The Edge of Greatness!

My work has made think about how we start the creative process. As art practitioners we tend to overemphasis the starting point as the idea and then the process to an artefact or product. But I've become intrigued by staying in that thinking stage that happens before the idea born. Spending time here in this 'process before the process' stage, I find myself noticing a trend that threads together an approach to creative thinking.

Like Carol Dweck (2012) I liken this thinking stage to a mindset. Rather than being fixated on a 'fixed mindset', focussed on getting my workshop done or planning each rehearsal to a time frame. I really try to adopt a 'growth mindset'. This shouldn't be mistaken for unorganised or badly planned. Rather it's a plan of a process rather than a plan of getting through things. It's the thinking behind the thinking. Many of us fall into the trap of pressured deadlines resulting in ticking boxes and getting getting the job done quickly. Usually this costs us more time in fixing and reworking rushed, undeveloped ideas. This then impacts on our approach, leading to over planning and micro-directing the creative process. Before you know it, the growth mindset is now dormant and you are creatively going through the process, rather than staying with it. 

As I think back I notice I have always maintained an inner mantra as I work. This is to tell myself I am on the edge of greatness. Of course I couldn't be far enough from the edge of greatness and I probably will never get to know what greatness actually is. However it's not about getting to be great at all. At the start of all processes, be it in planning a workshop, a three year curriculum or a creative mentoring session. Telling myself that I am on the edge of greatness with my ideas is a mindset not a proclamation. As creative practitioners we need to start with the idea of creating greatness in everything we do. This growth mindset enables us to become visionary in our method and gives what we do a sense of a creative grounding tone to our processes. 

In everything I do I always believe I'm on the edge of greatness. Though my practice will seldom find greatness, it's in the process of looking for greatness and being on the edge of it, that gives my ideas a sense of integrity and journey. It's a mindset. It's an artefact of my practitioner thinking rather than of my practice itself.