the simple trick to 10x your creative output
The trick to 10xing your creative output is simple — never forget anything.
The warm stage lights exposed my undeniable fear as I accepted that I just forgot every word of my one-person show. 12 hours before this midterm showing, I hadn’t finished a single page and felt completely doomed. At the last moment, everything came together as I found a voice memo that connected half a semester’s worth of notes, outlines, and brainstorms. It’s incredible how this one piece of information allowed everything to slot into place perfectly. After pulling an all-nighter, I rushed into the building pausing at the door as a strange tingle ran down my spine.
I feel like I'm forgetting something
This story isn’t about forgetting my script (although that did suck), it’s about the voice memo.
Without that key piece of information, I would have never met my deadline. Increasing your creative output is about finding what’s most important when you need it most.
Histories most successful creatives have known this for hundreds of years. Twyla Tharp, one of the greatest choreographers of all time, created over 160 pieces, including four Broadway shows, six major Hollywood movies, and four full-length ballets. So, how did she do it? With a couple of cardboard boxes. Each of Tharp’s projects had its own box filled with CDs, newspaper clippings, photos, and anything else that inspired her. Tharp says, 'A box is like soil to me. It’s basic, earthy, elemental. It’s home. Knowing that the box is always there gives me the freedom to venture out, be bold, dare to fall flat on my face.'"
Her box helped her navigate obstacles, spark inspiration, and find her way home on her creative journey. Tharp's box is a simple example of the power that organizing ideas can bring to a creative workflow. Regardless of the method, having a system to capture inspiration and ideas will exponentially improve the quality and quantity of your work.
You have no excuse for forgetting anything ever again.