Developing originality and creativity
"Be yourself. The world worships the original." Ingrid Bergman
Advice from 1823 on how to become an original writer in three days - a wee bit earlier than Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages!
This clip is from a book by psychotherapist Adam Phillips, called ‘In Writing’ - and he also claims that it’s where Freud got the idea for free association.
(I confess I tried the free kindle download of Phillips’ book, but I just couldn’t get into it).
Here’s a link to a PDF of Borne’s original essay -
How to Become an Original Writer in Three Days
Borne talks about the necessity of unlearning - something which was later echoed by Picasso, who said “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”
But what good is strength without the courage to use it? A shameful and cowardly fear of thinking holds every one of us back. More repressive than any governmental censorship is the censorship which public opinion exercises over the works of our intellect. To become better than they are, most writers would not require more intelligence but more character. And this is a weakness that stems simply from vanity. The artist and the writer want to outstrip, want to tower above their comrades. But to tower above them they must stand next to them; to overtake them they must follow the same path. In doing so, good writers are very much like bad writers in that in the good writer can one find the bad writer entire. The good writer is simply something more: the good writer follows the same path as the bad writer, only he follows that path somewhat farther. He who listens to his inner voice instead of the cries and clamor of the market, he who has the courage to teach to others what his heart has taught him, will always be original. Sincerity as regards oneself is the well of all brilliance and mankind would be more brilliant if it were simply more moral.
Then again, being too original is probably not entirely helpful when it comes to finding a book deal!
See also Stay On The Fucking Bus!
How Frustration can make us more creative
Until next time!
Ann