How to Be Creative Everyday

My current creativity inspirations: Cindy Nguyen and my sister Annette Kim. They’re inspiring me to be an “everyday creative.”

But what does it means to be creative everyday?

Creativity is for everybody.

Creativity:
– Create
– Ivity

CREATE: the focal word.

You cannot be “creative” without creating, or making stuff.

If you create or make something you are a “creative.”

To come up with an idea is easy. Creating is hard. But we can make it easier, by just doing it.

How to create

You can create with anything. Some ideas:

1. Create a photo:

make a photo with your phone or on film (buy FILM NOTES), and shoot street photos in your own neighborhood.

Create photos during your morning commute. Make photos while you’re bored at work, when you go for a 15 minute walk around the block.

Make photos of your loved ones. Pursue “Personal Photography” (buy PHOTO JOURNAL).

Make artistic selfies. “Honor thy selfie.”

2. Create digital art

My sister Annette makes art on the computer, using a Wacom tablet, on Adobe Illustrator. She is dope.

You can make illustrations on your iPad or tablet. I’ve been making fun sketches on the “Procreate” app on the iPad.

Digital art is art. Whoever says that digital art isn’t art is a pretentious asshole. Ignore them.

Cubist Cindy by Eric Kim, made in Photoshop.

You can even make art by sketching on a napkin, making stick drawings. Just sketch, and have fun.

And most important, when you make an illustration, share it online. To me, a piece of art doesn’t exist until you share it.

3. Create poems

I grew up to hip hop. I never realized that hip hop was actually poetry.

I loved the linguistic gymnastics of underground hip hop rappers. Some favorites included Del, Atmosphere, Hieruspecs, Hieroglyphics, Immortal Technique, Lupe Fiasco, and producers like Nujabes, RJD2, Dela, etc. Thanks Justin for introducing me to hip hop.

I did freestyle rap with my friends for fun. But it never occurred to me that I could write down my lyrics as poetry.

Cindy has written a lot of poetry, and inspired me. Her example showed me, “I can write poems too!”

Liberation Time by Cindy A. Nguyen

My friend Tim Flanagan as part of the Fulbright program, taught poetry to kids in Vietnam. Huge success. It showed me, poetry can be used as a tool to empower anyone. Anyone with a mind, a piece of paper, and pencil can write poetry.

There is no good or bad poetry. Only personal and impersonal poetry.

Give yourself permission to write lame poems, and just share it. Whatever. The more you write, the more confidence you will build, and the better you will get.