Out of nowhere I got a message the other day from a woman in Georgia. She had gotten ahold of a small collection of children’s poems I wrote roughly 16 years ago. I never did anything with them and since she is an artist and writer herself, she wanted to know if she could illustrate my poems and put a book together.
Since it sounds like fun and I’ve never shared these, here is an example of something I used to love doing:
BYE BYE BEARD;
Dearest old dad has a look that’s plain weird,
And it’s something to do with his lack of a beard.
This morning he shaved all the hair off his face,
Leaving nothing but two ugly chins in its place!He looks nothing like the sweet father I knew,
Or the man on the fridge in that picture I drew.
Smooth as a baby’s butt, mother declared.
As you can imagine that has me quite scared!His smile is different, and so is his frown.
He’s white as a ghost, and I’m used to him brown.
That beard went with dad like he goes with his name,
Why didn’t he, couldn’t he, keep it the same?
Silly, but fun. I love poetry, and there is something about writing children’s poems that keeps your heart young, even as the years march steadily on. But I digress. As I thought more about that phone call, I realized that even though I haven’t always been a producer and creative director, I’ve always had some sort of creative outlet in my life. That poem above was written while I was working the worst job I ever had – shoveling rocks for a stone-crushing company in the blazing Arizona summer. It was how my mind stayed busy during the long miserable hours.
Unexpected Adventures In Creativity
During my years in college, while studying the craft of video production which would eventually become my career, I loved playing the guitar, and wrote a collection of songs. I traveled extensively with an a cappella vocal group, a creative adventure in itself. A year after getting married, my back went out so badly that I spent several months at home, unable to work. During that time I created an outline and started writing my first book. In the end my true calling pulled me away to the always-adventurous world of production.
Most of my work these days is with corporate clients. Each of them comes from a different industry with a unique story to tell. One of the questions I get most often is whether or not I have created any content for other corporate clients within the same industry. It’s an honest question, and I understand that there is a confidence that comes with experience.
The Creative Mind Is Built To Be Creative
Here is the truth; a creative mind applied to something new can be a powerful thing. It can navigate difficult obstacles. Creative people are not afraid to consider bold new approaches, and thrive on thinking outside the box.
Familiarity is exactly the thing that can kill creativity – when we’ve been around something for a long time we stop thinking about it in a creative manor. It’s why production has been such a great fit for me and many other creatives. Each time I meet with a new client, it’s a fresh canvas. The creative mind is built to be creative – it doesn’t matter what that creativity is applied to; music, TV commercials, or children’s poetry. You don’t have to ask me to start thinking creatively about a problem – it’s how I’m wired.
Your Secret Weapon For Overcoming Challenges
As a professional, I’ve learned to hone that skill – to really examine a new industry or product or service to determine what might work best when telling their story. I’ve learned how to analyze certain metrics and how to keep my creativity in check since not all videos have an unlimited budget.
Are there employees in your office or business who have that creative mind? Maybe they are musicians or artists in their free time, or perhaps they spend their break time doodling or writing silly kids poems. Have you considered harnessing that creative mind? Did you know that their creativity is not limited to that one thing you see? Try using that mind to tackle some of the problems you’re facing – you may be pleasantly surprised at their enthusiasm, and the places they’ll go that you never imagined!
And since that book may never come out, I’ll share one last poem for the road!
POOR TIM;
Timothy has an invisible friend,
His name is Thomas Hind.
Tim would love to play with him,
But Tom’s too hard to find!
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Photo Credit: Tim Mossholder via Unsplash