My older brother had the dream of becoming a concert pianist.  One of my fondest memories of growing up was the countless hours of fine piano music that I heard as he practiced in our living room.  There is nothing like live piano music. 

Take the iPiano that can display your music, turn your pages, and if your not a concert pianist it will even teach you how to play!  If that’s not cool enough the iPiano stores and displays your electronic music scores – no more fumbling for sheetmusic under your piano bench. It’s all displayed on the center screen, and it’s even a touch screen at that. And if you’re into composing music, this little beauty can record what you play as well!

Designer: ??? Heyki Lee

I know I have a lot of work to do to add more content to Creators Create, but from what I have seen already the trend is becoming more and more obvious to me.

People frequent Mark McGuiness’s Blog Lateral Action, which by the way is a tremendous Blog.  I can’t say enough good about it.  And there are many more Blogs and Forums that deal with creativity and creatives.

But that’s not what this Blog is about.

This Blog is about Creators and the things they create – creations.  It’s not about creativity.
 
Many, too many people believe that in order to create a creation you must have creativity.

That is the biggest bunch of whooey I have ever heard.  The fact is you don’t need an ounce of creativity to be able to create creations.
The problem is that most people don’t know what a creation is, therefore they don’t know the role of a creator, nor do they understand the process of creating.

So if you don’t mind, I would like to take a few minutes and go back to the very basics of what this Blog is really all about.

Definitions:

Create = to bring into existence.

Creator = one who brings things into existence.

Creation = the thing that is brought into existence.

There you have it.  It’s really not any more complicated than that.  Creators bring creations into existence by the act of creating.
The truth is that every single one of us on this planet are powerful creators.  We cannot not create.  We daily create creations. 
Everything you bring into existence is a creation that you create.

Here let me give you a few examples:

1. You created breakfast this morning.
2. You created a few emails just a few minutes ago.
3. You created a “Good Morning” smile for your boss this morning when you got to work.
4. You created a better or worse relationship with your spouse today.
5. You created a resume.
6. You created a clean room.
7. You created a hungover body.
8. You created an argument.
9. You created a funny moment when you told that joke.
10. You created an endearing experience when you shared your feelings with a close friend.

Are you starting to understand now what a creation is?  Are you starting to see that you are constantly creating?  You are a creator, and you are always creating creations.

The question now is:  Are the creations you create valuable, important, that improve and bless your life?

Or are most of the creations that you create created by default, without purpose and therefore are useless, unimportant, and do nothing to improve or bless your life?

The chances are since you don’t look at the things that you bring into existence as creations that you probably aren’t all that worried about the quality.

Come to this Blog often and I promise you will begin to look at your whole existence in a whole new light.

With that whole new light you can begin to create on purpose.  You will create consciously amazing creations that improve, bless and inspire.

You will find you are a powerful creator.  Come back often to learn how.

Oh, and I did I even mention that it doesn’t take an ounce of creativity to be a creator?

By the mere fact that you bring things into existence is proof enough that you are a creator.

You don’t need creativity to create.  Creativity is only one tool in the creator’s tool box, and not even a very important tool at that. 

Creators create creations, and every once in awhile they might use creativity.
 
We’ll get into the details of this later on.  Come back often to learn more.

If you have thoughts on the subject please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, and engage in a discussion. I look forward to it.

Most anything really.  This Blog post is a creation.  The blank stare on your face is a creation.

The definition of the word “create” is to bring into existence.  So a creation is something that was brought into existence. 

It wasn’t there, but now it is – a creation.

Actually that is the basics.  But right now I’d like to get a little deeper into it.

There are many different kinds of creations.  There are creations that are tangible, as well as creations that intangible.  There are creations that last for a second, and creations that will last for eternity.  There are creations that are very tiny and creations that gigantic.

Let’s talk about a few of kinds of creations that perhaps you haven’t thought about before.

1. The ongoing creation creation.  This blog would be an example of the ongoing creation creation.  It never ends.  Every day I am adding to it, tweaking it, and updating it.  How many ongoing creation creations can you think of? 
2.  The fleeting moment creation.  These kinds of creations happen every day.  A smile, a kind or unkind word, or greeting.  The fleeting moment creation often is overlooked, or discounted on how truly powerful and important it can be.  Many wars have been fought over fleeting moment creations.  Many lives have been eternally altered by fleeting moment creations.  They may come into existence for only a fleeting moment but they sure do carry a wallop.
3.  The destruction creation.  Sometimes destruction can lead to powerful, ominous, even earth shattering creations that affect the lives of millions, perhaps even billions.  I bet the Taliban had no idea what they were creating the day of 9-11.  But even on a smaller scale how many enemies are created by destructive actions or words of another.  Divorce, murder, hatred are life altering creations brought about by the destruction creation.
4.  A true creator’s creation.  The difference between many of the creations that I have spoken of in this article and that of a true creator is that a true creator consciously creates creations with purpose, whereas many of the other creations that I have described were creations brought into existence by creators that relegated their power of creation to external forces and laws. 
   True creators consciously create creations they want to create.  If they want a better relationship with their spouse they create circumstances and opportunities that support and build their relationship.  If they desire to solve a problem they set out to bring into existence creations that directly or indirectly solve the problem.  Creator’s create creations of value and importance.

This list is just a beginning.  There are many other kinds of creations. 

I would love to hear your ideas.  Please share with me your thoughts on the subject.

A right fighter will sacrifice happiness, peace, friendship, and almost anything to be right. A right fighter will argue till the last drop of blood has been spilt. A right fighter would rather be right than happy.

Are you a right fighter?

When it comes to discussions with other people do you always have to be right? Do your ideas always have to be validated and heard? Does your need to be right become more important than your need to be happy? Or do you are erroneously belief that being right will make you happy?

I was once a right fighter. I used to sacrifice happiness all the time in order to prove my point’s, in order to be heard, or to be validated. It didn’t matter what I was fighting for I had to be right.  I would fight with my mother, I would fight with my father, I would fight with my wife, I would fight with my coworkers, and anybody in order to be right.  I didn’t care if I hurt other people’s feelings, it didn’t matter to me if I made others angry, all I really wanted was to be right.

Did I mention that I sacrificed my happiness? That was probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I would fight to be right thinking that that would make me happy, but the truth was I never really was happy. I had conquered too many people, had fought with too many people in order to be right. And by the time the skirmishes were over there were way too many casualties to experience happiness.

So I ask you again, are you all right fighter?

Here’s a few signs that indicate that you might be a right fighter:

• You feel angry if people don’t listen to you
• You don’t listen to other people’s point’s of view
• You don’t care about other people’s ideas
• You think that your ideas are the only ones that matter

If you find yourself guilty of any of these then you might be a right fighter. I don’t want to insult you, so I’ll come right out and say it: being a right fighter is a very sad existence. Especially when being a right fighter destroys so many relationships.

But being the creator doesn’t destroy relationships but creates creation’s that strengthen, and improve, and bless relationships. You see, creators don’t have to be right. Creators create. Creators creates creation’s that are valuable and important not only to themselves but to other people in a relationships.

Let me give you a few ideas of creations that creators create:

1. A beautiful day. The creator could decide to create a beautiful day starting with the very moment they wake up in the morning.  They roll over and give their partner kiss and a gentle caress. And then in the shower they hum a happy tune, make a delicious breakfast, and then plan the rest of their beautiful day. Then today set out to create it.
2. Give the gift of love. Creators create gifts of love for the other people in their relationship. These gifts of love are as simple as a smile or a get well card or a small Post-it note that says thank you, or I was thinking of you. These gifts of love could be a flower picked in the yard, or a funny joke to brighten someone’s day, or a piece of candy. It really doesn’t matter, these gifts of life are just random acts of creation.
3. Yield the right-of-way. Since creators are more concerned about creating creations they are not so concerned with being right, therefore, it’s very easy for creators to allow others to be right. In fact, this yielding of being right is a very important piece in the process of creation. Creations require many different pieces in order to be complete, and most times other people’s insights and ideas are integral pieces to the finished creation.
4. Joy. Creators love their creations, and bringing their creations into existence is more important than anything to a creator. The reason for this is that true creators experiences euphoria, joy, a happiness like no other when their creation finally exists.

Next time you feel the urge to be right, stop and think for a moment about the creation’s that you would rather create instead. I guarantee you if you create creations of value it won’t be so important to you anymore to be right.

Every time I talk about creation, creating, and creators inevitably someone brings up the thought that they don’t have a creative bone in their body, that they’re not creative, that they are not imaginative, they’re not artistic, they have no creativity, and that whatever I’m talking about is not interesting to them, because they just have never been very creative, and they don’t want talk about creativity. 

Believe me, I understand.  But what I’m about to say might actually clear this up for you forever.

You don’t need to be creative in order to create.

I want you to put a smile on your face.  Do it right this very second.

Good.

There, you created.  You just put a smile on your face, and that is a creation.  The definition of “create” is to bring into existence, and the definition of “creator” is someone who brings things (creations) into existence.  So by definition you are a creator.  You brought something into existence – the smile that wasn’t there before.

And you didn’t even need creativity in order to create the smile.  Creativity is not a prerequisite in order to create.  It’s not even a necessary component.  Creativity relates to the quality of your creation but it’s not necessary in order to bring a creation into existence. 

So what does all this mean to you?

You need to recognize that you have the power to create whatever you want to create.  The fact is, you are where you are today because you created what you are today.  You are sitting where you’re sitting because you made the choice to sit there; you created that experience in your life.  If you had desired to create a different experience you would be sitting somewhere else or walking somewhere else, or in a different place altogether.  But you are where you are right now because you chose to be where you are right now – you created this experience.

If you recognize that everything you do is a creation then you can start to quantify or measure your creations.  You could start to quantify and measure the creations that you create.

Then you could make your creations more valuable and important to you.

Have you sent out an e-mail today?

If you sent out an e-mail today you are a creator.  You created that e-mail.  That e-mail did not exist until you wrote it and sent it.  Recognize that you created it.

Now you can measure it, and improve it.  You can measure how fast that e-mail went out, how fast you typed it, and you can even measure the quality in which you typed it, how many words you typed, how many paragraphs, or how many sentences.  You can measure how fast you typed it.  You can measure even the quality of what you typed: did it communicate the message that you wanted it to communicate?  Did it accomplish what you wanted it to accomplish?  All those things you can measure and improve upon to make your creation more valuable and important.  And again not a single one of those requires creativity, but nevertheless, sending that e-mail was indeed a creation that you created.

Since you can measure the creations that you create you can quantify the quality and value that you give your creations.

Too many people do not consciously create creations that are valuable in their lives.  Instead they live their lives on autopilot, or they create by default; they don’t consciously create experiences that are valuable and important to them – they just live by default.

This morning did you consciously create a wonderful experience?  Did you create a wonderful creation called “getting ready for work?”  Was it a wonderful creation?  Did you have joy in it?  Did you make it a beautiful creation for the people around you to enjoy as well?  Did you make it a beautiful creation for yourself?  Did you make it a memorable beautiful creation for you?  Or did you just wake up, hop in the shower, brush your teeth; you know, do the regular rigmarole and then come in to work?

Today I challenge you to look at the creations that you create and ask yourself is this a creation that I think is important, is it valuable, or is this a creation that I created by default?

Too often we think that we are-all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips, that we can get along without anyone else’s help.  But I recognize that this blog wouldn’t amount to anything if it weren’t for you.

I need readers.  I need people who are actually interested in the subject of creation.  I need people who want to be creators – or I am just sitting here typing on a blank wall.

You are important to me.  You are the reason I am writing. I want you to know that I appreciate you.
 
Since this venture is relatively new.  I haven’t spent a whole lot of time marketing this site.  I intent on doing a ton of marketing these next few months, but for now this is just a beginning.

I would like to know what you would like me to write about.  What interests you about creation?  What do you want to know about being a creator?  What is your perspective on the whole subject?

I would greatly appreciate your comments.  I hope that we can begin a dialog about creation and creators.  I am passionate about the subject and want to share my findings.

Send me a comment – I appreciate it!

In my work I have chosen the positive approach. I never think of myself as protesting against something, but rather as witnessing for harmonious living. Those who witness for, present solutions. Those who witness against, usually do not–they dwell on what is wrong, resorting to judgment and criticism and sometimes even name-calling. Naturally, the negative approach has a detrimental effect on the person who uses it, while the positive approach has a good effect. When an evil is attacked, the evil mobilizes, although it may have been weak and unorganized before, and therefore the attack gives it validity and strength. When there is no attack, but instead good influences are brought to bear upon the situation, not only does the evil tend to fade away, but the evildoer tends to be transformed. The positive approach inspires; the negative approach makes angry. When you make people angry, they act in accordance with their base instincts, often violently and irrationally. When you inspire people, they act in accordance with their higher instincts, sensibly and rationally. Also, anger is transient, whereas inspiration sometimes has life-long effect.
Peace Pilgrim

What you resist persists.  If you are pushing against something then it is for sure pushing back.  This just happens to be one of those irrefutable laws that cannot be changed.

It’s as powerful as the law of gravity.  In fact the law of gravity helps this law out.  Think about pumping iron.  What force pulls the weights downward?  Gravity. 

I’m just want you to think about it for a few minutes.  Is there something in your life that you don’t want, but day in, day out you push against it, you resist it?  If so, then know that you are giving it life.  You are the one giving it the strength to live on in your life.

If you are poor and you are resisting poverty then you are the one who is allowing poverty to live in your existence.  If you are sick and you keep popping pills, or going to the doctors, or thinking about how awful you feel – you are the one who is giving that disease the life it needs to live on.

I know this is all so much easier said than done, but you are your creator.  Always have been – always will be . . .

Create something great!

Bob Bly in an article  entitled “The Best Business Advice You’ll Ever Get” said, “An idea has no value by itself … It only gains value when you put it into action. And too many of us … are better at thinking about doing things … than we are at actually doing them.”

Joe Vitale said, “Money loves speed.”

Robert Ringer said, “Success loves speed.”

Mike Litman “You don’t have to get it right, you just have to get it going.”

Michael Masterson, “Ready, Fire, Aim.”

Mark Twain commented once, “Find out where the people are going, and get there first.”
 
And you can probably recall a few more yourselves.  All great quotes on the theme of speed. What does speed have to do with creating? I’d like to discuss that with you.

Have you ever had an idea that you thought was the most fantastic idea you’d ever had?  You’d do it and make millions.  But you procrastinated – only to find out that someone else had a similar idea and they had actually done it; making you feel like a total loser.  I have had that happen so many times I’d be a gazillionaire by now if I’d only followed through with my ideas.
 
Have you had the same happen to you?  Why?  Because instead of applying speed you applied the seat –cushion-to-your-butt routine instead.  You procrastinated, you held off, you were afraid, you didn’t move fast.  Quite simply you didn’t move. Remember action requires that you move – forward preferably.

I know, like I said I have had that happen too many times.  Perhaps it’s because I take too much after my Dad.  He can think of every reason in the world why something can’t be done.  My Dad has his Doctorate in education so he is no dummy either.  When he puts his mind to something you pretty much know that he’s thought it through thoroughly.  So if he lists reasons why something can’t be done you best believe him – right?
 
His reasons are always very logical and conventional.  And he’s usually correct.  But you know what? According to the gurus that’s what failure is all about.  My Dad says that xyz will happen – so what.  Get it going – move towards your creation, begin taking actions that will get you closer to your creation and let xyz happen, in the process you’ll learn ways to deal with xyz or how to get around xyz, or how to make xyz work for you, you may even find that xyz is an integral part of your creation.  Regardless, stop letting xyz paralyze you with fear so that you don’t take any action at all.

Speed is where you will have success.  Do it NOW. All great creations were created by doing not by wishing, not by thinking, not by waiting for better circumstances to happen upon the scene, and definitely not by procrastinating.  Creators create!

How many of you use Microsoft products?  How many of you have owned an imperfect Microsoft product? Bill Gates doesn’t wait till it’s perfect before he puts it out there on the market. He just gets it going and then puts it out there on the market and fixes it as he goes.  If he had waited till it was perfect we probably would have never had Windows, and he probably wouldn’t be the richest man on earth either.  Like it or not, Microsoft did not make Bill Gates so successful because of perfection.  That’s an example to learn from.

Fear of failure or success is crippling.  It has stopped many a would-be success dead in their tracks. Know this truth: Fear will never create!  One of the most important elements of creation is faith.  Faith and fear are eternal enemies which lie on opposite ends of the spectrum.  They cannot coexist in the same space simultaneously.  Fear never lets you get enough momentum to get your butt out of the recliner.

You can always find a reasonable excuse to remain motionless. Creation requires movement, great creations not only love speed, great creations require speed! And great creators create great creations!

OK admit it, you have several ideas that you have been putting off for whatever reasons.  Granted they may even be good reasons, but today’s assignment we are going to look convention in the face and ignore those reasons.Choose one of your ideas and do one big thing towards its accomplishment.  That’s right, stop making excuses and start moving towards that creation.Do it NOW!  Fast!  Hurry!

To your creations,

Michael Claridge

The first thing I want to do is define the word “Create.”  Who better to do that then Webster himself. 

To bring into existence.That’s it.  Pretty simple really.  The act of creation is to bring into existence that which was not there before. Let me explain.  One day I was surfing the Internet and came across a personal web page of some internationally renowned speaker. I have searched for that same site since and cannot find it. I’m sorry that I don’t have more specific information to give you.On the site he had some downloadable snippets of some of his speeches. I downloaded and listened to many that day, but one caught my particular attention. It went something like this:(I paraphrase because I don’t have the actual)
“Have you ever seen a dog give birth to a cat? Have you ever seen an elephant give birth to a parakeet?

“God created the Heavens and the Earth and everything that in them are. And He created man in His own image. We are created in Gods image. God is a creator. We are created in His image. We are creators.”

That was pretty profound. We are all creators. Creators of what? Creators of our own lives. In fact what I am about to say I want you to never forget – YOU CANNOT NOT CREATE!

Stop and think about it. Everything you do is a creation. Everything!

With that in mind think about it.  YOU CANNOT NOT CREATE!  Everything you do is to bring into existence something that was not there before.  Take it to its rudimentary form – the next breath you take did not exist until you created it.  The thought that you are thinking did not exist until you brought it into existence. When you really think about it, everything that you do is to create.

That being the case then understand this next truth. You are the creator of your life.  Believe it or not, you have been creating you from the first breath you drew as a baby.  Every experience you have had since that first breath has been yours and only yours to do with as you wished.  Nobody forced you to act, or react, or think the way you do.  Indeed, you have had free will since that very first breath.

You are where you are, doing what you do, and thinking what you think, and being what you are because you created it that way.  Whether you are happy or unhappy, rich or poor, fat or thin, successful or unsuccessful, you made it that way.

Your assignment today is to do a simple exercise.  Walk outside and yell at the top of your lungs, “Hello world, I’m (say your name) and I’m here to create the greatest day I’ve ever had!”  Then go out and do it. At the end of the day get out a piece of paper, a journal, anything and write about what you created.  How did it feel?  What was different about it?  Did you notice anything new?

Literally, you are your own creator.

To your creations,

Michael Claridge

This post is the first of what will be a major creation.  Throughout the next weeks, months, and years I will explore the many facits of creation: what it is, how to do it, who can do it, and why.  I will delve into many powerful principles that will teach you how to realize your own potential to be a creator.

There are many in this world who believe they are not in control of their lives.  They believe that circumstances, that the environment, the government, or their surroundings are in control of their lives.  Few understand that they have the power to create what they desire to create – these few, called “Creators” are what we will study and learn about on these pages.  Creators indeed create creations.

There is power in creation.  I will strive to demonstrate where that power comes from, how it is nurtured and how to increase it.  I will show you how to harness it to your greatest usage.  Once understood and harnessed correctly you can use it to create powerful creations.

What is it that creators create?  Why that’s simple – Creations!  It sounds trite, but I hope you will soon see that it is wonderful!  Creators Create Creations!

In these articles we will learn that the creations that creators create are created from the substance which all great creations are created from.  There may be creativity involved, but you will come to find that creativity is not all that necessary.  You will soon see that it really is quite easy.  Anybody can be a creator – in fact most everybody is.

Once again, welcome.  I hope that these next years are full of many splendid creations.

Creative Creators Create Creative Creations Creatively!  Now wasn’t that creative?

Like I said I have done quite a bit of reading, I recently I read the book called Action! Nothing Happens Until Something Moves by Robert Ringer.    And that’s just the point – nothing, absolutely nothing happens until something moves.  If nothing, creation can only occur when something moves. That said, at the end of each of my posts, I’m going to try and give you something to do.  It’s YOUR MOVE, so get moving.  Start creating!

To your Creations,

Michael Claridge