Creative Collaboration
One of the key building blocks I am utilizing as I build Joyfull Communications is creative collaboration. As John Donne’s infamous poem begins, “No [person] is an island entire of itself; every [person] is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...” There is freedom in knowing we are not alone, in admitting we cannot do it all, and in turn, asking others for help. Creatives often work alone, yet we are all connected in more ways than we realize.
Our efforts are actually greater, more creative and more effective when we combine forces with others. This afternoon, I met with a local graphic designer who shared vibrantly how much she loves creative collaboration and proceeded to share multiple stories of successful collaborations. I grinned and told her I had just started a new blog post by that very title. Our collaboration began when we met at a networking event a few weeks prior, and it was a joy to learn more about her experiences and her business. We fed off of each other’s energy, and I left the meeting inspired, knowing I was beginning a friendship and work relationship that would continue to provide insight, connection and meaning for us both.
I am discovering that there is an invisible thread that connects creative professionals, whether they create with words, art, materials, movement or ideas. This thread is one that is unbreakable; it possesses the integrity of expression. Through expressing our creative ideas, we find meaning and purpose, and in so doing, we benefit others. It is a bonus, and often a necessity, when we are rewarded for our efforts financially, however, it is not why we create. Because we share this intense desire to make something and have it mean something, when we meet with other creatives, it can feel like seeing our soul reflected back at us.
Whether you are creative through your business, in your hobbies or in something as simple - and important - as playing with your children, it can feel lonely, as though you are an island, if you have no one with whom to share ideas. Below are a few ways you can jumpstart creative collaboration:
Enjoy the resources you have. Brainstorm and jot down a small list of 5 people in your life who you think of as creative and with whom you’d like to bounce around ideas. Make time to text, call or meet up with 1 of them this week or weekend to tap into their creative powers and enjoy their company.
Discover a new resource. How could you meet new people who might have resources or ideas to help you begin or move through something on which you want to progress? Block time in your schedule this week to research a group who could help you expand your creative circle and commit to attending a meeting, either in person or over zoom.
Channel a creative friend. Ask yourself the next time a problem arises, who do I know who could help me with this? How would they handle this problem? Then take a deep breath and channel their energy as you try a new solution.
Reciprocation will help fuel your creative collaborations, so be sure to pay close attention to what the people around you are struggling with or need, and ask if they’d like any help or ideas. We often see things much more clearly when others are going through them than we do in our lives and circumstances. The important thing is not to assume someone wants help, suggestions or advice; always ask first. Usually, if they enjoy creative collaboration, they will happily accept your ideas! It is also important not to shut out any possibilities for creative resources. Your child, parent, partner, assistant, friend, boss, mailperson, grocery store cashier, yoga teacher, neighbor, client, or even animal companion, are all capable and potential resources for creative collaboration. None of us are islands.
At the risk of stating the obvious, it is important to enter into any creative collaboration having shed any sense of competition. Though collaboration and competition are not necessarily mutually exclusive, a hidden (or overt) agenda of competition will squash any collaboration quickly. Openness is a prerequisite for creative collaboration; yes, it can make you feel vulnerable, but that is a good thing. Connection happens when we are vulnerable with others. Plus creativity thrives in an open environment, one in which people are in tune with, and responding to, the flow of ideas without judgment or criticism. When we are open to seeing things in a new way, we naturally fine-tune our own perspectives and embrace paradoxical views and possibilities. These, in turn, provide ideas and solutions that we might not have ever considered otherwise, and they open our hearts, minds and resources.
I’ve invited creative collaboration into my life and work through joining two new groups this year: an incredible international coaching program and community, Club Thrive, and a local, growing BNI chapter. Both of these communal support systems have added exponential growth for my business and my personal life. In addition, I’ve formed an accountability partnership with a dear friend and fellow entrepreneur who helps me feel the depth of connection I crave from one-on-one interactions. We’re committed to direct and honest communication and feedback as well as unlimited support and celebration for our wins. These creative collaborations are driving my growth in all areas, and I am extremely grateful.
One of the benefits I have gained from creative collaboration is an ongoing playground on which to practice non-attachment and no-judgment brainstorming. There is no right way to be creative. We each have value to contribute. The more my mind is opened by ideas offered by other creatives, the less attached I am to old beliefs, structures and expectations of what things should be. I find myself appreciating the little things more, seeing possibility and potential where before I saw nothing, and embracing the freedom to create and share ideas openly. My inner critic has gotten quieter, and as a result, my creative confidence has increased. It is both a boon and a joyful relief to know I am not the only source of this creative work; it is essentially crowd-sourcing at its finest.
I have seen in my own life just how and why creative collaboration works. Inspiration feeds creativity and vice versa; we need other creative people and their ideas to inspire us, to breathe life into our visions and missions, as well as to hold us accountable. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, we almost always see things for someone else more clearly than we can for ourselves; bearing witness to each other’s experience and lending insight speeds progress. As long as creative connections are approached with collaborative intent, growth will naturally occur.
What creative collaborations inspire you? How do they help you grow?
