Creativity Hiatus

My blog as fallen silent as of late, which is weird because I think of it often. Almost once a day, I think boy, I really need to write. But I couldn't. And I have no idea why. Can creativity just take a break? I've had tremendous writers block, where every topic I wanted to talk about just simply didn't feel right. One of my mentors at my new job left me with the parting wisdom of: If it feels right, then it probably does. If it doesn't feel right, then it isn't. Somehow writing hasn't felt right lately, and it's impossible for me to pinpoint why.

I used to come home everyday with a list of topics that would make great blog posts. At any time, there would be three to five ideas written up, with specific examples, that I would just need to recount for the post. As of late, nothing has felt "written," and I didn't want to force it. Everything used to inspire me and make me want to share it, and now everything feels like something I'd like to internalize and store away.

But hopefully the freeze is starting to thaw. Nothing is worse than feeling like one of your passions is losing its fire. Ever since I was in first grade, I loved to write. It can't die this quickly.

And I think that is the significance that tomorrow's blog post holds for me. A spark reminded me of my passion. Pure, elated, childish passion, which makes you feel like you can change the world. And I am so excited to share it with you all tomorrow.

Making my Office More Conducive to My Creativity

I do some of my best thinking in some pretty identifiable places. I know myself well enough to know that when I need to think about an important matter I need to get to a certain place. Furthermore, I know where I need to go to feel most creative. My office desk doesn't fall into either of these categories. That made me think:

What if I could make my office more like all of my most intellectually stimulating zones?

The Shower

Hands down, if I need to clear my head or make a major decision, I take a shower. Naturally, I wanted to contemplate why the shower is such a good place for me to think, so I got in the shower. Here's the list of answers I came up with:

• I am alone with my thoughts.
• There are no distractions.
• I feel safe.
• I'm relaxed.
• I'm warm.
• I'm naked.

(The last one, I'm not sure actually helps my thought process, but it does make me comfier.)

My Bed

My bed is where I come up with all my inane, crazy, creative ideas that inspire me to actually take action on something. While my most practical ideas happen in the shower, my best and most inspired ideas happen in those moments right before I go to sleep, or right when I wake up. Why?

• I am alone with my thoughts.
• There are no distractions.
• I feel safe.
• I'm relaxed.
• I'm warm.
• I'm naked.

But what perplexes me most is why the shower and bed have different affects on my cognition. You would think that since the list is identical, the shower and bed would have the same effect, but they definitely do not. I'm thinking it is the state of mind I am in more than where I am.

So, how would I make my office more similar to my favorite thinking zones?

Is that even a question? Obviously I need a bed and a shower in my office. Or better yet, I can just work from home, since just any bed won't be the same.

Or maybe I can find a way to replicate the sentiments of safety within my own office, which might be a more practical answer.

My First Time Interviewing Someone

I've been through lots of interviews where people have been asking me questions. From trying to get scholarships for school to getting jobs, I would say I've been interviewed at least 20 times. But I've never interviewed someone else before today. Never before have I been in the drivers seat with someone else's livelihood in my hands. And let me tell you, being the interviewer probably made me more nervous than the person I was interviewing. I wanted to ask good questions that allowed her to explain herself, yet difficult enough questions to reveal something about her.

It's a challenge finding a happy mix of tough and informative. Also, I don't want to be THAT person that you leave the interview room cursing under your breath because they were so tough. I can't tell you what she thought of me when she left, but she did end up getting the job, so apparently I did a good enough job interviewing her for my boss to learn about her and make a judgement call. So far she's been an asset to our projects and I've enjoyed her in the office.

Here is my favorite question I asked, why I asked it, and what I gleaned from it:

Have you encountered a time that you had a creative difference with a client or coworker, and how did you handle it? This question is essential for the field I am in, as well as the job she was applying for. We have creative differences all the time in my office, which is never a bad thing. We just are all creative people with unique ideas on how to solve the problem. I wanted someone that would say they would vocalize their ideas and work towards a way to use all of our creative ideas for the betterment of the project.

She didn't seem like one of those people that were rigid in their thinking and do not listen to creative solutions, so I liked her more.

I also think my interview was successful because I avoiding stupid cliche interview questions such as "What's your biggest weakness?" which guarantees that you'll get some bullshit answer that doesn't allow you to gain any insight into their character.

Here's hoping she's a good fit and I can pat myself on the back for interviewing and selecting a winner!