely Dan’s song Peg came on. I’d heard it a thousand times, but that day I noticed something particularly cool about it.

The guitar solo is completely nasty. It’s distorted, rough…messy…kind of all over the place. It’s the guitar solo equivalent of coloring outside the lines. It sounds totally improvised, spontaneous and free.

However, underneath the guitar solo is a silky-smooth groove. The bass part is tight and funky yet barely noticeable. It keeps the song moving.

The contrast between the ugly, unbridled guitar solo and the slick, orderly bass line combine to make a truly fantastic song.

Musicians know what I’m talking about. Combining different sound textures is like mixing different ingredients to bake a delicious cake.

Prince once said that when he creates a song, he considers each instrument - each sound - a color. When it’s time for him to choose a keyboard sound, he already knows what color he needs to paint the perfect tune.

Below is a video of Miles Davis and John Coltrane performing. As you listen, notice how at first your focus is on Miles and what he’s playing (because he’s on camera), but then ask yourself…

What is the piano doing? (Or even better, what is the piano not doing?)
What is the bass doing?
What is the drummer doing?

Focus on each instrument for a little while, and then marvel at how they combine to create something cohesive and amazing. Enjoy, and leave your comments!

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”  - Albert Einstein

Want to know a terrific way to create something unique and memorable?

Use the power of combining.

What is the power of combining? It’s pretty much what it sounds like. You take two or more disperate elements and combine them to make something fresh and new.

For example:

This blog uses of the power of combining. I wanted a blog where I could combine my passion for art, personal improvement, and bookstore cafes. I also used this method to create my book, Cape Cod Invasion!, which combines Cape Cod scenes with flying saucers, spoofing summer tourism.

The TV show Lost is an example of powerful combining. Lost has countless influences;   The Twilight Zone, Star Wars, maybe even Gilligan’s Island and a zany 70’s serial called Danger Island).  J.J. Abrams combined his influences, consciously or unconsciously, to make Lost one of the most original TV shows ever.

Other examples of powerful combining?

The recent movie Cloverfield (another J.J. Abrams production) used the same hand-held camera technique that made Blair Witch Project so frightening and combined it with Japanese monster movies. Screenplays pitched in Hollywood use the power of combining (“Cloverfield is Blair Witch meets Godzilla.”).

Steve Jobs used the power of combining to create the iPhone, did he not? (phone, internet, camera, calendar, alarm clock, maid service, etc.)

So, how can you harness this power to create something no one has ever seen before?

Here’s an exercise:

Make lists of your favorite things in life; your top five hobbies, passions, TV shows, movies, books, and places.

What would happen if you combined some of them?

What new creations could you bring to life?

Perhaps a character for your story who likes to garden by day and solve mysteries at night?

Maybe a series of paintings devoted to baked goods? (Every cookie or muffin painted lavender, your favorite color.)

Maybe a business combining your love of cats and crafts?

Maybe a new, memorable way to brand yourself? (Joe Shmoe: Rockstar Accountant!)

The possibilities are endless.

The power of combining is definitely a great method for creating original ideas, but it’s more than that - it’s a clever way to spend your days doing everything you love.

Have you ever consciously used the power of combining to create something new? Leave a comment!

“Following my muse has worked out pretty well so far. I can’t see any reason to change the formula now.”  - Chris Van Allsburg

Are you stuck for good ideas? Feeling a little bummed out about it?

Some creators (usually the pros) say that waiting for inspiration is for amateurs. 

Instead, they suggest you show up at your desk everyday, preferably at the same time, and begin creating. Even if you don’t know what to make, just start typing, painting, or doing whatever you do. Even if it’s awful, that’s okay, just start.

This is frightening, because many of us are scared to death of the blank page. We want to create something perfect. We think, How can I create something perfect unless I figure it all out in my head first?

We can’t think this way - we’ll never begin.

Songwriters almost never have an entire song completed in their head from start to finish. They get wisps of ideas; a hook, a melody, title, or lyric - and then they lock themselves in their rooms for days, weeks, or months, hunched over their instrument, crafting the tune until it’s polished.

If we’re going to be Amazing Creators, we need to try and follow the advice of the pros and show up to work on a regular basis, even without ideas.

Because when we do this, a funny thing happens - our Muse wakes up.

Imagine your Muse sleeping in the other room. She’s been back there for a while (usually for the same amount of time you’ve been procrastinating.)

Finally, you decide to face the blank page. From her dreamy slumber, your Muse suddenly hears the tap-tap-tapping of your keyboard, or your pen moving across your notebook. Her eyes blink open. She stretches, yawns, and saunters into your workspace to see what you’re up to.

She’s so happy to see you working! And guess what? She’s here to help.

She peeks over your shoulder, watching you create, and soon begins to whisper brilliant ideas into your ear. Stuff you never would have thought of! 

It’s a collaboration now. It feels wonderful. Look at you go! You’re inspired! All because you took the first step.

This is exactly what’s happening to me as I type these words.

I started this post with no ideas. The first thing I did was upload the photo. I stared at the “Open” sign and thought, Hmmm…I need to open my mind to ideas.

I started typing…and here we are.

I’m often guilty of waiting for inspiration to strike before I begin work. Do ideas occasionally hit us out of the blue while we’re shopping or doing dishes? Absolutely!

However, it’s easy to use the excuse- oh well, no ideas again today - guess I’ll watch a movie.

If you create for a living, you can’t wait too long for inspiration. Start moving that mouse, tapping those keys, scribbling those sketches. 

Enjoy the process of creative movement, purely for it’s own sake. Be like a little kid again - just have fun making stuff.

Stay open, and trust that your Muse will eventually wake up and find you.

For more information about this process, check out Stephen King’s On Writing, Steven Pressfield’s War of Art, and Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about the Muse. Leave a comment!

“A dot is a line that went for a walk.”  - Paul Klee

The other day I took a walk around the rainy streets of my neighborhood. I’m always amazed at how much more you notice when you walk instead of drive.

I snapped the above picture with my trusty iPhone. That’s no Photoshop trickery. That’s a big puddle reflecting the trees above. With every step I took I didn’t see puddles, I saw what they reflected.  They looked like mirrors in the street, turning the bland into the beautiful.

Isn’t that your job as a creative person?  To see things nobody else sees? To point out the miraculous in the mundane? To boldly go where no man has gone before? (Oops. Sorry - I’ve been watching a little too much Classic Trek lately.)

Like the puddle, take some time to reflect. Walk around your neighborhood, or in the woods, or by the sea. You never know what visions of wonder may come to you, and then you can give that to the rest of the world - to the ones who can’t see yet -  so they can enjoy it, too.

Care to share your own walking experiences? How does it help your creativity? Leave a comment.

“I say, play your own way. Don’t play what the public want - you play what you want and let the public pick up on what you doing - even if it takes them fifteen, twenty years.”
                                                                - Thelonius Monk

There are a lot of books out there about the creative process. These are the ones that have influenced me the most and maybe they’ll help you, too…

1. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

I consider this a Bible for creative people, especially those who suffer from procrastination. It changed my life, and now I give it to all my professional creative friends and refer it to aspiring writers. In a nutshell, it describes the insidious ways “Resistance” prevents us from creating our soul’s work and offers solutions for beating it. It’s written in short, kick-ass paragraphs that will have you nodding in recognition and then making a b-line for the drawing board.

2. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

I recommend all her books, but Bird by Bird takes you step-by-step into the writing process. Anne teaches you how to write “sh*tty first drafts” and offers unusual advice you won’t find in other books, like how to deal with jealousy when your friends become more successful than you.  Hiliarious, helpful, and poignant, it will make you a better writer and a better person.

3. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards

This is the How-to-Draw Bible - the book that taught me and millions of others how to draw realistically. My middle school teachers, high school teachers, and college professors all taught me lessons from this book, and now I teach from it. Even if you don’t know how to draw a stick figure, as long as you have a little patience and a sharp pencil you can learn to draw a realistic picture of your hand after 3 chapters. You’ll suddenly see the world with brand new eyes, the way an artist sees, and no more stick figures, ever.

4. If You Can Talk, You Can Write by Joel Saltzman

I love this book. The writing is so good and conversational it feels like a friend is giving you advice over the phone. The tips are extremely helpful, funny, and inspirational. The book is packed with relevant quotes from famous writers that will make you laugh. The title says it all.

5. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

The only fiction book on the list. You’ve got to read this thing if you haven’t already. It’s about an architect named Howard Roark - the embodiment of artistic integrity - and his battle to stay true to himself in a world that rewards mediocrity over ingenuity. Sure, it’s almost 700 pages long, but the writing is beautiful, there’s a twisted love story, and the characters are terrific. It will teach you how to set creative standards for yourself, and you’ll never look at a building the same way again. 

I’m sure you have some books you can recommend. What are they? Leave a comment!

“The ways of creation are wrapt in mystery. We may only marvel and bow our head.”
                                                                        - Albert Einstein

Why is it that our best creative ideas hit us while we’re shaving, showering, walking, or doing laundry? Seriously, what’s happening there? There’s something wonderfully mysterious about the way ideas pop into our heads while we’re sorting socks or doing the dishes. Like a golden leaf falling into a still gray pond, there it is - the solution we’ve been searching for. 

Eddie Van Halen once built a recording studio in his bathroom because he kept getting song ideas while sitting on the can. Clearly there’s some sort of cosmic joke happening with this phenomenon, and I have my theories.

Here’s why doing laundry (and other boring stuff) is great for your creativity:

1. You’ve ‘let go’. When your rational mind works overtime to fix a pesky problem and it can’t, it burns out. You feel frustrated, tired and hungry. So what do you do? You get up and go to lunch.  In that moment you’ve let go.  Something about the act of letting go of the struggle is akin to opening a clenched fist - now the gems can hit your palm. When my friend Spencer and I get stuck on ideas for our comic strip, he says, “I’m going out for a cigarette.” Five minutes later he returns with great gag.

2. Your rational mind considers mundane activities to be irrelevant, stupid time wasters. Ah, but to the subconscious creative mind, this is prime time! A drive to Walgreens is just as important to the creative process as painting your picture or rehearsing your lines.

Let’s take another example: taking out the garbage. Not exactly considered a creative activity, right? Not so fast!

As you toss your trash into the barrel, you notice an old man walking by your house. It suddenly hits you; ‘Hm. Maybe instead of starting chapter 4 with a waitress witnessing the robbery, I’ll make her an old man - a former mob boss in the witness protection program - yes, of course! It’s Jezebel’s father!’

See? You just figured out the plot for your future best-seller while standing on a curb holding 2 Hefty bags. Happens all the time. J.K. Rowling was sitting on a train when she dreamed up Harry Potter.

I’ve created enough stuff to know that I’m collaborating with the Big Creator in the Sky, or The Muses as Steven Pressfield calls them in The War of Art. I wish The Muses could separate my lights from my darks, but I’ll happily endure the drudgery of laundry if it means a million-dollar idea might come out in the wash.

(Groan…I know…But I couldn’t resist!)

Your thoughts? Leave a comment…