Creative Inspiration vs. Creative Resistance
Is it necessary to be "creatively inspired" before pursuing creative projects, or is waiting for creative inspiration a pitfall that trips us up? Another way of saying this is: Do you have to be in...
The Make-or-Break Difference for Getting Your Creative Work Into the World
Changing the Way You See Yourself If you've had your hands analyzed or done any visioning work with me, you'll recognize that a big part of making your purpose real is being ready, willing, and able...
On Being Creative, Innovative, and Failing (Or Not)
I had the pleasure of attending Andrea J. Lee's Wealthy Thought Leader event via simulcast over the weekend. Many of the talks were right up my alley, focusing on creativity, innovation, and getting...
It’s All Been Said Before — Or Has It?
You Think You Have Nothing New to Say? A big obstacle I hear my clients talk about is fearing that they'll have nothing new to say on their subject. "Julia Cameron already wrote The Artist's Way,...
Resistance Is Futile
Resistance is swirling all around us this week. Are You Resisting Success? Steven Pressfield, one of my heroes and the author of The War of Art, says in his new book Do The Work: "The more important...
With Creativity Comes Confidence: A Lesson from a Sci-Fi Genius
I was reminded of a novel I read called Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi. The book is a fun, lighthearted romp about a film agent who ends up being the P.R. guy for a group of ugly aliens wanting...
Focus and Structure and Goals, Oh My!
I've had this post title in mind for about 6 or 7 years, inspired by a conversation then with a long-time favorite colleague. Now is apparently just the right time to share it. :) At the time, we...
It Takes An Act of Courage to Be Seen
This weekend I was in the thick of two major things that put me in a vulnerable place: Hosting a party and being creative under pressure. On Saturday, I was trying to make a cake and a party for my...
Isolation Is a Dream Killer
One of the participants at my recent retreat shared this powerful quote from Barbara Sher, "Isolation is a dream killer." Similarly, my teacher Sonia Choquette says, "You cannot do it alone." How...
Facing the Dark, Creative Void
Artists, visionaries, and healers face the intense darkness of creativity on a daily basis. Robert Johnson, author of Owning Your Own Shadow, writes about "why so many creative people have such a...
George Lucas: 6 Principles from a Creative Genius on Making Your Vision a Reality
I’ve recently been obsessed with George Lucas, which has led to all sorts of interesting reading and web exploration. Many people seem to believe Lucas has gone over to the “Dark Side” himself, only “in it for the money” with his projects (we’ll have to talk about that another time), but I’ve always found him to be an inspiring visionary.
Here’s why I’m interested: I believe that we can learn from successful, creative geniuses about how to bring our dreams to fruition.
I recently re-watched a documentary about the making of the original Star Wars trilogy. The insider’s look at the creation of a grand vision is utterly compelling.
What I love about watching George Lucas in action — particularly the George of the 1976 Star Wars production era — is seeing his absolute dedication and unshakable commitment to the creation of his art, his way.
Again and again, he steered clear of involvement with the Hollywood studios as much as he could (particularly later in the film series), and found ways to maintain his independence, like retaining merchandising rights (even when it wasn’t clear there would be a popular market for the merchandise).
He worked and reworked his script to be as precise as possible and checked and rechecked his story themes to make sure he was conveying the powerful mythological messages and meanings he wanted to convey.
He repeatedly overcame what looked like insurmountable odds to bring his vision to reality. With the first film, schedules were massively delayed, props were malfunctioning, costumes and sets weren’t living up to his vision, budgets were falling by the way side, and the studio was threatening to pull the plug, but still he kept on.
Clearly, Lucas experienced his own hero’s journey to create his films, along the lines of the story he tells of Luke Skywalker facing his own shadow and obstacles, reaching deep within himself to grow and expand into who he is meant to be and what he is meant to do in the world.
So what is it that enables one creative visionary to succeed, where another might fail? What can we learn from George Lucas about how to make our own visions real?
Here are 6 principles I’ve gleaned from my studies of him so far:
Amazing, Innovative Art
Just saw this on Twitter via @Kaypearl from @bitrebels. The detail is amazing, and I love all the "round pegs" and "rebel" references. Click the links below the image to see the full image and to...