Ingredients
1 Open Mind
1/2 cup Inspiration
3/4 cup Talent
1 cup Originality
1 cup Authenticity
2 cups Motivation
2 3/4 cups Passion
4 cups Belief
4 cups Commitment
6 cups Perseverance
8 cups Grit
1 lb. Courage
Step One: Preheat imagination by clearing mind of clutter and doubt. Do this with an activity of your choice—run, meditate, take a long shower, relax with a glass of wine…
Step Two: Gather all ingredients, pour into large mixing bowl and stir with abandon. Get messy. Let it fly. Embrace the process, and never think about the cleanup.
Step Three: Season to taste using the textures of your soul. If your creation is bland, add a pinch of spice, a pound of raw emotion and one additional cup of grit. Blend vigorously until flavor is sublime.
Step Four: Knead it and work it, work it, work it.
Step Five: Set aside and let your ideas rise. During this important time, make an effort to engage in other activities, further stirring your creative juices: read, listen to music, go for a hike, surround yourself with art or other creative people.
If necessary repeat steps four and five.
Step Six: Once you are satisfied with the overall flavor and consistency, shape into the form of your choice—one that most expresses your passion and personality.
Step Seven: Bake in creative oven until done. Only you will know at what temperature and how long this will take. During this step, be sure to check it occasionally, but trust your instincts and refrain from continually opening and closing the oven door; that only lets out the heat, and often makes a masterpiece fall. Rather, relax and allow it to reach its natural golden state.
Step Eight: Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
Step Nine: Once cool, embellish. This is your chance to add your final pinches of panache and swirls of sweetness. Make sure you have sprinkled it sufficiently with the yearnings of your heart, and topped it with the magic of your imagination.
Step Ten: Enjoy and celebrate your creative masterpiece, and most importantly, be sure to SHARE IT.
*Note: This recipe works best when creating purely to impress yourself. If others appreciate it too, then that’s just icing on the cake.
©Becky Green Aaronson The Art of an Improbable Life 2012
Your recipe is awesome! It increased my appetite for creativity. You know what? I have assembled all the ingredients, and of course the 1 tone of love and support as suggested by Tracey, and get down to business!
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. I agree, getting down to business is a crucial step. Creativity doesn’t magically happen. Rita Mae Brown once said, “…never hope more than you work,” and I think that says it all.
Sounds like a recipe for success. It should be in every cookbook!
Thank you. So glad you stopped by to take a peek at my recipe. Happy writing to you. I enjoy your blog!
This recipie is going on my fridge. What an important reminder about how “dreams come true” are made. I needed this today so thank you. ~ Peggy
Peggy, I’m so glad this resonated with you. One’s fridge is a place of honor so that totally made my day.
Thanks for taking the time to swing by my blog and leave me a comment. Happy creating!
Becky, Your cleverness is always beguiling and thought provoking.I so enjoy. Read your blogs but seldom respond. My book project has me buried. This too shall pass. I so hope to see you on the 14th
love, Nancy
Nancy, so great to see you here again. I’ve been thinking about you, wondering how your book project is coming along. Is the launch still set for July 4th? Hopefully everything is coming together smoothly for you! And yes, I hope to see you on the 14th. I’m sure you are thinking extra good thoughts for Cork, like me and so many others.
Glad you enjoyed this post. Thanks for letting me know.
I tweeted this before I had even finished reading. The ingredients were not surprising, but I loved all the steps involved in the recipe. Clearly you are blessed with your own huge serving of creativity.
Many thanks, Julie. It was fun to create this recipe and I’m glad you enjoyed it.
So delicious I had to share. Well done, “chef” Becky!
Thanks, Beverly. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for swinging by to let me know.
Oh, Becky, perfection AND genius! Plus it’s non-caloric.
Thanks, Tracey for the butter. Now I can use the recipe in France.
Valerie, I’m so glad this recipe stirred your imagination. It’s non-caloric for many, but I usually add a large dose of chocolate and red wine to the mix while I’m creating…or a dirty chai and apple spice cake…or…yikes…I better get myself to the gym so I can do some more creating!
Happy writing, my friend!
Absolutely delicious! I’d have this embroidered on a pillow if I could. I could “taste” the love you have for the creative process in this piece. It just made me smile and feel very grateful to have met so many wonderful writers like you with which to share the passion. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll have some ice cream on mine.
Thanks, Jayne. I’m glad you found the love in this recipe. There’s nothing like the creative process, especially when shared with like-minded people. By the way, loved your interview with Elizabeth Cassidy on Skirt.com yesterday. So fresh and full of fun and great insight.
This is my new favorite recipe. Clever and you have all us readers drooling. Any creative live needs spice, free thinking, removal of all negativity, long walks, and little nuggets of gold, like this one. Thanks, Becky, this is a keep for me.
Brenda, I’m so glad you enjoyed this. Thanks for taking the time to let me know, and share your thoughts. Happy writing to you!
Becky, great piece- this is a keeper! Will be forwarding this for a long time to come, brilliant and must’ve been fun to write. What comes up for me- as we discussed the way children suck the creative juices out of us- is the importance of boundaries around every step of your recipe. So we don’t feel rushed, pushed, pulled and distracted. I can see how I let that happen endlessly. But outlining the way you have here, I can see how I might build this into and on my own alone time. THANK YOU!
Thanks, Bonnie. Being the chef that you are (culinary and otherwise), I’m glad you enjoyed this so much. And yes, life’s distractions are challenging, to say the least, especially when it comes to family. It’s hard to feel creative when you’re rushed and pulled in multiple directions, but it can be done if you make it a priority. At least that’s what I keep telling myself!
I’m looking forward to seeing/hearing what you’ll be mixing up next in your creative kitchen!
Hey Becky,
Wonderfully inspiring post. I teach workshops on creativity and think I will have to read them your example and then ask them to come up with their own recipe. I would add a dash of ‘Boldness’ to mine.
Best,
Michele
http://micheleberger.wordpress.com/
Thanks, Michele. I’m glad you enjoyed this post. Boldness is another fabulous ingredient to add to the mix. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Becky, I love cooking. And let me tell you this one is one of the best recipe I have ever came across. Wonderful post.
Happy cooking, Arindam! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I see you have used and perfected this recipe!! I am going to print it and carry it around with me!
That makes me smile. Thank you, and enjoy!
This one’s going to get dog-eared with use!
Just a fun little ditty to remind ourselves how delicious it can be to create.
I’m not even a cook, but I am going to save this recipe and try it out! I especially love step #7–don’t keep opening the oven door and checking on it. Let it go. Relax.
And thanks for the note at the end: a good reminder to NOT try to impress others with our work.
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. You are a creative soul to begin with so hopefully this just adds a tidbit of inspiration to your already bright writing life.
I don’t normally follow recipes–I usually like to throw in whatever I feel like without paying attention to ingredients, but your advice is certainly something I need to pay attention to! Fun post!
Jessica, your approach works brilliantly for you. Keep on doing what you do!
Stirring my creative juices is my favorite part of being a writer!
Hey, I received the Versatile Blogger award and I am passing it along to you and some other deserving bloggers in my next Wednesday Woo-Hoo post. Congrats! If you’ve received the honor before, just bask in the glory of knowing you have an award winning blog (winky wink!)
It’s clear from your blog that you like to stir your creative juices! Congrats on the award, Cindy! And thanks for the nomination. Woo-Hoo!
Lucky me to be following Tracey in the comment queue . . . What she says only serves to remind me (us) that kindred spirits do think alike. She made me laugh, too. Every little bit of this recipe is delightful, down to that ‘note’ at the end.
Tracey is a hoot. So glad to have met both of you so we can all laugh together and celebrate our creativity.
Uh oh! I think your recipe is missing an ingredient. 1 ton love and support. Girl, that’s like forgetting the butter from the cake recipe!
You are right about that, Tracey! How could I forget such a key ingredient!