Impulsive. Reckless. Whimsical. Undisciplined. Oh, and flakey.

Artists are often accused of being these things.  And rightly so.  By virtue of our gift, we’re wired to be responsive to external stimuli.  The danger is in having no filter for receiving and interacting with those things that excite and inspire us.  You’ve probably heard the old proverb, “Your greatest weakness is just your greatest strength being outstretched.”

The dark side of creativity is truly ugly.  It’s uninspired.  It’s desperate for a breakthrough.  It has no boundaries and often saps our energy.

The most influential artists have learned the art of balancing discipline with spontaneity.  It’s the discipline that gives them a sandbox to play in.  The spontaneity allows them to be uninhibited and even break a few rules along the way.

The real strength of spontaneity is that sometimes you’ll see things that no one else sees.  It’s important to be aware and share the things you “see.”  But be discerning.  There are some impulses that are less beneficial in the long run.

A couple days ago, I ignored an impulse to write a letter to one of my monthly financial parters.  By letter, I mean hand-written, with real pen and paper, snail-mail style.  Today, I had the same impulse and actually listened to it.  In both instances the impulse came out of gratitude.  But in the second, I acted on it.  As nerdy as it sounds, doing a mental cost/benefit analysis for each impulse is a good way to prioritize.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

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