Creative Director: Interest

I Create: Creative Director of my Life

I keep a list of ‘books to find’ on my phone. In my January 14th blog ‘Read,’ I shared that I got a new library card and a goal of mine is to read more this year, just on points of interest.

People I follow on Instagram, for example, I want to know what their work is like. Because my goal has been Children’s book illustrations, I follow a community of people who write or illustrate children’s books as well as Young Adult books. I’m just curious about their work and naturally, want to support the people in my creative community.

I’ll often read as a matter of interest, and what I mean by that is, not just novels or fiction to pass time reading for pleasure. It’s interesting to me to read to see and learn how other people write. What they share, what their perspective is and how they structure their story or book.

Last week, I borrowed a Young Adult fiction book. A writer I follow has a new book about to launch, and so I was curious what his style of writing is, from previous work. I also borrowed a book I had seen years ago, The Survival Guide to Bullying. I follow the author, Aija Mayrock. She had written it as a teen, having had to endure and get through being bullied. I was not only curious about the book format, I had an idea of my own – nothing along the line of her book at all, but seeing how such a book was structured was a matter of interest. And from a purely curiosity standpoint, I was interested in what her own experience had been, and what advice she had to share as far as what helped her. I think when people seem so successful or likeable or fill-in-the-blank any numerous positive quality, it’s so hard to imagine, what reason could anyone have even had to bully this person – but as she also says in her books, it’s not you, it’s not your fault, sometimes there is no reason that makes sense as to why someone might be bullied. I digress – the point being, people’s stories are interesting. How they gain strength or motivation from it, is also highly interesting.

I am also wanting to read a book when I can get my hands on it: What’s Your Dream? By Simon Squibb. I’ve been following along with him on Instagram. His mission is to encourage people to find their dream, their mission, and go do it. He thinks people have just accepted this idea of going to University and then getting a ‘job’ and working that job or career from that until retirement. He wants to encourage people to have hope, to pursue what it is that makes them truly happy.

I enjoy following his social media, and although I have accomplished a dream of mine – illustrating a children’s book, I want to do more book illustration projects and I have some stories of my own that I want to write and illustrate. So again, I am so curious what his advice is, how he structures the book to give people the knowledge and courage to start their own business or live their purpose.

I always get ideas and so I jot them down. I have experienced that being creative begets more creativity. Having ideas begets more ideas. And some ideas can be that inspiration for the actual thing that could materialize. I never think it’s a bad thing to see for yourself how people do stuff, how people format or structure a book. How people set up or structure a business. It can all build up that knowledge you need to fit the pieces together to do what you are wanting to do.

Last week, I woke in the middle of the night and had a great idea for a book. So I wrote down my note, my idea, which would also be the title. I knew I would forget by morning (and I did, I was glad I wrote it down). A few days later, I googled that title. I must always know if there is anything already out there or not, and yes the book already exists! Disappointing for me, but I already own a book by this author in my own collection of children’s books. He is an author that writes what could be described as inspirational and uplifting: Kobi Yamada. So now, as a matter of interest, I want to add this book to my collection. The title is so perfect! It’s called: ‘What Do You Do With An Idea?’

Until next week,

Devon