The chance to offer creative support to other people is my absolute favorite part of the whole creative process. It’s like having a spy glass that peeks into what lights up a person’s heart, then sprinkling in a bit of encouragement to help them expand an idea into something they can touch and feel.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a bit, you already know I’m passionate about supporting others as they dig into their own inner creative (and we all have one). What you might not realize is how sharing a simple act of encouragement with another person oils the creative wheels for you both.
Listening is Very Powerful Encouragement
A creative support gesture doesn’t have to be something profound. Simple acknowledgement when a friend or colleague has completed a milestone, or asking a few questions about a new idea or project is all it takes. As you listen to someone else sharing their passion, it can inspire you to share a little bit about your own, or it might re-spark some ideas into action that have fallen flat.
This probably happens more often than you think while you hang out and interact with friends or family – it’s just so subtle you may not notice.
The Unexpected Creative Win
My good friend Rob is huge music fan and local music supporter. He wanted to create a website to help share information on local bands, promote upcoming shows and offer a way for bands to connect more easily with fans. Win-win for all involved, right? So he and a friend/partner started designing a user-friendly website that appealed to a range of music lovers of all ages.
I also love local music so I would randomly check in on how things were moving along. Rob was always excited to share progress updates or obstacles, but no matter what, his eyes would light up at the chance to talk about something he loves. Once I showed an interest, he also openly asked for suggestions on how I would improve the user experience as a music fan.
All these small, simple interactions easily enabled me to share some creative support for his dream project, but there was also something bigger going on. Each time we chatted I could feel my own creative ideas flowing more freely, even though all I was doing was lending my ear. It’s like my mind went into brainstorming mode simply because I was hearing about someone else’s passion. It’s pretty catchy!
Now that the website is up and running, all the people who offered creative support along the way are more than happy to help spread the word because they were all super small parts in the overall process.
So if you happen to be feeling stuck in a rut or bordering on uninspired, it doesn’t mean you have nothing to give. Maybe you are meant to be sharing creative support with someone else right now instead.
Photo credit: stormgirl161