Youβre reading an excerpt of Creative Doing, by Herbert Lui. 75 practical techniques to unlock creative potential in your work, hobby, or next career. Purchase now for instant, lifetime access to the book.
In his book Surely Youβre Joking, Mr. Feynman!, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman recalls an art class when he was instructed to draw without looking at the paper. He was impressed with the results, noticing a βfunny, semi-Picasso like strengthβ in his work. He knew that it would be impossible to draw well without looking at the paper, so he didnβt consciously try. He writes, βI had thought that βloosen upβ meant βmake sloppy drawings,β but it really meant to relax and not worry about how the drawing is going to come out.β The solution is to do something without caring about the results.
The immediate goal is for you to take a very small step closer to the thing you want to do. You already know your formβs most essential element; now itβs time to build something with it. If you want to write a book, then write at least one sentence in a notebook today, building up to a daily writing practice. If you want to draw, sketch out a person or an objectβdonβt think too hard, just choose something in front of you and draw. If you want to make music, hum a melody into the voice memo in your phone and try to create it on an instrument or in your computer.