Speak Now or Forever Haud Yer Weesht!

Us Scots have ai had a way wi words. Footerin' aboot with the English language we've coined patter to express our optimistic, (at times) brutally honest and banter-fuelled outlook on life. I've personally always admired the brave, no-nonsense approach to offering opinion and advice in our own unique fashion, married with our compassion for our fellow neibor.  We’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns after all and if you need a boot up the bahookie you're in guid company, as some of our most commonly used Scottish phrases will have you realising you're a lang time deid.

Finding the right words can make or break the most poignant of moments. Agonising in the supermarket over buying a birthday or sympathy card stems from our desire to express ourselves accurately- we want to say it all but by using a few choice words that get across our genuine sentiment. We Scots excel in keeping it concise, summarising our words of wisdom or  observations on life into some neat little ditty that is bound to hit the nail on the head every time. Some of the most commonly used Scottishisms have stood the test of time because they help convey something perfectly without faff or fodder.

But why bother? Why not just tell it like everyone else? Finding your way of saying something to make it yours, to make it more memorable, have it make more of an impact or invoke a reaction is essentially the mission of every  Creative. Thinking outside of the box, colouring outside of the lines, taking the scenic route is the journey you embark on to have your unique voice heard. Crafting and fine tuning the way in which you speak to your audience is a real expression of you as an artist. One Creative's Que sera sera is another's Whit's fur ye'll no go by ye and so, although the message may be the same, the language is very different and that is where the magic lies. Whilst there may be billions of love songs in the world, each artist painstakingly carves out their own distinct dialogue, setting them apart from all others. In a way, it's less about what you say and more critical how you say it. The Creative is always conscious that their voice comes across crystal clear within their work, that it won't be confused with that of another. They concoct their own language and in doing so give something of their self with every creation. As a nation,  we Scots unapologetically pride ourselves on the colloquialisms and quips that slip into our vernacular day in day out, because we know that when we're being the truest version of ourselves we are being heard loud and clear. So like us patter-merchants in Bonnie Scotland, artists across the globe endeavour to express their wit, wisdom and opinion in a way that will make folks sit up, haud their weesht and take note and to me, that's the brawest and bravest quality of them all. It's unique....it's yersel! 

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad......YOU?!

As a Creative person fervently working away, honing your craft and attempting to make an honest crust in the process, it’s often difficult to find the time or the inclination to pop your head up out of the rabbit hole every once in a while to assess what it is that is making (or indeed breaking!) a success of the career you’re lovingly carving out for yourself.  It’s inevitable you’ll be in a constant state of changing, challenging and tweaking your skills, practice and end product but taking in to consideration what your other selling points are can be a real eye opener….and hopefully, will ultimately involve opening some doors too.  Yes you want to deliver the best possible body of work you can-one that you’re certain your audiences/clients/fans will devour and delight in. However what I personally have found is a real key in the world of freelance and being a Creative is your personality. Credentials and accolades aside, what gets your two feet in the door and under the table is the YOU in it all. Allowing your personality to come through in every aspect of your creative life I think is essential to achieving those successes you aim for. 

‘People buy people not products’ is a phrase that resonates with me. Yes I can dance, choreograph and teach well but a lot of the feedback I receive is not always focused on the content of my lessons or the work I present but how I was received by others when I was delivering that session or that particular project. If I allow myself to be the truest version of me, even in the most professional of situations or environments and remain confident in who I am, I know I will be better equipped to deliver the goods. This also rings true in scenarios where I haven’t even got the job yet. If I go to a meeting or interview about a potential choreography job, yes my knowledge and prior experience is paramount but of course, they will have been the driving force behind me getting the interview in the first place. The next step is to let my personality and the drive and excitement I have for the work I do shine through. If someone is considering working with or hiring you to do what you do best, they want to feel like YOU are the one they need, as well as your work being the perfect fit.

Now reading this back to myself, I fear it may appear that I'm somehow implying it’s all about charming your way up some career ladder or indeed that I consider myself to have this awe-inspiring, totes amaze-balls personality that folks just can’t resist!. It’s not that at all!  Most Creatives will tell you that they aren't preoccupied with any manner of climbing apparatus, after all what goes up, must come down. There is no ladder, no end point nor final goal for creative types and so, a life’s work is only about new experiences, new information and new connections.  In my experience, in order to take full advantage of one’s ability as a Creative it’s important to play to your strengths and worry less about what you consider to be your weaknesses. YOU are your own unique selling point and not being afraid to allow your personality stretch it’s (fabulous!) legs can be a real barrier between you and your potential. If you’re funny, caring, witty, whatever you feel is you at your best, it’s vital you don’t dull that sparkle for fear of appearing unprofessional or less committed or focused in a work setting. If you are being you, you are relaxed and feel more confident in even the most unfamiliar of settings. In turn, those around you will be motivated, inspired or comforted by how at ease you are and they will feel more able to be themselves. This creates the optimum environment for creativity to flourish! Simples!

We can all think of that one person that, whenever you're with them, they are always the same way. It's refreshing to be in the company of someone who is at ease and is confident that their unique personality will suffice in any situation. They don't feel compelled to mask or alter who they are for each new encounter and that's inspiring stuff right there. In a world that at time feels preoccupied with concealing who we are, in favour of a contoured, enhanced version of the truth, it's empowering to identify and celebrate what makes us the person we are. It isn't about nailing the interview, getting the job and making the big bucks- Que sera sera! Essentially,  if you be you, creatively sparks will fly and we all live for those kind of fireworks!  

Now go DO YOU! x

C.R.E.A.T.E

Every Creative's process differs from the next. Carving out 'your way' comes with experience and with each creative encounter new techniques are formed, as you discover your potential & the many innovative ways you have up your sleeve for creating your work! There's no 'right' way of doing things and accepting that is a huge step in becoming the truest version of your creative self. Here are some tips that I find particularly useful when creating: 

Connecting with the world around you is vital to sparking those light-bulb moments when you need them most. Using all the senses to experience what life is offering you minute by minute, day by day will continually charge those creative batteries, without you even realising it. Being aware of what's available to you and what you can potentially tap in to is a gift from the universe ready for the taking! Go to a city and walk slowly down a busy street, observing and absorbing everything. The voices, snippets of conversations and languages you can hear; look high and low at the signs, window displays and architecture you can see; breathe in the scents and try to identify their source; take your hands to the varying textures and feel the rough, the smooth and everything in between. Sounds a tad creepy perhaps but slowing down to appreciate and take stock of your surroundings can enlighten the mind. If you get one tiny speck of inspiration, it's worth your time. We can't expect our poor creative brains to churn out masterpiece after masterpiece without refuelling it, now can we?! As Creatives we are preoccupied with constantly making something new to offer up to the world but you must remember that, in order to knit the jumper, you need the ball of wool. If you're switched on to your surroundings, you're speaking less & listening more, you'll be more likely to hear what you need to! 

Recycling is good for the environment- your creative environment, that is! Never be afraid to reuse what you have previously tried, tested and bought the T shirt of. If an idea has worked for you in the past and seems a perfect fit for your current project, it shouldn't be deemed a cop-out to slip in to that 'one size fits all' concept one more time. After all, you may be sporting the same T shirt but you can customise & accessorize to remodel any previously worn look, producing something very different from the original. We all endeavour to create unique pieces of work that have been born out of brand spanking new sources of inspiration each and every time  but if that's forced, you could be missing out on a golden opportunity to up-cycle. Sometimes it's okay to go with a 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' vibe, if what you plan to do with it this time round is subject to  some tweaking. 

Experimenting is about taking risks, going with your gut and making mistakes that you can learn from. In the creative process a  'Try before you Buy' approach will ensure you get exactly what you are looking for eventually but, like with any new journey, you have to be willing to explore and potentially get lost before locating your desired destination.  An idea is one thing but in order to know if it's the missing jigsaw piece you've been searching for, you have to pick it up, play around with it and try to make it fit before you can know for sure it's the perfect match. Fear of failure threatens to stop awesome ideas in their tracks before they've even made it off the starting block. When an experiment goes spectacularly wrong, there's something to be learned from it, so you have to be up for trying it out. Where they say baking is an exact science, creativity is more like cooking- a pinch of this and a dollop of that won't always work out the way you expected but you're more likely to be able to cover up any mishaps with more spoonfuls of creativity. Who knows what you'll end up with and that's where the fun is! The power of the unknown is exciting & inspiring, so be more open to experimenting! 

Aim high! Pushing yourself and your work to be the best it can be takes hard work and determination but the rewards are worth the effort. It's okay to strive for what you deem 'perfection', as long as you enjoy the journey- there's no point in creating something beautiful if the process was damn  ugly, as it will be the latter you'll remember most. All your connecting, recycling and experimenting will help shape the ultimate goal you're striving for and then all that's left to do is more of the same to get it just right. The sky is the limit when being creative-so don't seek shelter when you have the chance to dance in the rain! 

Take time to create. Those light-bulb moments can be fairly sporadic so best not to expect to be able to turn your creativity on and off like a switch. Breaking the task in hand in to manageable chunks will avoid you feeling overwhelmed with the need to create something amazing on a deadline. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will all your masterpieces. When I'm choreographing a dance, I find myself working on it to a certain point but then having to step away from it for a while to take stock of what I've produced thus far, before being able to move forward with it. That's it to say I'm not lastminute.com with projects (I'm often found procrastinating over a To Do list until it's absolutely necessary to start creating!) but I know the process is more pleasurable when I can work at a leisurely pace & take pauses intermittently to mull over things.

Evaluating your work as you go will inevitably help create something you are happy with overall. Yes, there's always hindsight to flag up the 'what I shoulda/coulda/woulda done'  but if you're able to continually critique and question your creative choices as you're making them, the final product is more likely to meet or even excel your expectations. 

And there you have it, 6 pointers that may help you create more efficiently and effectively. I'd be interested to hear from you as to what your hints and tips are!

Lisa